“The time is always right to do what is right.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
#blacklivesmatter is not a protest, it’s a sentiment! It started in the US, but the emotions are shared by people across the globe. From the UK to Europe to Australia and South Korea, the movement has sparkled tangibility and demands equality in multiple spheres of humanity. And why not! Why should we have to raise our voice against something which should not even occur in the first place? We at DWP, are strongly against racism and brutality. As a platform where we bring 500 attendees from more than 70 countries, diversity and inclusion are the core of our business. Our objective is to make everyone feel welcomed and we will work towards making sure you feel special irrespective of your color. We know that there’s still a lot of work to do, and we are committing to sharing information through our platform whether it’s our conference, blog, or social media posts to bring positive change and include diversity and spirit of equality now and forever.
Black wedding vendors are producing some of the most stunning weddings on the planet. Be it photographers and videographers, planners and florists, hair and makeup artists, food and drink vendors, DJs, and celebrants, or stationery designers, their impact on creating gorgeous detailed weddings is unparalleled.
The last few days were powerful for the industry. So much to listen, learn, reflect, and adapt. We are highly inspired by the ones who are standing up and taking action every day and here are some inspirational initiatives for you to know.
Webinars & Podcasts To Educate The Wedding Industry
This is truly the time to learn and most importantly ‘unlearn’ few things. Terrica, chief wedding planner of Cocktails & Details & the wedding industry educator from the USA committed at the town hall and challenged everyone to commit to holding ourselves, each other, as well as media and educational platforms accountable to eradicate racism and bias in the wedding industry and work harder to increase diversity across the board in our networking base, clientele, and content. Check out the video here
Terrica was also a part of What’s Going On Session organized by D’Concierge Design where Diann Valentine, bestselling author of Going The Distance and Wedding Designer from the USA joined.
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It’s time we talk about the matter loud and clear. Excellent initiative by Denise Lilly, an industry leader in bridal publishing and founder of Denise Lillie Engagements & Fusion Nclusion. Fusion Nclusion is organizing a panel discussion with industry leaders to promote a culture of more inclusiveness and diversity. Follow@fusionnclusion to know more.
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Silence Is Not Golden
Olufunke Bucknor Obruthe, founder of Zapphaire Events shares her sentiments through this emotional video of silence is not golden. She wrote on her Instagram, “Silence is not golden – speak up against injustice. It’s truly disheartening to see and hear all that’s going on in the world right now especially Nigeria.”
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#unitythroughcommunity
Love to see wedding professionals downloading solidarity badge to show their commitment to making the wedding industry more diverse and inclusive. Just as Wedding Pro did!
The lack of diversity in the events and wedding industry led Jason Roars to create a diversity check-in template for our community to show their commitment to include diversity.
Share Emotions
Mwai, Founder of Love From Mwai from the UK said on her Instagram – “Although it doesn’t sit well for others when I say this, the wedding industry is not exempt from white privilege. It may not be caught on video, but it’s there every time we’re passed over for a speaking gig because a white individual speaks more clearly or eloquently. Every time a couple doubts that a black wedding planner and designer can pull off a luxury wedding or that vendors in Africa can be relied upon to show up on time or not rip them off because they’re wealthy.”
As long as people can be judged by the color of their skin, the problem is not solved. Claire Pettibone beautifully points in her post.
It’s not just about showing the concern to the world, it’s about making a conscious choice coming from the heart that will make a difference. Anée Atelier, NYC-based photographer beautifully conveyed this message in the below post.
Wedding Portals Supporting Black Vendors
When the movement started, it didn’t just inspire the wedding publications to put up pictures, but it changed the whole system. Many wedding portals pledged their commitment to improving their content by including more diversity.
The Whole World Is Together
The issue of racism is not just prevalent in the United States. It is scattered over the entire world. Classy Zim Weddings from South Africa pointed us in the right direction of looking into our own countries and raising voice against it as well.
Let Love Lead
There is nothing bigger than the power of love, and Blessings & Favour said it right!
Let’s work towards a world where the only race we belong to is humanity. The only religion we believe in is love. The only politics we understand is that of freedom. If all humanity took love and freedom as their ultimate purpose and belief, there will be no bias, no supremacy, no wars, no divisions… only peace.
Let’s make racism a thing from the past, not our future! In the wedding industry, it is all about celebrating love. Despite everything that is happening, we will continue celebrating love in all forms irrespective of the color, caste, sex of any individual. We are looking to feature black vendors from around the world. If you would like us to feature any wedding professional’s work, please send your submission to editorial@dwp-insider.com.
Feature Image Credit: @ellvonie
