A person’s social status particularly those positioned in the upper echelon can result in flourishing opportunities beyond measure. Having been born into the “right” set of circumstances in today’s society can help open doors to unlimited resources and financial advantages. Those who consider themselves born with the odds against them or whom society may deem as insignificant must lean into other measures to foster healthy doses of self esteem. Self validation becomes a real thing when being crushed by the external demands of an unforgiving society. It is often recommended that it’s best to play on the strengths and positive aspects of our lives rather than focusing on the things that we can not control or can not change.
In the autobiography Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod, Danielle is caught up in an on-going battle with how she views herself and how she is being perceived by those around her. Danielle seems to be in a constant state of comparison and unable to come to terms with what’s happening in her daily life. The disparaging micro-aggressions are causing her to unravel on the inside while having to maintain her composure for outward appearances. Whether attending social gatherings or in a professional setting her self worth is tested time and time again. Realizing that she must gain control over her narrative Danielle becomes intentional in her approach strategizing to find ways to combat the negative stereotypes projected onto her. Danielle’s plan of action involves her over performing at work, practicing extreme dieting measures and becoming the leading person for new and innovative fashion trends.
Danielle Prescod was born in Westchester County in New York and later moved to the state of Connecticut with her family. She grew up in a traditional household consisting of her Mom, Dad and her younger sibling. Her parents were very much involved in their daughter’s lives, willingly participating in the latest kid friendly seasonal events around town. Whether it was a day of shopping for beauty products with the girls or keeping up with the prestigious Jack and Jill of America ventures it was always done with the sense of togetherness strengthening their family bond.
Growing up Danielle attended school in a district that lacked in diversity leading all the way up to her high school years. Danielle reveals that she often felt stuck feeling a sense of imprisonment because she didn’t have the freedom to express herself the way she wanted in the moment. She always remained conscious of her surroundings and avoided releasing any negative emotion afraid that it would feed into a stereotype. Having to constantly discuss her identity resulted in Danielle’s hatred of the topic of race and ethnicity. The more Danielle tried to disassociate herself from all things “black” the more she was reminded which reinforced the fact that she could never escape it.
Struggling to fit in as a teen, Danielle indulged in the various beauty and lifestyle magazines that featured the hottest new trending must haves. During her years in high school she led with her creativity putting together the next fashion forward looks causing a frenzy wherever she went. Danielle realized that she was able to level the playing field with her savvy fashion sense when she began to garner the acceptance that she had always craved. Danielle began cracking the code to becoming a gatekeeper of fashion even if it meant dishing out a rather harsh critique.
“Are you sure about that? I mean…I mean really? Do you even own a mirror?”
Danielle was able to simultaneously sharpen and impress her peers so much so by the time Danielle completed university and entered the workforce she had already had a leg in as to the do’s and don’ts of high fashion and style.
After graduating from NYU she broke into the fashion and beauty industry following various internships in editorial for companies such as Nylon and W magazine. Those opportunities helped to place her in position to gain the exposure she needed catapulting her to next level territory such as Vogue magazine. Although the glitz and glamor of it all seemed to be attractive from the outside looking in, the reality was Danielle struggled and did what she could to protect herself from what was already known to be a tough, tough industry to navigate.
As Danielle moves with the ebbs and flows of her career she becomes preoccupied with the desire to have the “perfect” body. The topic of weight loss has always been lurking around throughout her life however, at this point Danielle finds herself obsessing about dieting to no end. While building an arsenal of high-ticket clothing items, Danielle was intent on staying ahead when it came to showcasing her outfits; which did not come without the cost of pushing herself to the limit. Danielle’s body didn’t look anything like her closest friends or associates however, she would still aim and try her very best to resemble them.
Danielle took her “skinny body” mindset a step further by standing firm in her commitment to maintaining her diet regimen to keep the weight off. Sadly, Danielle would end up developing an eating disorder that went on for several years. Friends and family could not intervene in events that they had not been privy to. Understandably so, the last thing Danielle wanted was to have her family worry about her wellbeing. Just thinking of the never ending barrage of texts and phone calls to follow disrupting her day to day deterred her from letting them in.
(Danielle’s mindset-No worries…I got this!)
In effort to combat on-going discriminatory behaviors Danielle resorted to perfecting various areas of her life. Danielle accomplished her life goal of obtaining a coveted position in editorial for a prominent beauty and lifestyle magazine. Having the perfect modelesque body was no small feat for a girl with natural curves. Danielle showcasing her beauty along with her inherent fashion sense always on par with the designer brands she loved. On her on-going quest to gain social acceptance in predominately white space’s, in Danielle’s mind accomplishing these things and leveraging the positive aspects of her life would be the answer to all her problems.
Danielle wholeheartedly believed in the statement “Beauty is pain” which ultimately became her mantra. Do you believe this to be true?
Is there anything that you would have done differently after imagining walking in Danielle’s shoes?
Would you be willing to push the envelope in order to meet today’s standard of beauty?
