British Vogue editor in chief says he was racially profiled at work

Businesses may be reopening, but we should not let things go back to how they were. That was the message British Vogue editor in chief Edward Enninful shared to his followers on social media after he was racially profiled at work this week when he walked into his offices.Enninful has had the top job at the fashion mag since 2017, but when he went to work on July 15 a third-party security guard told him to use a different entrance. “Today I was racially profiled by a security guard whilst entering my work place,” he shared on Instagram and Twitter. “As I entered, I was instructed to use the loading bay. Just because our timelines and weekends are returning to normal, we cannot let the world return to how it was. Change needs to happen now.”

Today I was racially profiled by a security guard whilst entering my work place. As I entered, I was instructed to use the loading bay. Just because our timelines and weekends are returning to normal, we cannot let the world return to how it was. Change needs to happen now.

— Edward Enninful OBE (@Edward_Enninful) July 15, 2020

The security guard is currently under investigation by his employer, and in Enninful’s Instagram caption he revealed that publisher Condé Nast moved quickly to dismiss the security guard from the building. However, he noted the incident speaks to a larger, systemic problem. “It just goes to show that sometimes it doesn’t matter what you’ve achieved in the course of your life: the first thing that some people will judge you on is the colour of your skin,” he added.[video_embed id='1972112']RELATED: Masai Ujiri says we need to address racial injustices[/video_embed]Many celebrities were quick to lend their support in the comments. “When will this change ? Been happening in UK for so long .. so sorry you had to go through that !! Don’t let it deter you .Stay STRONG,” wrote Naomi Campbell. “Normal wasn’t working,” wrote Iman. “This is why we can’t let the 2020 BLM narrative be a momentary trend. We’ve very long way to go,” added British Vogue publishing director Vanessa Kingori.This isn’t the first time Enninful, who received the OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2016 for his contributions to the fashion industry, has spoken out about discrimination. Earlier this month while accepting two awards (one for consumer editor of the year and one for diversity initiative of the year for the 2019 Forces For Change issue that he co-edited with Meghan Markle), he called for change in a passionate social media post.“It would be disingenuous of me not to point out that I am the first black person to ever win this award—the first black person in 40 years,” he wrote. “It says an awful lot about where publishing is still at. The media is good at pivoting on the surface. Diversity is making its way into our commissioning and onto our pages. But what about inside our workplaces? Who are we hiring? Who are we promoting? How do our office environments treat people? Who is allowed to get to the top?” he continued. “No one wants to wait another 40 years for the next Black person to be able to win editor of the year. There is a lot of work to be done.”The 48-year-old was named British Vogue’s editor-in-chief in 2017, replacing outgoing boss Alexandra Shulman who held the post for 25 years. At the time he became the first male and non-white editor in the magazine’s 100-year history, and one of his mandates has been to bring continued diversity to the pages and within the staff.“I am lucky to have enormous privilege in my world, but as a man of colour, and as a gay man, I could not escape the sense that it doesn’t matter what you’ve achieved, or what you’ve contributed to society, your life can still feel worthless,” he wrote in a June post in response to the current BLM movement and calls for systemic change. “When I step out of my door in the morning, to take a walk or to wander alone, I am always aware of increased personal danger because of the colour of my skin,” he continued.“These past few days I’ve gone between rage and sadness and fear. What these racist acts reveal, among many other things, is that we have a lot more work to do. Anybody who thinks we’re there, that we have created a society where everyone is equal – well, they’re wrong. Racism is a global issue. Racism is a British issue. It is not one that is merely confined to the United States – it is everywhere, and it is systemic.”[video_embed id='-1']BEFORE YOU GO: Playful pup confuses new mop for play toy [/video_embed]