Season 01, Episode 08: More Than Just Your Token Black Girl
The BLK IRL Podcast is an audio docuseries that explores the business of “influencing” and the power dynamics at play in the act of cultural exchange. Join host Anuli Akanegbu as she dissects themes related to race in the influencer economy through research-supported commentary and intimate interviews with predominantly Black content creators, scholars, entrepreneurs, activists, marketing experts, and cultural critics.
In this episode, Danielle Prescod and I talk about the beauty and fashion industry’s reaction to last summer’s racial uprising, how she creates boundaries in her online and offline lives, and her plans to leave New York City.
FEATURED SPEAKER: danielle Prescod
Danielle Prescod is a 15-year veteran of the beauty and fashion industry. She has previously worked at InStyle, Elle, Moda Operandi, Teen Vogue, and most recently served as the Style Director at BET.com. She is a lifelong fashion obsessive who spent her formative years in uniforms at prep school in Greenwich, CT and relished in the opportunity for self-expression (and attention) that fashion provided. As an avid reader and writer, Danielle primarily dedicates her time to researching how subjects like feminism and social justice intersect with pop culture. She has taken all that she has learned as well as her experiences in the beauty and fashion industry to start the consulting company 2BG Consulting with fellow beauty and fashion industry vet, Chrissy Rutherford. It looks like congratulations are in order! In addition to her work as co-founder of 2BG Consulting, it was also announced just last week that Danielle will be publishing a book about her life to-date called TOKEN BLACK GIRL. Follow Danielle on social media at Danielle Prescod for more details about her book.
Referenced Materials
Battan, Carrie. 2020. “The Big Business of Being an Ally.” Elle. https://www.elle.com/culture/a34763375/anti-racism-industry-profile/.
Influencer Pay Gap https://www.instagram.com/influencerpaygap/?hl=en
Owen, David. 2019. “Is Noise Pollution the Next Big Public-Health Crisis?” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/13/is-noise-pollution-the-next-big-public-health-crisis.
Parker, Kim, Rachel Minkin, and Jesse Bennett. 2020. “Economic Fallout from Covid-19 Continues to Hit Lower-Income Americans the Hardest.” The Pew Research Center. https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2020/09/24/economic-fallout-from-covid-19-continues-to-hit-lower-income-americans-the-hardest/.
Samaha, Barry. 2020. “Two Fashion Industry Vets Launch Consulting Agency to School Brands in Diversity.” Harper's Bazaar. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a33502374/chrissy-rutherford-danielle-prescod-2-black-girls/.