L’Oreal Fires Transgender Model After Saying ‘ALL White People’ Are ‘Drenched in Racism’

ashley.rae | September 1, 2017
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L’Oreal has fired its first transgender model, once championed as a symbol of diversity, after she posted on social media that “ALL white people” are “drenched in racism” and have formed the “most violent and oppressive force of nature on Earth.”

The Daily Mail reports the Facebook post has since been deleted, but model Munroe Bergdorf reportedly said, “Honestly I don't have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people.”

Bergdorf continued, saying she can’t talk about “racial violence” anymore because white people “refuse to acknowledge” their success has reportedly been due to the “existence, privilege and success as a race is built on the backs, blood and death of people of colour.”

“Your entire existence is drenched in racism. From micro-aggressions to terrorism, you guys built the blueprint for this s***,” she added.

Despite saying the entire existence of white people is due to black people, Bergdorf called whites’ alleged racism “inherited,” rather than “learned,” “consciously or unconsciously passed down through privilege.”

“Once white people begin to admit that their race is the most violent and oppressive force of nature on Earth… then we can talk,” she ended. “Until then stay acting shocked about how the world continues to stay f***** at the hands of your ancestors and your heads that remain buried in the sand with hands over your ears.”

In a statement on Twitter, L’Oreal Paris UK wrote that Bergdorf’s Facebook post was “at odds with our values” and therefore, they have severed ties with her.

L’Oreal’s move to fire Bergdorf were met with resistance from people who claimed she was only speaking out against “systemic racism”:

In a second Facebook post, Bergdorf addressed the controversy surrounding the now-deleted post. In her new post, Bergdorf claimed her post was actually addressing the British Empire and how it should not “offend ANYONE” to say that it has been successful “at the expense of the people of colour.”

In her new post, instead of saying racism was something inherited, Bergdorf now wrote, “Unknowingly, white people are SOCIALISED to be racist from birth onwards. It is not something genetic. No one is born racist.”

She also said that as a “transgender woman of color,” L’Oral cannot simply say her “actual lived experiences” are not in line with their code of ethics.

In a post Bergdorf linked to on Twitter, she called for people to Boycott L’Oreal as a result of cutting ties with her.

“This makeup brand cares about nothing but MONEY,” she wrote. “I urge you to boycott L’Oréal Paris. I can’t express how disappointed I am in the entire team in dealing with misquotes that were entirely placed out of context.”

Bergdorf also wrote a Facebook post, saying their disapproval of what she said is a form of being told to sit still and smile:

Bergdorf was reportedly part of L’Oreals YoursTruly True Match diversity campaign.

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