Welcome to the colour issue, an apt theme for this time of year when nature adopts its autumnal hue. However, it was not lost on us that we were producing a magazine about colour… for people of colour. Black, brown, BAME or whatever label that is bestowed upon us.
Many of you out there will be offended by at least one of those terms, and even the politically correct ‘POC’ ruffles some feathers, as it commonly refers to only those of Afro-Caribbean descent. If that is the case, where does this leave everyone else with a pinch or two of melanin?
On the other hand, the term allows for a kind of solidarity between non-white people. It nods to the ways in which many different ethnicities have the shared experiences, concerns and discrimination. We collectively raise a withering brow at a well-meaning person of ‘non-colour’ when they utter the words ‘coloured people’. For all the good intentions behind it, it holds connotations of the past when roles in society were defined by the colour of our skin. Oh, the politics of it all.
The truth is that we are all affected on a daily basis by the way we are perceived and treated simply because of the colour of our skin. Whatever category you feel you come under, I am sure you can relate to some of the points in this issue’s commentary: How To Survive The Corporate World While Black.
But on a lighter note, let us slide down the rainbow. JP Mika’s extraordinary work of art, that graces our front cover, practically leaps out of the page with its vibrancy. The psychological affects of the colours along with the nostalgic theme of the painting touches us all. JP talks about his work on page 36.
A new fashion season is upon us and, with that, we delight in a spectrum of colours from head-to-toe. The key is to know which colour most suits your skin-tone. Check out Colour On Colour on page 18 for the full breakdown.
Publishing Editor: Marcia Degia
