NEWS: Condé Nast Appoints First Black EIC Keija Minor

This past weekend, I found out some jaw-dropping news that really set my week off right. Condé Nast has just named the newest Editor in Chief of BRIDES Magazine. And she's a woman of color. Her name is Keija Minor and I had the sincere pleasure of working under her as an editor at UPTOWN Magazine. She was the Editor-in-Chief at UPTOWN and helped grow the brand immensely during her tenure from 2008 to 2011.

While working at the magazine, I admired Keija as an intelligent, creative and strategic force in the industry. She landed UPTOWN some really amazing cover artists and feature stories and always maintained the aesthetic of the publication as a luxury lifestyle brand for people of color.  Just working under someone with a spirit of excellence like hers was enough to fuel my drive and ambitions. Women like her who I’ve had the sincere pleasure to work under and learn from are the reason I’ve always felt empowered to make a mark and not settle. Beyond her recent EIC appointment being a victory that hits close to home because I know Keija, it’s a victory for all aspiring magazine editors and publishing hopefuls of color just because of what it means.

Believe it or not, this is the very first time Condé Nast has appointed an African-American EIC, for any of their publications. And a black female at that. Yes, read that again. It’s the first time! I mean, this might not be as major as Obama for President in 2008 but this is HUGE guys. Huge.

As someone who has always been incredibly vocal about my disappointment with the fashion/beauty industry relying so heavily on stereotypes, it brings me great joy to see that one of us will sit in the EIC seat at a national magazine, and not just one for women of color. This is such a huge step and one that shouldn’t be overlooked. Be inspired ladies and gents.

Thoughts on this? Soundoff below!