Civil Rights: Katy Perry's Blackface Shoes

In the last year, Katy Perry has released a new shoe to her line, and basically made a huge mistake. Her new shoes were flats that were black with red lips and a nose and eyes. Although it is possible that she wasn't thinking of impact of what the shoes would have, but it is a racial thing. "The misstep highlights an ignorance of cultural context and perhaps a lack of diversity among decision-makers." (Quartzy). It is strange that the new shoes, although looked at by a bunch of different people before making its way to the shelves, didn't make anyone question the "black shoes with a red-lipped face".  Marc Bain, who works for Quartz, recently wrote, "Brands are often rooted in one particular country and culture, which may be reflected in their hiring, but they're also asking a global, diverse audience to buy their products. Those consumers are more empowered than ever, and brands are learning fast that they need to keep all of them in mind-from the way they design products right through the way they market them. If they don't, the mistakes can be costly." All in all, this misstep is not the first time an article of clothing has been "black-faced", but I really hope that this trend does not continue because it is just wrong and discriminates.

Cite: https://qz.com/quartzy/1547880/blackface-fashion-is-officially-the-worst-fashion-trend-of-2019/