Anna Wintour Admits to “Hurtful and Intolerant Behavior” at Vogue

Anna Wintour has reigned as Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief for 32 years, and on Thursday, she publicly acknowledged mistakes she’s made during her career.

The Vogue Dame sent out a company-wide memo to address the recent events surrounding racial injustice across the country. In her emotional letter, she admitted to letting “hurtful and intolerant behavior” go unchecked and not doing enough to champion black staffers and designers.

According to Page Six, Wintour acknowledged and showed empathy for the “sadness, hurt, and anger” workers were going through. She took a moment to address black members of the Vogue team specifically and conceded that the need for change was overdue.

“I want to say this, especially to the Black members of our team — I can only imagine what these days have been like. But I also know that the hurt, and violence, and injustice we’re seeing and talking about have been around for a long time. Recognizing it and doing something about it is overdue.”

“I want to say plainly that I know Vogue has not found enough ways to elevate and give space to Black editors, writers, photographers, designers, and other creators. We have made mistakes, too, publishing images or stories that have been hurtful or intolerant. I take full responsibility for those mistakes. It can’t be easy to be a Black employee at Vogue, and there are too few of you. I know that it is not enough to say we will do better, but we will — and please know that I value your voices and responses as we move forward. I am listening and would like to hear your feedback and your advice if you would like to share either,” the Conde’s artistic director added.

The memo quickly follows Adam Rapoport, former editor-in-chief of Bon Appetite resignation, which happened on Monday. Many called for Rapoport to step down after a 2013 photo surfaced of him brown-faced alongside his wife.

Andre Leon Talley, a former friend of Wintour, has also criticized the Vogue Editor in chief in his new memoir “The Chiffon Trenches” and accused her of ending their friendship because he became “too old and too fat.” He also ousted her for not thanking him for his op-ed piece for the Washington Post, which praised her September 2018 Beyoncé cover, saying that it was “culturally significant for the black community.”

“Not one quick email from Anna Wintour,” Talley said. “Editors I’ve worked with for decades didn’t understand the immense importance of this occasion simply because they are not capable of understanding. None of my contemporaries have seen the world through black eyes.”

To conclude, Wintour applauded the magazine’s published content over the past few days and stated there was much more to be done. “I am proud of the content we have published on our site over these past few days, but I also know that there is much more work to do. Please don’t hesitate to be in touch with me directly. I am arranging ways we can discuss these issues together candidly, but in the meantime, I welcome your thoughts or reactions.”

As for the future of Vogue, Wintour assures work is being done.

“This is a historic and heartbreaking moment for our country, and it should be a time of listening, reflection, and humility for those of us in positions of privilege and authority. It should also be a time of action and commitments. On a corporate level, work is being done to support organizations in a real way. These actions will be announced as soon as possible.”