Black History Month - Dawn-Maria
In honour of Black History Month, I have interviewed people who have taken 2020, a year of so much dramatic change, into their stride. From a worldwide pandemic to a summer of BLM protests, this year hasn’t been a year to sit out and just watch.
Dawn-Maria France is the Editor-in-chief of news-led women’s magazine Yorkshire Women’s Life. She is an award-winning and accomplished journalist, children's author and broadcaster, who is passionate about women’s rights, equality and diversity. She is a broadcasting veteran with experience on BBC TV, Sky and on Radio. She has successfully dealt with the complexities of being a woman of colour, dealing with stereotypes and racism within her everyday life and in her media career:
Did you always know this was the career you wanted?
As a little girl, I was inspired by old black and white films featuring James Cagney. One of his characters worked in a smoke-filled newspaper office where the journalists used typewriters and kept press cards tucked in the ribbons of their trilby hats. It was an all-white, all-male environment with no reference to females, especially not to women of colour, like me. Yet, as a little girl, I knew that I wanted to be like them: getting the story, filing copy, being a journalist. As a teenager at a press call in my first job, I was excited to place my press card in my hat, thinking, “This is for you, Cagney! I’ve made it!”
What's something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I really love comics – I’m a comic geek (smile). I’m often the only woman of colour at comic events. My favourite characters are The Hulk and Wonder Woman – I have both models on my desk in the Yorkshire Women’s Life Magazine office.
It shouldn’t have taken the death of an unarmed black man for people to suddenly ask black people for their opinions.
Writing about the topics you do must be draining, what do you do to de-stress?
The topics are hard work, but as a journalist and writer, I feel it’s my duty to write about issues to inform, entertain and encourage debate. I often de-stress by baking, drawing, taking pictures, and I often booked spa treatments prior to Covid-19. Since the Covid-19 precautions and use of PPE, I have taken up the spa treatments again and my love of photography has re-emerged.
What are your thoughts on diversity within the creative industry? Do you think much has changed this year?
Certainly, the creative industry has changed since I started. I have noticed more women of colour writing excellent articles, including features about their own lived experience. However, the creative industry is still run by a white, middle-class male majority, and the ‘old boy network’ is still in place, sadly. I truly believe that the creative industry should be more diverse. We need to celebrate each other’s stories and lived experience – to me, that’s real diversity. Of course, as a woman of colour, I have to acknowledge the support I received from my grammar-attentive white male editors, whose support and encouragement meant the world to me when I was starting out.
I would love to see more newspaper and magazine mentoring schemes to support more people of colour to get into the creative industry and, in turn, have a successful career as a creative. This year has been very interesting, with Covid-19 keeping us in our homes. We all witnessed the shocking death of George Floyd and the rise in marches and protest by Black Lives Matters activists. I noticed that the mainstream media (as a knee-jerk response) finally wanted to hear from people of colour. It shouldn’t have taken the death of an unarmed black man for people to suddenly ask black people for their opinions.
I noticed black people being guests on shows that previously had very few black representatives. Journalists would ask for black voices to be heard when they hadn’t before. Now, I have noticed since the Black Lives Matter issues has moved off the news agenda. The same journalists don’t appear to be asking for the viewpoints of black people or people of colour, which is an opportunity missed, in my view. Everyone’s voices should be heard. People of colour have opinions and lived experiences that deserve to be heard, celebrated and acknowledged in the mainstream media.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t let other people’s views take away your dreams. Stay true to yourself, and achieve your dreams on your own terms!
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on my third diversity-led children’s picture book. It’s part of my children’s book series – The Adventures of Jenny and Philip (age range: 4-7 years old). The third book will look at celebrating difference and has a little Sikh boy called Anjeet as a new character. He is being picked on because he looks different. The book shows the children dealing with bullying, and celebrating difference from a child’s viewpoint.
I enjoy having the ability to write strong, thought-provoking articles, and also being able to write children’s books. I always wanted to have the ability to be a journalist and writer who is able to adapt her writing styles.
If you had to choose one song to describe your year, what would you pick?
I’m Still Standing by Elton John! Despite the uncertainties due to Covid-19, I’m still here, adapting to the strange ‘new normal’ – as we all are. And I’m still doing what I love – as the famous writer and journalist Evelyn Waugh said: ‘I put the words down and push them a bit’.
Be A Super Woman, Not Superwoman – The Huffington Post
Why it’s important for black communities to talk about mental health. - Niyxies Nook