Kween Beyoncé has been doing some really incredible things recently, and she’s been starting a helluva lot of conversation (she’s that bitch).
Her ‘Formation’ video and Black Panthers-inspired Superbowl performance stopped us in our tracks with their amazingness and important messages, and ended up making a shitload of racists very angry.
Bey’s voice is entirely necessary and important in conversations about racial inequality, but what about other kinds of inequality? Don’t even trip; of course she’s got that down too. Unsurprisingly, turns out that Bey wants to help raise up other people who experience oppression or inequality, so their voices and lived experiences can be heard.
She’s cast Jillian Mercado, a model who has muscular dystrophy, in her latest merchandise campaign. Muscular dystrophy is a hereditary disease that weakens the musculoskeletal system, and causes weakness or even death of muscle tissue. At present day, there’s no known cure for it.
Check her out:
‘Jilly’ signed to IMG Models in 2015, but told Vogue that she was really nervous about trying her luck in the modelling industry because she was concerned her disability would not be accepted:
“At first I was very hesitant. I wasn’t sure about showing everyone my world because I didn’t know if there would be an audience.We’ve been brainwashed [as a society] not to care about someone who has a disability, or their world.”
Well, now Jillian has a Diesel campaign in Carine Roitfeld‘s ‘CR Fashion Book‘, AND a Beyoncé merch campaign under her belt.
Source: Instagram.
Photos: Beyonce.com.
