Brande Victorian has masterfully worked her way up the ranks of print journalism from being an intern to her current role as Senior Entertainment Editor at Essence Magazine, which is no easy feat for a Black woman. It’s no secret that the world of print journalism and media overall has struggled with diversity. Accordingly, Black journalists have called several media outlets to the carpet for creating hostile and flat-out racist environments. Yet, Brande has made a name for herself and has flourished in an industry that does not always appreciate Black women's talents, and she’s only getting started.
Raised in Toledo, Ohio as an only child by a single mother, Brande Victorian has always been a standout with a strong voice. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Cincinnati and decided to major in Journalism, where she felt she could make an indelible mark in media by strengthening the voice of Black women in journalism. As a child, Brande loved to read magazines but noticed that most of the images were slender white women who she could not connect with as a plus-size Black girl from Ohio. “I loved magazines, but I found myself skipping over pages about hair and body because I knew the articles did not apply to me. This made me want to write stories for girls who look like me.”
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