AUGUST 26, 2019 |^ ADWEEK
2019 ADCOLOR AWARDS SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
EMIL WILBEKIN
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER
AFRROPUUNK\^ Now leading content at the genre-
breaking Afropunk, Emil Wilbekin
has been a long-time superstar
journalist at publications like Essence
(editor at large), Vibe (award-winning
editor in chief ), Giant, Complex
and others. Maybe you’ve seen him
discussing pop culture, fashion,
entertainment and current affairs on
The Today Show, NBC News, E!, VH1
or CNN. Still, Wilbekin’s greatest
accomplishment may be Native Son,
launched in 2016, a movement to
inspire and empower black gay men.
Named after James Baldwin’s Notes
of a Native Son, it seeks, among other
things, to change the way black gay
men are portrayed in the media.GOLD HOUSE
\^ Wondering who the most impactful
Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders (A APIs) in culture are?
Every May, Gold House puts out
the A100 to celebrate historic Asian
achievements. But the organization
is a lot more than this breakthrough
list. Gold House, in its own words,
is an international, interindustry,
intergenerational collective of
pioneering founders, creative voices
and leaders dedicated to accelerating
the Asian diaspora’s societal impact,
enhancing the community’s cultural
legacy, and providing new solutions
that benefit all communities. That’s
a mouthful, but it gives a clear idea
of what the organization wants to
accomplish. And it does it through
a range of ventures like networking
salons and investment vehicles to
ensure Asian artistic success.A D F E L L O W S
\^ What does it take to put diversity
and inclusion in the marketing and
advertising industry into action?
Verizon and its agencies stepped up and
created adfellows, a unique fellowship
program founded on the knowledge
that marketing/advertising requires
diverse voices and perspectives to
be successful. The paid fellowship is
an eight-month immersion program
that gives fellows the opportunity toCURLY GIRL
COLLECTIVE\^ Back in 2010, a group of recently
natural girlfriends who had been
chatting on an email group decided
to meet face-to-face at an apartment
in Brooklyn. Tips were exchanged,
stories shared and products swapped.
Others needed to experience this
energy, and Curly Girl Collective
was born. CGC is a platform that’s
about more than just hair choices,
addressing the spectrum of subjects
that start with hair and end with self-
actualization. They’re now running
Curlfest, the world’s largest natural
beauty festival. The goal: Flip the
false narrative around unruly brown
beauty and create one that accurately
showcases “the glory of our crowns,
the richness of our skin and the joy of
our culture.”CATALYST
AADAA V O C A T EEE
explore career tracks, gain real-world
experience and network with industry
leaders. In 2018, adfellows produced
19 graduates, and more than 90% of
the graduates were offered positions
at one of the member companies. This
year, that number hit 29. And when
the third year of the program starts in
September, the program will include
a total of 17 companies and agencies
including Anheuser-Busch InBev,
American Express and Walmart.A5