Kuba Shand-Baptiste, a graduate of the BA (Hons) in Comparative Literature, featured on BBC Radio 4’s Women Hour on Wednesday 30 March, talking about make-up choices for women of colour.
The Women’s Hour programme discussed the lack of choice in reasonably priced make-up for women of colour. Kuba said ‘women of colour do not get enough support from the make-up industry, new ranges are advertised on television but they are not available in the shops. Cost is also a huge issue, darker skinned women shouldn’t have to pay ridiculous prices for make up for their skin colour. We need more options available at affordable prices.’
Kuba’s interview on Radio 4 follows the publication of an article she wrote in The Independent, arguing ‘The racists response to MAC’s Instagram shows we only celebrate black features when white women have them.’ The article discusses the response to an image by the make-up company of Aamito Lagum’s lips, and why black features on black skin seldom reach the level of celebration that black features on white celebrities enjoy.
Since graduating in 2014, Kuba has undertaken an MA in Newspaper Journalism at City University London and works as a freelance journalist. She has published several articles for The Independent, written for the BBC news website, several local papers and for creative online magazine gal-dem.com. Her more recent articles can be viewed at www.clippings.me/kubared.
Kuba said of her time at university: ‘Kent has had a huge impact on me as a person as well as a journalist. The Comparative Literature curriculum broadened my knowledge and interests in ways I never anticipated, and without the support I received from my tutors, and countless opportunities to pursue my interests through societies and guest lectures, I doubt I’d be where I am today.’
She also commented, ‘The wild module Writing in the Media [from the Department of English Language & Linguistics] with Heidi Colthup was particularly helpful. Learning from a freelance writer was a privilege, and her guidance led to me sending my first pitch to a newspaper editor and securing my first internship shortly afterwards. Heidi’s class gave me the tools and confidence to pursue opportunities that I’d previously thought were out of reach, and for that, I’m extremely grateful.’
Kuba’s appearance on Radio 4 can be heard at: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b074vtk6