February is Black History Month, time for celebration and recognition of the contribution that African Americans have made toward our history. It is marked by events designed to educate and inspire. In fact, Black History Month is an annual celebration of the accomplishments of African Americans and a time to recognize their central role in American history. The event was created by historian Carter G. Woodson during the 1920s. It was first proposed in February 1969 by black educators and the United Black Students of Kent State University. The first celebration of Black History Month occurred at Kent State a year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970. What is most important in this is to take the time to reflect on Black history, be it local, regional or national; to learn and to appreciate the Black community's contributions.

Zelda Wynn Valdes 

As we all know, throughout American history, the contributions of the Black community to fashion and design have been chronically neglected, undervalued and not credited. In fact, this is the best time to examine the role of black designers in the U.S. fashion industry and to value their contributions

Ann Lowe

Black culture has historically inspired the fashion industry, as well as popular culture in general. But Blacks are often removed from the mainstream, making it difficult to think of them as simply "clothes". Creators are often complimented for the fact that black people have been despised for the things they wear. For example, how many people know that the woman who created the dress Jackie Kennedy wore when she married John F. Kennedy was a black woman named Ann Lowe? Or that the first American fashion designer in Paris was a black man called Jay Jaxon?

Jay Jaxon

Several Blacks have made their mark in the world of fashion. Virgil Abloh has just become the first black man to take on the role of Artistic Director for men at Louis Vuitton. Edward Enniful became the first black chief editor of British Vogue. Tyler Mitchell became the first black professional photographer to make the cover of Vogue (Beyonce, who appeared in the issue, insisted that it be done). Patrick Kelly and Zelda Wynn Valdes influenced American culture by their works. The fashion industry has long been seen as an entity that promotes whiteness, and the stories of many pioneering color designers have not been much talked about.

Patrick Kelly

These people have changed world fashion history with their innovative creations and paved the way for black designers and artists. Many of these legends, such as Patrick Kelly and Stephen Burrows, used their talent to carve out a place for themselves in the industry that simply didn't exist before. In order to understand the fashion industry as we know it today, we have to look at the pioneers who paved the way. But all this good news masks a somber reality beneath the surface. If we look closer at the industry, we can see that Blacks still have a lot of barriers to joining the fashion industry. 

Stephen Burrows

Of course, black models should be featured in shows and on magazine covers, and more black designers, photographers and editors need to be brought into senior positions. But it is equally important for us to deepen further the deep racist dynamics that are ravaging the American fashion industry. Ultimately, overcoming racism in fashion is not just about getting more black people into the conversation. It means allowing this conversation to enter into challenging territory, such as addressing how blacks and their culture have been both devalued and appropriated.