theGrio's 100: Keija Minor, breaking Conde Nast's color barrier at Brides

theGRIO's 100 - This past fall, Minor made history when she became the first African-American editor-in-chief in Condé Nast's 103-year history when she took the lead of Brides magazine...

TheGrio Staff

Feb 18, 2013

Who is Keija Minor?

A Howard University Law School graduate, Keija Minor has been breaking barriers in the magazine world for years. After walking away from a 4-year career in the corporate world, she served as editor-in-chief of the upscale magazines Gotham (from 2005 to 2007) and Uptown (2008 to 2011), all before achieving her biggest success to date in 2012.

Why is she on theGrio’s 100?

This past fall, Minor made history when she became the first African-American editor-in-chief in Condé Nast’s 103-year history when she took the lead of Brides magazine, one of 18 publications the esteemed media company produces.

“I am tremendously excited by this opportunity. It’s an honor to take the reins of such an iconic brand and to lead this extraordinarily talented team in bringing inspiring, innovative ideas to women at this pivotal and joyous moment in their lives,” Minor said in a statement.

“Keija’s contribution to Brides over the past several months has been invaluable and will enable her to step seamlessly into the role of editor-in-chief. She is a gifted editor. Brides will benefit from both her energy and her passion,” Tom Wallace, Condé Nast’s editorial director, told Media Bistro.

According to Huffington Post, “Her journey from a black publication to the pinnacle of a mainstream title is one that is commendable and will no doubt be looked at as a shining example that black editors can ascend in publishing–and particularly after spending time at a niche publication.”

What’s next for Minor?

Shortly after taking the reins, Minor said, ““I’m going to continue focusing on giving readers a lot of ideas and inspiration.”

“The goal is to find the best in beauty, fashion and style to give our readers the best [wedding] day they can have,” she added.

According to the New York Times, “Brides currently has 5.1 million readers, and 38 percent of its audience is non-white.”

Two weeks after Minor’s ascension, news broke that another African-American woman, Elaine Welteroth, would become the Health & Beauty editor at Condé Nast’s Teen Vogue magazine. It appears that Ms. Minor has some incredibly invaluable coattails.

Follow Keija Minor on Twitter at @KeijaMinor