August 2020

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For starters, I hope that everyone continues to be safe not only to keep your loved ones safe, but also to keep those safe around you. To those who have lost family, friends and loved ones, our hearts and prayers continue to go out to you.

In these trying times, it is most evident that the George Floyd murder has sparked a nation to come together and protest against the injustice in our American system. The fight is hard, complex and it requires focus, understanding and leadership. In the past few months, I can’t help but reflect on my past and present.

I remember growing as a kid not having a clue what prejudice was until I experienced it in high school. Growing up, we lived in a very diverse area of Brooklyn. We had a family from Greece a couple houses down, Jewish identified family around the corner and a Chinese identified family up the block. My best friend lived right next door, an Italian American, and for all of us race was never an issue. We were all on the same block; we ate together and played stick ball and hide-n-seek without any issue.

Even when some of those families moved, we stayed in touch. It wasn’t until late in junior high school that I experienced the hate some had for the color of my skin. I was spit on, called nigger and made to think that I wasn’t good or smart enough as my white counter parts. I was arrested for standing on school property when my white classmates were told to go home. The murder of George Floyd brought this all back.

I am a Black man in America; a father to four very diverse children, a partner to a diverse woman and I have the privilege of this platform as the CEO and EIC of i-Fashion magazine. I have pain from my past and I have a responsibility to elevate the voices and stories of Black, Indigenous, People Of Color designers, MUA’s, models, photographers and friends in the fashion industry.

The journey to fix systemic racism is a long one. And I have to believe that if we all continue to do our parts incremental change is possible. Take time to reflect on where you can make that change.