Fitness
What It’s Like To Be A ‘Token’ Black Woman In The Fitness World
By Traci Copeland Via https://www.womenshealthmag.com
“It motivates me to push for greatness in everything I do, and make my talent speak for itself.”
I still distinctly remember auditioning for one of my first fitness modeling campaigns. They were casting two women: one white, one black.
There were a number of models going out for the gig, but one in particular had a very similar “look” to me: a.k.a. light-black skin and curly hair. She got the job; I didn’t.
I’ve never questioned my love of the fitness industry, and I feel so grateful to work in this world—but that scenario was one of the first times that one small, not-so-great part of the business became clear to me: the need for a “token black woman.”
IT WASN’T ALWAYS ABOUT RACE
I was first introduced to the fitness world through competitive gymnastics, when I was a kid. When it came to competitive sports like that, everything was simple: You either won or you lost. You either stuck your beam routine or you didn’t. The sport only cared about the scores at the end of the day. And the better athlete or team always won.
I never thought about the color of my skin, and was never treated differently in that world. From there, my love of fitness and movement blossomed in so many different ways. In my career, I’ve been a runner, yogi, Nike trainer, professional back-up dancer (I even toured with artists like Jay-Z and The Black Eyed Peas), and fitness instructor at studios like Project by Equinox.
But it wasn’t until I broke into the fitness modeling world that I realized what it meant to be “token.”
AT SOME CASTINGS, MY SKIN COLOR WORKED TO MY ADVANTAGE
After going to several auditions, and working on a few campaigns as a fitness model, I realized that most companies or brands have a few roles they’re trying to fill, like …
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