PAUL TAZEWELL ON ACKNOWLEDGMENT & ACCEPTANCE

© RAUNAK KAPOOR

“Equity for Black professionals in the entertainment and fashion industries—in fact, for every work environment— means an acknowledgment and acceptance of Black people by the established professional community, which values and honors the positive contribution of the Black American community, their experience, their talents, and those of their ancestors…which is seen on the same level and with the same importance and integrity as those of the American white community, as well as the American Native community, as well as the American LatinX community, and as well as the American Asian community.

Industry gatekeepers must acknowledge for themselves the importance and great value there is in introducing more young passionate and talented Black people to professions that they might not have otherwise been aware of. This is an ongoing challenge with the decline and or lack of introductory programs in current high school curriculums. If black students are fortunate enough to find reputable college programs, it is imperative that those programs provide a strong and thorough education with encouragement to instill self-confidence. Next steps after graduation have to be a part of this education and training for a professional career. When the door of opportunity opens for these young black professionals, they will be prepared to walk through and flourish.

Gatekeepers must also inculcate this priority to draw cultural diversity into the existing professional community and work to normalize this inclusion of Black talent into the existing, largely white, work environments of the entertainment industry and the fashion industry. Thinking beyond past experience and creating and communicating a vision of cultural richness that comes with inclusion must be introduced and embraced as positive in all ways. In my 27 years as a costume designer, the cultural landscape of the entertainment industry has been very slow to change but I have recently started to feel a shift towards more honest diversity in the stories being told and the creatives being called on to produce the work. That said, the color at the conference table continues to be sparse.

—Paul Tazewell, Tony Award-winning Costume Designer, Hamilton (Broadway)