This week, the French cosmetic company L’Oreal shocked industry insiders by reconciling with and rehiring Munroe Bergdorf after the latter was released from the company in 2017 after speaking out against systemic racism.
Although many welcomed the French company’s decision to invite Bergdorf to the Diversity Board in the English branch, the model shared on her Instagram the wave of racist and transphobic messages that she had received since the news of her hiring went public.
As a transgender herself, Bergdorf accepted L’Oreal President Delphine Viguier’s offer to provide honest and candid opinions on their works for the English branch of the company.
The 32 year old model and activist explained that the abusive messages that she received was unfortunately not new, as she explained how there have always been people who attacked her whenever something good happened in her life.
She said that she believes she is targeted because some people simply can’t stand the sight of someone like her being successful. She added that that the same people believe that her success somehow belittles their dignity and thus tries to attack and pull her down.
Clarifying that she was not begging for sympathy or understanding, Bergdorf said that the purpose of her sharing the abusive words was to illustrate the costs that a black transgender like her has to face for speaking their minds.
In particular, she said that these vicious words and attacks show why it is not easy for minorities to speak out because it could very well threaten their physical safety and mental health.
Bergdorf’s return to L’Oreal after she was publicly dismissed for her political statements has been cited by many as one of the most visible changes in the attitude of large, global companies as anti-racism protests continue to spread across the US and the globe.
Bergdorf said she hopes her inbox can help others understand why solidarity from the majority is so important. Saying that it is impossible for a small number of activists to handle all the attacks by themselves, she urged others to join and become allies of those who speak out.
She concluded her post by referring to Maya Angelou’s words “But still, we rise”. Share with us your thoughts on this story and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more news like this one.
Replaced!