UPDATE: The Washingtonian’s CEO & President has responded with an apology. Thoughts?
The above post from the Washingtonian Magazine may or may not be deleted, but the message remains.
Recently, the magazine launched a campaign for their “I’m Not A Tourist, I Live Here” T-shirt, which presumably centers on “real” Washington, D.C. residents and their love for their city. The problem is, their campaign seems to be completely devoid of African-Americans, a major red flag since:
- This city has been majority black (hence it’s “Chocolate City” moniker) for decades pre-gentrification and we still make up almost half of the city’s population, and
- Our removal has been to the benefit of (White or well-off) implants, many of whom would rather remove and replace the city’s rich culture than to join and add to it with their own (ex. new residents who move to high-traffic/high-commercial/high-entertainment areas just to complain about the noise).
The main post with the glaring error has been removed, but the response has already been heavy — you can see a few responses below. One of those who’s pushing back — the honorable Tony Lewis, Jr. — has teamed up with Spice Suite to create a photoshoot for all true D.C. residents. That information can be found here.
@Washingtonian released a post on their Instagram with a series of bloggers and photos wearing shirts that say “I am not a tourist” featuring stories of residents of Washington DC. NOT ONE OF THESE FACES ARE BLACK! https://t.co/XRalY8fO57 pic.twitter.com/gFXG5fdGSp
— Ashley (@misstwink) May 14, 2018