Harper’s Bazaar today (June 10) named Samira Nasr as its first ever black editor-in-chief.

The move by the acclaimed

magazine comes as the lack of diversity and opportunity is increasingly placed

under the microscope in numerous industries from tech to fashion and business.

Nasr, who has a Trinidadian

mother, is the first black person to hold the top post at the fashion mag in

its 153-year existence.

Regarding her appointment,

Nasr said, “As the proud daughter of a Lebanese father and Trinidadian

mother, my worldview is expansive and is anchored in the belief that

representation matters.

“My lens by nature is

colourful, and so it is important to me to begin a new chapter in Bazaar’s

history by shining a light on all individuals who I believe are the inspiring

voices of our time.”

Nasr was born in Montreal,

Canada and was previously Vanity Fair’s executive fashion editor.

View this post on Instagram Introducing @samiranasr, the new editor-in-chief of @HarpersBAZAARUS. Here, she shares her vision for what’s next for BAZAAR. #regramA post shared by Hearst (@hearst) on Jun 9, 2020 at 3:03pm PDT

She will take over the

magazine at a time when Black Lives Mater protests and widespread

demonstrations against police brutality are taking place specifically in the

United States, but also around the world.

Acknowledging the calls for

equality and justice all around, she said “I see you, I thank you and I

hope we can join forces to amplify the message of equality because black lives

matter.”