2018
Hover or click on a photo to read the narrative written by the model.
“If there was something I could tell my younger self it would be to always remember to put everything that comes at you into perspective. Some things can never be unsaid or undone. And sometimes life will throw something big, scary, and often times overwhelming to knock you down. It can be scary getting back on your feet and realizing that you’re never really going to be the same person anymore. But it’s all about perspective. Embrace the emotional and personal growth and accept the change. It’s almost like a mind game, and choosing the right way to perceive ultimately changes the way you let life get to you."
“One of my biggest insecurities is the fear of not leaving a lasting impression. I wouldn’t consider myself shy, but I am a relatively quiet person – especially in larger group settings. It’s not that I’m afraid to talk; I’ve always just been the kind of person that prefers to observe and keep my thoughts to myself. This has been problematic in my mind because whenever I come home from an event where there were a lot of people to interact with, I fear that I came off as awkward or uninterested in what was going on. It’s something that I would fixate on for hours because I didn’t want people I was not well acquainted with to have the wrong impression of me or to not have an impression of me at all. I don’t have some amazing story of how I overcame this insecurity and put it all behind me because the reality is that insecurities like this are difficult to get past without feeling the need to overcompensate by dominating conversations or altering your personality. However, I have found ways to, at the very least, start taking steps towards rising above it like going into social situations with a more open mindset and learning to realize and correct when my mind is wandering to the point where I’m zoning out of conversations. It’s going to take me a while to overcome this fear, but I’m glad to finally be moving in the right direction.”
“People never failed to remind me of my darker complexion growing up. I would always hear things like “Don’t play outside you’re dark enough” or “You’re pretty for a dark girl.” I would always vent to my mom after every time someone would comment on my skin color who always knew the right thing to say to make me feel better. If it wasn’t for her, I’m pretty sure I would still be insecure about my skin. One thing I would have told my younger self, your skin color does not define you. Be confident and own your skin tone. Dark is beautiful. I decided to break out of my shell and participate in the Daughters of Color project, which allowed me to voice my thoughts and feelings about my biggest childhood insecurity, something I never thought I would do. So ditch those million and one home remedies and lightening products aimed to give you “fair skin” and just love yourself <3”
“We are born into an imperfect world and spend our entire lives trying to change it or be a part of it. Take impressions in college, for example. We feel that we have to look and act a certain way to be able to "fit in" with the molds that we think others have created for us rather than defying those expectation. I spent countless summer days indoors to avoid the harsh sun whose rays would add a darker glow to my skin so that I would look just as caramel-colored in the fall as I did in the spring. I spent hours in the mirror removing hairs that were barely noticeable not wearing shorts if my legs were not as smooth as silk. I even tried cutting my own bangs with short side bangs were a fad. Looking at my summer now, I'm outside everyday and look forward to counting my tan lines, I wear my array of shorts despite having a 5'o'clock shadow on my legs, and I never want a pair of scissors near my forehead unless it is in the hands of a trained professional. Most importantly though, I look in the mirror everyday- not to critique my looks, but to reflect on myself. We can't choose how we look but we can create the person we want to be. The most beautiful person in the world can be as dull as a brick, but a person with a wonderful personality, values they hold true to, and a positive attitude radiates beauty. Focusing on looks make us recognize only one small part of person and ourselves, which only the surface. Appearance limits us in what we believe we and others can achieve. It is a harsh world, but a changing one. Defiance as well as confidence is the key to changing expectations and results. Be confident, be limitless, be you.”
“Growing up as a second generation brown girl meant growing up with lots of culture, tradition, good food, and a unique perspective. Not only did I get to experience my parents upbringing while living wholly in the American dream, I got to blend the two lifestyles into my own unique experience. although I was taught to embrace my culture for the richness it carried I was never taught to embrace myself or my beauty for the richness I contained. The browness of my skin was hidden away under “fairness” creams and harsh chemicals, my childhood aged with burden as I stayed indoors to shelter my chocolate skin. Even the moments I dared to be bold and step outdoors, not caring about “how dark I would become” - I was quickly met with “you got so dark” in that judgmental tone. I frequently heard jokes about the darkness of my skin, laughing it away under the guise of confidence - all the while promising myself that I wouldn’t go outside for the next couple weeks hoping my skin would lighten up. As women we’re often told to be confident and embrace our natural beauty while simultaneously being sold lightening soaps and creams, and magazine covers are edited to lighten models skin. As i’ve grown older being conscious of my skin tone is something I still deal with and I battle between not caring about what others think of me, but also letting it keep me from doing the things I love. I hope that every girl with an abundance of melanin, including me, learns to love it and embrace it because being darker truly is being beautiful.”
“People say "confidence is key" or "be confident" so easily without actually understanding what confidence really is. Confidence comes from within, it cannot just be told and done, especially since the first step to confidence is overcoming your insecurities. Everyone has some qualities that make them feel empowered, but we also have qualities that make us feel insecure about ourselves. My insecurity has always been my skin color. Brown women are judged so harshly for being "one shade lighter than another girl" or being "one shade darker than another girl.” It eventually becomes so stressful; this constant pressure of having darker skin leads to us using skin lightening face masks hoping to make us look "whiter." I overcame my insecurity by not caring about what people have to say. Yeah, I will always be darker than the girl next door but I will not let this demean me and my self-esteem. I will be loved for who I am and for what I look like and I refuse to constantly keep trying to change my appearance to please another being. I am who I am and I am a proud daughter of color!”
“Up until 11th grade, I was the only brown girl in my school. Not “only Indian girl,” but legitimately the only brown girl. And because of that, the only woman I saw embracing my culture was my mom. And yes, like go mom, moms are amazing, always the unsung hero. But, as a teenager, obviously whatever my mom said was cool was perceived as completely not cool. So, instead, I just mimicked what all my white friends did, since that’s what I believed was cool, or beautiful, or bold, or whatever other positive adjectives 14 year-olds want to be associated with. My Indian and American friends were kept in separate worlds, Indian food was eaten only at home, and Indian clothes were reserved solely for Indian occasions. Then, in 11th grade, a new student from Maharashtra moved to our school. Now, I’m from a very small, very closed-minded town. This girl had everything going for her to be labeled as a “fob.” She had a thick accent, she wore a kurta and chudidhar to school, did all these things I always thought was a big no no. But, instead of receiving adverse reactions, this girl was adored. She looked amazing, she was brilliant, and so incredibly down to earth. At this same time, two-piece prom dresses (read as “westernized lehengas”) were becoming a big hit. Between the empowerment from this new girl, as well as this idea that my culture was finally beautiful because non-brown people approved of it, I basically did a 180. By December of my junior year, I was wearing kurtas and jeans to school, and taking roti sabji for lunch. I not only embraced my culture, but I felt very proud and comfortable with it. In college, I have found people that have allowed me to further embrace my culture, as well as appreciate it themselves. That said, I do still struggle to engage with my culture in a way that I believe is meaningful. Although it’s fun to pregame to Bollywood music and hit the Madras lunch buffet, being Indian-American is this experience that has no concrete definition, and because of that, has so much potential. I am so excited to have taken part in the Daughters of Color project, and I can’t wait to see what other experiences await.”
