Welcome back to This Week in Black Twitter, your weekly digest of the happenings on Black Twitter and cultural conversations on the web. Topics will span the gamut — pop culture, politics, sports, lifestyles and everything in between. This week: #YeezySeason4 deemed "a celebration of black beauty," Airbnb addresses discrimination and Obamas' covers give life goals.
1. Ahead of his Yeezy Season 4 New York Fashion Week show, Kanye West put out a casting call on Twitter that caused some controversy.
The rapper/designer asked for "multiracial women only."
Some took the request to be anti-black women.
Others turned it into a gif-worthy moment.
Meanwhile, there were people who decided not to judge until the show.
In a Vogue interview, West addressed the casting controversy.
"He insists the concept ... was not intended to exclude anyone, least of all black women. 'How do you word the idea that you want all variations of black?' West said. 'How do you word that exactly?'"
Yeezy Season 4 indeed featured a range of skin tones, including dark-skinned women such as his "Fade" video star Teyana Taylor. Despite the negative reviews, Mic.com deemed it "a celebration of black beauty."
"West ended up with a diverse cast of models of many different shades and shapes," Mic's Rachel Lubitz writes. "And that matters because still, in 2016, the majority of working models are white. Yeezy Season 3, when it debuted in February, was the most diverse show of the season, and now it looks like Season 4 is set for that accolade as well."
2. Airbnb took steps this week to address claims of discrimination and racism, most notably from #AirbnbWhileBlack.
The company adopted new policies "such as voluntary anti-bias training for those who list their homes on the service, and suspensions for those who violate its code of conduct," according to the Los Angeles Times.
Using #AirbnbWhileBlack, which was created by Quirtina Crittenden, users detail their struggles of obtaining a room through Airbnb, alleging racism.
With other share-economy apps created to foster inclusiveness, the damage may have already been done.
3. Barack and Michelle Obama give us life goals on the cover of Essence magazine's October issue.
In an interview, POTUS and FLOTUS reflect on their legacy in the White House.
Said Michelle Obama via Essence: "I think when it comes to Black kids, it means something for them to have spent most of their life seeing the family in the White House look like them. ... It matters."
Many users couldn't help but notice Michelle's curves.
The first lady also graced the cover of InStyle.