In 2020, Vanessa Kingori, #ShareTheMicUK founder launched an Instagram takeover campaign to amplify black women’s voices online. Share the Mic, was an initiative founded by Vanessa Kingori and Stephanie Phair, allowing black women to share their stories.
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Who is Vanessa Kingori?
Vanessa Kingori MBE is the first female publishing director of British Vogue, having been hired after editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman resigned 25 years into service.
Vanessa Kingori was born in Kenya but grew up in the island of Saint Kitts before moving to London at the age of 7.
Career
Prior to her time at Vogue, she had worked for GQ magazine, the Evening Standard and Esquire.
Vanessa Kingori received an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2016 for her services to the UK media sector.
In 2021, Vanessa Kingori was appointed as Chief Business Officer, Condé Nast Britain.
What does #ShareTheMic mean?
The initiative allowed for black women to share their stories and amplify their voices online. It was a way to celebrate black history and culture, and to promote more representation of black women in the media using accounts of celebrities.
Kourtney Kardashian, Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Charlotte Tilbury are just a few examples of celebrities who lent up their platform to help the initiative.
Blessing Iyamadiken loves the art of storytelling and enjoys creating all types of content from news to entertainment. She is also a feminist and very passionate about Gender Equality. In her spare time, she loves to read or binge on Netflix.
