Priya Krishna, Rick Martinez, and Sohla El-Waylly quit Bon Appétit video over inequality issues
It’s been two months since Adam Rapoport, former editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit, resigned from his position at the popular food magazine/YouTube channel, specifically in response to the resurfacing of a picture of him in brownface on Instagram, and more generally in response to a series of complaints about the company’s handling of issues surrounding its workers of color. Among other topics, the site was called out for its use of contributors like Priya Krishna, a chef, writer, and contract employee who was often asked to stand in the background or otherwise appear on the Condé Nast-owned company’s “Test Kitchen” videos, and whose compensation for appearing in said videos was reported to be much less than her white colleagues—despite those same videos often treating her as an expert on food from non-American/European cultures. In the wake of Rapoport’s resignation, Bon Appétit’s management promised that changes would be coming to its video production, including a renewed focus on diversity, and an effort to make sure employees like Krishna were properly compensated for their work, talent, and expertise.