Naomi Campbell reacts to Anna Wintour’s note on Vogue's lack of diversity

British supermodel and upcoming Black is King star Naomi Campbell is ready for serious change. In a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, the 50-year-old addressed Vogue editor-in-chief and Condé Nast artistic director Anna Wintour’s memo to employees in June about the publication’s failure to amplify and lift diverse voices.When asked about the memo, Campbell replied: “I think things are about to change, don’t you?" The model continued, "Things are about to change. Everyone used to think that you liked being the token Black person in the room. It’s absolutely the opposite. I never did.” She added that real progress needs to come from top to bottom, but she's encouraged by what she's seen play out in the past two months.“It needs to change from the board room to the seat. It needs to go right from the top through. I've been saying this for years, and so I'm truly grateful and happy finally this is happening,” she said. “The way that it's had to come out, for people to lose their lives, it's very sad and my condolences to each and every one of those victims… parents of those people that have gone. This had to happen. This change had to happen."As she pointed out in the interview, this isn’t the first time Campbell has used her platform to speak out against racial injustice and call attention to social issues. Following the May 25 killing of George Floyd by police officers she wrote to her 720K-plus followers on Twitter: “I don’t have the words. I’m sick and tired of this, tired of being sad about our people dying needlessly. Harassed and humiliated in these challenging times, I thought we could come to together, but it seems like this Coronavirus has bought out more racism in a major way.”

Where does it end? I’m black and I’m proud #JUSTICEFORFLOYD

— Naomi Campbell (@NaomiCampbell) May 27, 2020

Campbell also opened up about the need for better representation in the fashion industry during a May 2019 interview with French Vogue. In speaking about the Valentino spring/summer 2019-20 couture show, where more than half the models were women of colour, she said, “They took four months to do the casting and you can see they put time into it. We are not a trend, we are here to stay.” She also added that she’d like to see more African designers get their due. “Instead of having Western designers use African designers’ textiles and not get it right, let them do it, give them the credit,” she said. “Because that’s what happens, they don’t get the credit and it’s wrong.”Earlier in 2019, Campbell also revealed to W Magazine that she herself continued to be personally affected by systemic racism in the fashion industry. "I’m the face of a new campaign and I was told that because of the colour of my skin a certain country would not use my picture," Campbell said at the time. "For me, it was a reality check. I never believe in the hype, so it just kept things in perspective for me."In Wintour’s June 4 memo, the Vogue boss addressed the need for change within publisher Condé Nast’s walls. “I want to say this especially to the Black members of our team—I can only imagine what these days have been like,” she wrote in the email. “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.”Wintour continued, “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.”[video_embed id='-1']BEFORE YOU GO: Pup gets geared up to go for motorcycle ride with his owner[/video_embed]