Chat, I cannot lie I am crying as I type this! I won’t sit here and act like I ever thought I would be immune to layoffs — especially not in this current media landscape. It’s like getting in a car everyday, knowing there’s a chance you could crash. You do everything right: wear a seatbelt, drive below the speed limit, keep your insurance close by, but it doesn’t make the impact any less painful.
Teen Vogue was my first-ever freelance byline in 2019 — I was a junior in college and incredibly grateful to begin my career at a place that genuinely cared about having young people speak for themselves.
So, it felt even more impactful for my first job post-grad to be at Teen Vogue. Four years later, I’m so very proud of all the work I’ve done, from spearheading my own column that garnered the attention of Bella Hadid, Zendaya, and so many others to getting to profile cover stars like Olympian Jordan Chiles and actress Maddie Ziegler.
At our summit this past September, I was asked about how it felt to be 1 of 2 Black women left at Teen Vogue and what that meant for representation during this current climate. Now, there are no Black women at Teen Vogue and that feels incredibly painful to think about.
I’m sad. Heartbroken. Not for myself solely, but for my fellow coworkers who were laid off and for Teen Vogue, the publication. 20+ years of culture, history, and important journalism. While she still exists, she’ll be very different, and I think that’s what hurts the most. I never thought a day like this would come. I’ll probably have even more to say in the coming weeks, so I’ll cut myself off for now.
The upside to change is forced growth — something I thrive in. I’m open to freelance and full-time roles, but until then I will be pouring into my personal projects. Subscribe to my newsletter JV Captains’ Club! I’ll be writing essays there while I continue working on a few manuscripts and proposals! Here’s to the next thing. Onward and upward.
This is only the beginning of your journey. God’s plan is always the best plan. Keep shining bright and inspiring women all over the globe. Your future awaits!
Lol. Picked a side after ace speedy interview because we all know u were on ola team payroll, thats why you was only writing about her after that while dismissing him being the only one to defend the bullying narrative all because he aint validate some ship she is in with a performative maga boy and was under trumps likes during the blm protests and a registered republican and was defending huda when he came out too lol nobody more embarrassing than black folks when it comes to interracial relationships😂
