During a recent sit-down interview with HuffPost Live, Tyson Beckford took the fashion industry to task for its lack of diversity and went so far as to call it "the most racist business."
"Out of all the industries I find, me personally, and I think that a lot of people will agree with me, that fashion is very racist," the 43-year-old model said, adding that since everyone buys clothes, all races should be represented by the industry.
"This past season during fashion week, you might go to a show and it's all white girls. Not one Asian or Black or Latino girl was in it. It kind of makes that ethnic race of people feel like they're not important or being catered to," Beckford said. "There's more diversity needed in it. But fashion is the most racist business out right now."
He said an answer to the problem lies in the decisions made by designers, stylists, agencies, bookers. If stylists and agencies offer up more diverse options for jobs, then designers will be more likely to include those faces in their shows.
Beckford also talked about his involvement with Supermodel Cycle, a campaign with his agency, Soul Artist Management, and Flywheel to raise awareness about the Boys and Girls Club and raise money for the organization.
"I had a Boys and Girls Club in my neighborhood and it was definitely a big influence on me and we want to give back to the kids, so anyway that we could raise some money for them in the best way that we can," he said.
Aside from doing cardio exercises, Beckford maintains his incredible physique by doing four to six hundred sit-ups and two hundred to 1,000 push-ups a day or every other day. But he maintains that he loves hopping on a bike to get a workout in.
"My favorite is jumping rope and cycling's my favorite. You could always see me cycling throughout New York City. For me, I don't want to be big anymore, I just want to be cut and lean," he said before sharing his dietary habits.
"You are what you eat so you've got to watch what you put in your system. Me personally, I just eat organic food, I don't eat red meat. I gave that up like 14 years ago," Beckford continued. "And I'm not big on carbs, I honestly don't eat a lot of carbs. Pretty much proteins and vegetable and fruits and fish."
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(Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for GQ)