White Model Mistakenly Placed on Blackhair Magazine Cover

Blackhair magazine mistakenly featured a white model on its December/January cover.

The model, Emily Bador, who’s white, pointed out the error in an Instagram post, in which she apologized for the shoot and said she had no idea the photo was going to be featured on Blackhair. 

Bador also regretted doing the photo shoot in retrospect because the image makes her look like a mixed race model. “I would deeply and sincerely like to apologise to every one for this, and black women especially,” she wrote on IG. “I would like to clarify, I believe this shoot is from when I was around 15 and didn’t understand cultural appropriation or the impact it has on POC.”

Bador added, “I didn’t understand how black women are constantly told their natural hair is inappropriate/unprofessional for the work place, or how young girls are told they can’t go to school with natural hair. I didn’t understand that shoots like this support the very Eurocentric beauty standard that the mainstream media focus on which reinforce the idea that black features are only ok on white women.”

I would deeply and sincerely like to apologise to every one for this, and black women especially. I would like to clarify, I believe this shoot is from when I was around 15 and didn’t understand cultural appropriation or the impact it has on POC. I was uneducated, which obviously is no excuse, ignorant and immature. Growing up in a very very white city, I had no idea the struggles black women face and how often they were persecuted for their hair. I didn’t understand how black women are constantly told their natural hair is inappropriate/unprofessional for the work place, or how young girls are told they can’t go to school with natural hair. I didn’t understand that shoots like this support the very Eurocentric beauty standard that the mainstream media focus on which reinforce the idea that black features are only ok on white women. I didn’t understand that as a white passing woman I’d be praised for this hair, but if I was a black woman I’d be persecuted. I didn’t understand cultural appropriation. ? I do regret doing this. I hold up my hands, I’m so so so sorry and I’m very sorry this cover was taken away from a black woman. This image is (I think, although I’m not 100% sure) about 3/4 years old, it was never intended to be on the cover of this magazine. If I had known it was going to be published, I would never have condoned it. I’m upset and angry I was never asked by the photographer/hair salon/anyone if this image could be used for the cover Black Hair. ? I’m so glad I’ve educated myself and surrounded my self with people to teach me what is right and wrong. I constantly am learning and becoming more and more informed. It’s important to come forward and be honest with ourselves about our past mistakes, otherwise we will never learn. Again, I’m truly, deeply sorry to anyone I’ve offended and I hope if nothing else this post can educated others so they don’t make similar mistakes. (also please let me know if I’ve said anything wrong or offensive in this post!!! or anything i can add!!!! i love u all sm and the last thing i want to do is offend or hurt any one, i really hope you don’t all think im a massive twat ?)

A photo posted by e m i l y bador (@darth_bador) on Nov 20, 2016 at 7:42pm PST

Bador, who probably signed away the image rights to the photo shoot, says those involved in the photo shoot did not get her permission to publish the photo for the cover of Blackhair. 

“If I had known it was going to be published, I would never have condoned it,” Bador wrote. “It’s important to come forward and be honest with ourselves about our past mistakes, otherwise we will never learn.”

In a statement posted on Facebook, Blackhair editor Keysha Davis called it an honest mistake and claimed she did not know Bador was not black when choosing the image. “We often ask PR companies/salons to submit images for the magazine, specifically stating that models must be Black or mixed race,” she wrote. “We can only take their word for it, and of course, try to use our own judgment. We are only too aware of how black women are underrepresented in the mainstream media and the last thing we want to do is add to our erasure.”