And I’m married to a white man with blue eyes. Is that diversity? Can we be… trusted? What happened to the We Are All One mantra? It seems the more we try to achieve world unity, the more we become scrutinized for being, well, whatever we happen to be!
Here is how this topic comes around to photography. I received my June issue of Photo District News the other day. All 80 pages. It’s the “Careers & Self-Promotion” Issue. One article is titled, “Eye-Catching Promos Under $3,000.” I should hope they are blinding the editor for that price! Despite big promises on the cover, the issue had little new information given the sophistication of their audience. When I tossed it on top of my huge stack of back issues, I wondered why I should bother to renew my subscription.
Yesterday, I received a bulk-mail renewal order form with a canned message from Publisher Lauren Wendle. Her headline reads: “It’s not a pretty picture.” That is, if I don’t renew NOW. No, I guess it isn’t!
The topper came today when I read on the duckrabbit blog that there is a new contest that has to do with PDN. You can win $1000! How? It seems that a recent panel of PDN Judges (24 and I know a few), are all white!
Stan Banos claims on his blog here that this is an example of “passive racism” and an outrageous slur on the photographic industry. Therefore, duckrabbit is offering a cool 1K to anyone who can prove Stan wrong by providing the best answer to the question: “What possible, plausible excuse could exist for PDN to select an all white jury from a publication of such influence?”
PDN, dying on the vine, has to play with their friends and advertisers, who I guess happen to be white. I really hope someone wins that money!
Update as of June 9, 2009: There is a statement issued by PDN on this issue here: PDNPulse on Lack of Diversity…
by Jain
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