Finally a Black Spokeswoman for Dior

As I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed the other day, I came across a post that truly surprised me. Rihanna has just become the first black woman spokesperson for Dior! I'm so glad that the Christian Dior company is trying to become more diverse. However, the company was founded back in 1946. Why has it taken so long for an African American woman to represent Dior?

I think Dior's hesitance to hire a black spokeswoman for so long speaks to Americans' flawed perception of beauty. The company is finally making strides by hiring Rihanna, but she has very light skin for an African American. Throughout American history, white skin has always been considered better than dark skin. Even today, according to a CNN study, children of all skin colors seem to be biased toward lighter-skinned individuals. This bias can probably be traced to the media's insistence on whitewashing. When African Americans are used in ad campaigns, they are often photoshopped to look very light-skinned. For example, Beyoncé's skin was lightened to such an extent that she could probably pass for white. A comparison between Beyoncé's normal skin color and her retouched image can be seen below.

Beyonce's normal skin color (left) compared to her
photoshopped skin color (right)

At least Dior is finally hiring an African American, despite Rihanna's light skin. Rihanna claims that "It is such a big deal for me, for my culture, for a lot of girls of any color. I think to be acknowledged by Dior, it means a lot as a woman to feel beautiful, to feel elegant and timeless." Hiring Rihanna is definitely a first step for Dior. I just hope that Dior doesn't insist on photoshopping Rihanna to look even more light-skinned. Dark skin should be considered just as beautiful as light skin. The more African American women that appear across social media, the more likely that Americans will begin to see the beauty in all skin colors.