As the beauty director of digital media giant BuzzFeed, Essence Gant makes sure its content is inclusive and sensitive – helping to balance representation and reflect diversity.

Growing up in the southern US state of Georgia, she recalls that she was surrounded by people who were “always validating her as a black woman”.

It was only later, she said in an interview with UN News, that she realized how under-represented people of colour were in the media.

Highlighting lack of diversity as a “direct result of the effects of slavery that we're still dealing with”, Ms. Gant told Ana Carmo what media needs to do to change the narrative.