This is a hard one for me, because I am at fault. I pride myself on being fair, open, and supportive of all the people. No matter the gender, race, religion or nationality. People are people. But, as they say, pride comes before fall.
I took a tumble today. I missed a step in being an ally. I am truly sorry. I am also humbled that it took another person, a valued customer, to even bring it to my attention. I did not see it.
Before I go further, let me share my mistake. Several of our Designers added artistic representations of Carmen Miranda in their new inspired by Carmen Miranda collections. Though perhaps not actually Carmen Miranda, they are still representations of Brazilian women of that era.
Each of these Carmen Miranda’s was very light in color. This is not only because I choose a very light, bright, color palette for the collection. It is also because, until the customer brought it to our attention, almost all the googleable images of Carmen Miranda are very light in color. She is most certainly not represented as a woman of color.
We now know different. We now know she was whitewashed in her images & movies. As a first step to acknowledging our mistake, our Designers have reimagined their artistic renderings. Each Carmen Miranda is now a beautiful, darker shade. She is more a Brazilian woman than the caricature we were unwittingly perpuating. She is now a person of color.
Everyone who has already purchased one of these kits or collections will be sent new download links with the new Carmen Miranda. The new Carmen Miranda is the one you will find in all our products.
I am truly sorry for my mistake. I am embarrassed that I have disappointed you. I do know what it is like to be discriminated against, not because of my color but because I am a woman. Because I am a Catholic. Because I am American (I’m not, but those people did not know that). The last thing I want to do is make anyone feel the way I did every time someone thought I was less-than because of my gender, religion or nationality.
I am sorry. I will do better.
Kudos to you for admitting your mistake. It takes a brave person to do this, but you went all the way, in admitting and FIXING the mistake. We all have largely unconscious biases that we don’t see in ourselves until someone calls us on it. We love you as you are, just like all of us, flawed human beings.
Thank you Dona.
Here Here donakat – Toiny you are human, and I have learnt something today – I wasn’t aware Carmen Miranda had been whitewashed – but then why am I not surprised. Our white race particularly in earlier times, though it certainly is not limited today, have always thought brilliance meant fair skin. How foolish and arrogant we were/are. We love you and your designers and this acknowledgement of admitting and correctly errors has only enforced that.
Thank you <3
I already admired you before… now WOW!
Many younger Brazilian people have no idea Carmem Miranda was not white as all they know is what they see nowadays on internet. My own 25 and 18 year old daughters didn’t know.
Thank you Lisa.