If you look up the words "fine" or "chocolate" on Google, Broderick Hunter's photo doesn't pop up, but it should.
The California native and son of a Nigerian mother and a Detroit-born father recently opened up to Teen Vogue in an interview about being a Black man in the modeling industry.
He revealed that when he first started, he was called "too dark" and told that Black boys weren't in demand.
"Back then it was an honor to get signed. I went into several different agencies who told me that they already had a Black guy. I’ve had people say, 'Oh, you’re too dark.' I’ve had numerous agencies tell me that Black boys weren’t in," he said.
It took Hunter six months to get signed to an agency, and he realized that he was one of very few other Black men represented.
"So, once I finally got signed — it took me six months to get representation — I immediately went [to] the board to find out how many other Black boys are on there. There were like four. And that was in LA. Coming to New York, there was like maybe five, six guys," Hunter said.
Hunter has been very outspoken about race in the past. In 2018, he told Paper Magazine he's found the fashion industry to be "very racist."
"I've been pulled from top tier shows because they wanted to use a white person," Hunter told Paper. "It's happened so many times in my career, and that's one of the reasons why I branched away from runway."
The model has also addressed the issue of racism with his social media following. For example, in a series of Instagram posts, Hunter made it clear he has no time for hate.
"Don't be derogatory towards my people or me loving my people," Hunter says. "I'm unapologetically pro-Black, and if you have a problem with that, that's more so your problem than mine, honestly."
Despite these problems, the actor, who has also had roles in Insecure and Ciara's "Sorry" video, told Teen Vogue he believes social media is starting to help change the tide in fashion.
"I’ve started to see more representation though. We have all-Black runway shows and we have more designers of color, thanks largely to social media," Hunter shared.
Keep shining, king!
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