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At the beginning of this month, thousands of people learned the name Munroe Bergdorf for the first time when was sacked by L’Oréal. She was the first transgender model to front one of the brand’s campaigns, but when the news of her collaboration with them was announced, one of Bergdorf’s Facebook posts began doing the rounds on social media. In the wake of the Charlottesville tragedy, she’d written an impassioned piece about white privilege, micro-aggressions and structural racism, stating white ‘existence, privilege and success as a race is built on the backs, blood and death of people of colour.’ Less than a week later, L’Oréal dropped her from its True Match campaign, claiming Munroe’s values were at odds with their own.
This weekend, Munroe will be sharing her views and values freely as she joins a panel talk at Foundation 2017. Taking place at Hackney Showroom, Foundation is a day of ‘artistic resistance’ for poets, musicians and spoken authors that offers a platform to queer and gender non-conforming people of colour. Along with members of Munroe’s ‘DJ girl gang’ Pxssy Palace and the fierce women of Sistren podcast, Munroe will be tackling the questions: ‘Can you ever be a creative activist and commercial?’ and ‘What are the perils of mixing social justice and capitalism?’ All complex topics that Munroe is well-placed to unpack. If her recent interview with Piers Morgan is anything to go by, this is a discussion you can’t afford to miss.
Foundation 2017 will take place at Hackney Showroom, Sunday September 17, 3pm-10pm. £20.
Image: Nadine Artois and Munroe Bergdorf of Pxssy Palace
Can’t make it? Not to worry. There are plenty more events to fill your boots with this weekend.