Exposing the racism in the Influencer industry

 

(From left) the influencers Valerie Eguavoen, Rachel Duah and Nicole Ocran.

At the start of the pandemic, Vanity Fair asked whether the influencer era was over because people were tired of glossy, edited lives on social media and wanted something more “real”. Instead, it seems the world of influencers is adapting to reflect changes in the rest of the world. In recent weeks, the focus has been the shocking pay disparity between white influencers and influencers of colour.

In June, a group of influencers of colour shared an open letter on Instagram that called out Fohr, a marketing agency that work as a middleman between brands and influencers. Women including Valerie Eguavoen spoke out. “I cannot be silent when I see clear evidence of pay disparities between Black women and other creatives who work with you,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I cannot be silent when you refuse to address racism form [sic] individuals on your team adequately. Enough is enough.” (Fohr replied on Instagram, apologising for its conduct, writing: “We HAVE to do a better job listening to, promoting and working with black influencers.”)

Lydia Okello, who uses they/them pronouns, spoke to the New York Times about how they felt mistreated by large fashion companies including Anthropologie. They told the paper that in exchange for Instagram content and the use of images for a Pride month social media campaign, the clothing company would give Okello a free outfit.

“I’ve worked as a Black creative all my adult life and I’ve noticed that there’s often an assumption that you should feel flattered that this large company is reaching out to you, that it has noticed you,” they said, “and that reflects a greater cultural narrative that the creative work of marginalised groups is less valuable. It’s like: ‘Just shut up and take it or we’ll find someone else.’” (Anthropologie responded on Instagram with a post that said: “In our business practices with outside parties, we compensate all partners with whom we contract services. In the cast of influencers our methods of compensation include product, financial payment or a combination of both … We are listening, learning, and reflecting on how we, as a brand, can improve diversity and combat racism.”)

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