Bethany's Truth
Tell me about yourself.
Bethany: My name is Bethany and I am 23 years old. I recently graduated from college in May of last year. I am an African American woman of Caribean and Irish descent on my mother's side and Native American descent on my father’s side. I am very in touch with my African roots even though I have some mixed traits. Growing up in California, there was a lot of mixed race people in the black community–it was like being apart of a melting pot. I never knew how many different cultures there were in the black community until I went to college at an HBCU (Historically Black College/University). I started loving my melanin and my natural hair and that's when I big chopped and stopped wearing weaves.
I studied psychology in college and I am now pursuing a career in acting and modeling. I have always wanted to be in the entertainment industry because I felt like it was a way for me to be creative. I used to be obsessed with Americas Next Top Model! I come from a religious family so there was a fear that the industry would corrupt me. My mom wasn’t always supportive of my choice to be a model/actress. I went to school instead of going straight into modeling because I felt like I had to honor my ancestors and their struggle to provide us access to education. I quickly learned that school wasn’t my passion. I wanted to drop out and chase my dreams, but I stuck with it and graduated! Because of my degree, people look at me as someone who is disciplined and about my business. As a woman of color, you have to be 10x better than everyone else in order to make it so my degree gives me more credibility.
What are your beauty struggles?
Bethany: My hair was a big struggle growing up, but now it's a source of confidence. My hair was so damaged that I didn’t even have a curl pattern anymore. At one point, I didn’t know what my natural hair looked like because I had altered it so much. Youtube allowed me to learn and embrace my natural hair. It has allowed me to not only help others but to learn about myself. I recently launched a hair oil business that quickly repairs your hair and increases the growth.
I also struggled with my body image as a young model. There is so much pressure to conform to a certain body type.
How has community been important for you?
Bethany: Youtube and social media have given me access to people who have gone through the same things as me. I can share knowledge with my subscribers and we can grow together. Community has provided me with tools and resources to get ahead–so many people have helped me achieve success!
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
Bethany: "Just be yourself." I spent a lot of time trying to be someone else or ignoring parts of who I was. I didn’t embrace myself and always hid or put up a front. I appreciate weaves and wigs, but I feel like sometimes I hid behind it. Due to relaxers and bad hair care practices, black women are now paying the price. Beauty standards have forced us to hate our features. I know so many black people that won't go in the sun because they don’t want to get darker. Women like Bria Myles and Bernice Burgos are examples that we can be dark and beautiful. Social media can be toxic sometimes, but it has allowed us to love ourselves. It is too much work to hide yourself. Black women are so beautiful–just the way we are. When we embrace our beauty, it causes others to emulate our culture.
What makes you feel unstoppable?
Bethany: My support system makes me feel unstoppable–the women in my family, the black women I meet at school or at church or online. We can relate to each other becuase we understood our struggle. Like Malcolm X said, black women are the most disrespected group of people in America. Despite all odds, we are strong and resilient. We are so amazing! We even created a whole slogan to capture our magic! #blackgirlmagic
What is your self-care routine?
Bethany: Because I studied psychology, I learned about the power of positive self-talk. I vent to myself and reason with myself and do so positively. I have always been very close to my mom. We are a very religious family and my spirituality has kept me very positive. When you have faith in God, you trust and have peace knowing that everything you go through is temporary. I’ve gone through a lot in my 23 years, but I have learned that if you survived your last struggle, you can conquer the next. I like to take things day by day. I am currently loving Jhene Aiko's new album 'Trip'. My favorite song on the album is 'Ascension' featuring Brandy. I also really like the song 'Supermodel' by Sza.
Keep up with Bethany on her journey:
Twitter: @itsBethanyDani
Instagram: @itsbethanydani
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBkxbmSv2Xi5gRAFxcQ7QQQ
Hair Oil Website: reignrestore.com