Editorial | Black creators who inspire us

Graphic by HARRY LADA, Art Director

As we pointed out in last week’s editorial, this forum is typically a mode for our staff to put their uncensored thoughts to paper separate from our objective news-reporting. 

But, in honor of Black History Month, we’d like to cater our space this week to promoting creators from the Black community that inspire us to do the hard work we preach. The significant artistic and social contributions of these individuals encourage our staff to continue pursuing their creative passions even in the face of adversity.

Issa Rae

Jo-Issa Rae Diop, professionally regarded as Issa Rae, is a jack of all trades with experience in acting, writing and directing for television. The 37-year-old has received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for HBO’s hit dramedy “Insecure,” which Rae created, produced and starred in. 

After pursuing a college degree, Rae first hit the streaming scene with her 2011 YouTube web series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” which she ultimately turned into a memoir in 2015 that made the New York Times best-seller list. Though Rae’s roots are in television and short-form comedy, the actress made her first film appearance with the 2018 drama “The Hate U Give.”

Rae’s humor is effective because of the relatability she brings to her characters, who are lovable yet deeply flawed; a technique we as writers can certainly aim to apply to our own work. More significantly, her vast knowledge of the entertainment sphere provides hope that — as a woman in the cutthroat Hollywood industry — it is, in fact, possible to do it all.

Leah Thomas

Known among her Instagram following as @greengirlleah, Southern California-based Leah Thomas is a 2017 Chapman alumna who graduated with a degree in environmental science and policy. Thomas then applied her respective understandings of social justice issues and environmentalism to found the Intersectional Environmentalist (IE) in June 2020, a resource hub for the climate justice community that places emphasis on amplifying the voices of individuals who are Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC).

Thomas’ writing has been featured in publications like Vogue and Elle, and she will be releasing her debut novel, “The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet'' March 8. Her focus on intersectionality is driven by the idea that environmental injustices can more directly impact marginalized communities and that inclusive environmentalism also connects to broader social movements — like feminism and LGBTQIA+ equality.

There’s a certain sense of pride that accompanies watching an alumnus from your university be launched into success; it reinforces the idea that your education has value. And in Thomas’ case, her wealth of knowledge led her to become an author and create an activist community — all in her 20s.

Brit Bennett 

Brit Bennett is a New York Times best-selling author of two novels: “The Mothers” published in 2016 and “The Vanishing Half” published in 2020. “The Vanishing Half” was shortlisted for the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction and longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction and the 2021 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.

“The Vanishing Half” touches on themes of colorism, domestic abuse and transgender discrimiation during from the 1940s to the 1990s in different states across the U.S. The book was also chosen as a Good Morning America Book Club selection and was named one of The New York Times 10 best books of 2020.

Bennett was raised in Southern California and earned her undergraduate degree at Stanford University. Her debut novel takes place in Oceanside, California, a city in the northern area of San Diego County. While completing her M.F.A at the University of Michigan, Bennett’s 2014 essay titled “I Don’t Know What to Do With Good White People” gained more than one million views in just three days. Bennett has written many other essays that discuss various topics regarding race and her identity as a Black woman.

Dreamer Isioma

Dreamer Isioma is a 21-year old multi-genre artist from Chicago whose song “Sensitive” went viral on TikTok and garnered over 73 million streams on Spotify after its 2020 release. Isioma, who identifies as non-binary, released their debut album — titled “Goodnight Dreamer” — on Feb. 23.

Isioma’s music blends elements of R&B, funk and hip hop, and they have performed at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. Their second top song — titled “Stop Calling the Police on Me” — addresses racial prejudice and the difficulties faced by Black people in America. 

But beyond the critical acclaim, Isioma inspires us with their unwavering celebration of self-love — through their lyricism, fashion sense and projection of what it means to acknowledge your self-worth.

Edward Enninful

For just over two years, Edward Enninful has been at the helm of British Vogue, serving as both the editor-in-chief and more recently, the European editorial director. His influence and focus on inclusivity and “diversity of perspective” has rocked the fashion industry globally.

Having been promoted to fashion director of i-D, a British youth culture magazine, at just 18-years-old, the Ghanaian-born fashion prodigy became the youngest to have ever been named editor at a major international fashion house. Enninful channeled inspiration from London’s 1980s club scene, and his work became known for its provocative energy, elegance, and narrative. 

Just before taking over British Vogue 2017, Enninful rounded up 81 of fashion’s most influential people to create the short film “I Am An Immigrant,” released with W Magazine in protest of then-President Donald J. Trump’s constrictive immigration policies.

As the only Black editor in the history of Vogue’s 26 magazines, Enninful has dedicated his platform to elevating under-represented voices. By normalizing the marginalized, Enninful told Time Magazine, we make the marginalized normal. As writers and creators, we, too, believe inclusivity in our diverse world should be an expectation of all publications, not just a goal.

Dorothy Butler Gilliam

In 1961, when newspapers were still heavily segregated, Dorothy Butler Gilliam became the first Black woman reporter hired by The Washington Post. A trailblazer in her field, Gilliam dedicated much of her career to improving the lives and opportunities of future BIPOC generations.

In her memoir “Trailblazer: A Pioneering Journalist’s Fight to Make the Media Look More Like America,” Gilliam details the difficulty racial barriers presented in her job. While covering the 100th birthday of a rich white woman, a doorman told her to go around the back where the maid’s entrance was. Gilliam refused, as she would later write in her memoir, and responded powerfully: “I’m a reporter for The Washington Post.”

Her diligence and perseverance earned her a column at the Post which ran for 19 years, where she wrote about race, politics and education. When the New York Daily News fired half of its Black staff, she was heavily involved in the protests. She served as the president of the National Association of Black Journalists from 1993 to 1995, and she also created two programs to encourage young burgeoning journalists: the Post’s Young Journalists Development Program and Prime Movers Media.

Gilliam was awarded the lifetime achievement award by the Washington Press Club in 2010. She is an example for all journalists to follow, and her dedication to uplifting young voices speaks to us as aspiring writers and creators. Through her career, we learn the importance of fearlessness and persistence.