Just Hire A Black Girl: 'Numéro' Magazine Puts White Girl In 'African Queen' Blackface Editorial

Just Hire A Black Girl: ‘Numéro’ Magazine Puts White Girl In ‘African Queen’ Blackface Editorial

Photo: Numéro

Just days after Mercedes Benz Fashion Week ended, Jezebel calculated (with the help of Style.com) that a whopping 82 percent of models who walked in the Fall 2013 shows were white. In stark comparison, a menial 6 percent of the models were black. So there’s no denying that the fashion world has purposely limited the access of people of color.

Photo: Numéro

It also comes as to no surprise that yet another publication has deemed it appropriate to put a white model in blackface in an obvious and desperate attempt to gain attention. Numéro magazine, a fashion publication based in France, tapped 16-year-old model Ondria Hardin to be in an editorial called “African Queen.” Dressed in a print jumpsuit, with over-sized jewelry and brown makeup.

So why not just hire an African model? As Jezebel notes, Ford Modeling Agency, which Hardin is signed to, actually has several black models in their roster. So the confusion remains as to why it’s more befitting to cast anything but a brown girl in a fashion editorial.

Happy to get the attention, the magazine has yet to comment on the offensive editorial, but int the meantime we’re happy to shed light on the crass insensitivity they’ve exhibited.

We’re annoyed , what are your thoughts?

-Danielle Kwateng
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http://dontloseyourdayjob.com/ Hassan Fvckry

The only color that gets any respect around here is green… and yellow ‘cuz of the sun. #shameonnumero
lala x

sad
http://www.facebook.com/black.exodus1 Black Exodus

The fashion industry is sick and racism is blatant. The Original Hue is beautiful…always was and always will be but the empire we are in doesn’t choose to recognize our inherit style, fashion and beauty in proper format. Without proper representation in the Modeling Agencies, Print, Media and fashion industry these mistakes will constantly happen without correction. Again, they don’t owe us anything and they will re-write our origins and beginnings as their own. It’s time for a few of the fashionista’s/ Business People of color to form their own Mags, Agencies, photographers, fashion shows and represent correctly also boycott these designers that don’t represent You or those that look like you. We are much more powerful then they think, but we have to be smart.
- shelshel
  
  truth!
shelshel

everyone wants to be black but nobody wants to be black. Nonblacks are so hilarious this day of age. I am personally not offended by this, it proves to me that black women are winning in the looks department
- IHATEUGLYHOEZ
  
  IN YOUR DREAMS, EVERYONE WANTS TO BE BROWN YES BUT BLACK??? HELLL NO
  - Josie_Dahling
    
    Get your life we aren’t talking hues we’re talking a community. Stop the hate
    - yada
      
      Im black and im not the color black, my color is actually brown, and the dark skin is beautiful.
- IHATEUGLYHOEZ
  
  IN YOUR DREAMS, EVERYONE WANTS TO BE BROWN YES BUT BLACK??? HELLL NO
- j a sassy aka salon22w
  
  you are so right ..they want our loks. our features but they dont want the racism and poverty.. theu want the blk man in bed but dont know a damn thing about black culture…they want the black babies and have no damn clue how to raise them..go raise some white babies…lots of them in need.
wepo1

This is how they want black women to look and the black women that look like “white women dipped in chocolate” are usually the most valued by whites!
- Cat
  
  High Yellow, ring a bell. Those are your people’s words!!!!!
dddooonnnttt

The white model dressed up as an AFRICAN QUEEN says a lot about the centuries of them trying to imitate us. They imitate our style of dress, our language and our music. But in such a way as to mock. That way when we say, ‘you are imitaiting us’, they can say that they aren’t. Clearly you are.
http://www.facebook.com/zander.sky.7 Zander Sky

What is particularly sad about the fashion industry is that it is run by whits gay men and older white women. Everyone wants to copy black style and use it to make money.
Guest

I hate the french, Ill tell you what it is, there men hate white woman, so they hate us…as long as ish like that stays in white countries not south africa, urggg ”white people”
Guest

One thing Ill ask God, is why did I have to come to earth with them.
http://www.facebook.com/Cuteandbronzed Luiza Mabaso

I just want to spit, in the creators face, right now why did he have to make them and i had to come here with these ”people”’ cant black people have peace. some body take me, i dont want to be on the same planet
- http://www.facebook.com/Cuteandbronzed Luiza Mabaso
  
  who created the planet I want a refund, why did I have to come to earth with them, why I want refund. Life was a gift they destroy everything
http://www.facebook.com/dominique.cox.9 Dominique Cox-Harris

Oh this just ain’t cool…. I could throw up. This is just sicken…. No words on how wrong this is.
http://twitter.com/AdolphHippster Charles Jordan

it changes nothing. blacks will continue to grovel and aspire to own these brands to measure and project our self worth even tho they are seldom invited to the table. look around…its how we are. red bottoms anyone?
aircraftmech

So the Wayans brothers movie where they dressed up like white teenage girls was ok, right? You can’t pick and choose when you want to complain about alledged or supposed racsim.
- evette thompson
  
  The wayans played two cops who disguised themselves as the wilson sisters in oder to save their jobs they were not mocking whites to tear down their self identity. Black face is offensive and is assosiated with mistrel shows which lampooned blacks as dim-witted, lazy and buffoonish. End of story.
Melvin James

Actually many people do know that skin tones range from very light to very dark in Africa. But still what does that have to do with using a WHITE model painted to look black?? The model isn’t African or Black. Ondria Hardin is a white model with blond hair and blue eyes. Get a clue.
shajuan1955

This young lady (looking at her facial features) has a recent ancestor that was of African descent. But, it was wrong to put her in ‘blackface’ for the ads.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Carl-Robbins/100001927336223 Carl Robbins

Most black girls have features that are not considered attractive by the majority of people paying for products these magazines promote and indeed the publications themselves. Few if any blacks are a financial contributor to the entire process, more likely just a vocal complaining nuisance always trolling for an opportunity to be offended. “The biggest lie” is a very old expression……….(Black is beautiful).