Token Black Girl: A Memoir
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- Author：Danielle Prescod
- ISBN：1542035155
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Summary
Racial identity， pop culture， and delusions of perfection collide in an eye-opening and refreshingly frank memoir by fashion and beauty insider Danielle Prescod。
Danielle Prescod grew up Black in an elite and overwhelmingly white community， her identity made more invisible by the whitewashed movies， television， magazines， and books she and her classmates voraciously consumed。 Danielle took her cue from the world around her and aspired to shrink her identity into that box， setting increasingly poisonous goals。 She started painful and damaging chemical hair treatments in elementary school， began depriving herself of food when puberty hit， and tried to control her image through the most unimpeachable， impeccable fashion choices。
Those obsessions led her to relentlessly pursue a career in beauty and fashion—the eye of the racist and sexist beauty standard storm。 Assimilating was hard， but she was practiced。 And she was an asset。 Their “Token Black Girl。” Toxic， sure。 But Danielle was striving to achieve social cache and working her way up the ladder of coveted media jobs， and she looked great， right？ So what if she had to endure executives’ questions like “What was it like to drive to school from the ghetto？” Or coworkers’ eager curiosity to know if her parents were on welfare。 But after decades of burying her emotions， resentment， and true self， Danielle turned a critical eye inward and confronted the factors that motivated her self-destructive behaviors。
Sharp witted and bracingly candid， Token Black Girl unpacks the adverse effects of insidious white supremacy in the media—both unconscious and strategic—to tell a personal story about recovery from damaging concepts of perfection， celebrating identity， and demolishing social conditioning。
Danielle Prescod grew up Black in an elite and overwhelmingly white community， her identity made more invisible by the whitewashed movies， television， magazines， and books she and her classmates voraciously consumed。 Danielle took her cue from the world around her and aspired to shrink her identity into that box， setting increasingly poisonous goals。 She started painful and damaging chemical hair treatments in elementary school， began depriving herself of food when puberty hit， and tried to control her image through the most unimpeachable， impeccable fashion choices。
Those obsessions led her to relentlessly pursue a career in beauty and fashion—the eye of the racist and sexist beauty standard storm。 Assimilating was hard， but she was practiced。 And she was an asset。 Their “Token Black Girl。” Toxic， sure。 But Danielle was striving to achieve social cache and working her way up the ladder of coveted media jobs， and she looked great， right？ So what if she had to endure executives’ questions like “What was it like to drive to school from the ghetto？” Or coworkers’ eager curiosity to know if her parents were on welfare。 But after decades of burying her emotions， resentment， and true self， Danielle turned a critical eye inward and confronted the factors that motivated her self-destructive behaviors。
Sharp witted and bracingly candid， Token Black Girl unpacks the adverse effects of insidious white supremacy in the media—both unconscious and strategic—to tell a personal story about recovery from damaging concepts of perfection， celebrating identity， and demolishing social conditioning。
Reviews
Kiera Z
，
3。5 stars。 I found this memoir to be a raw and honest read， which did make it difficult to read at times， particularly the way she discusses her eating disorder and relationship with food。 The beginning was such a strong start but I did find some of the longer tangents later in the book to pull me out of the page turner category of reads。 Overall， definitely worth a read especially for white readers like myself who will never experience the racism and challenges Danielle Prescod faces in her lif 3。5 stars。 I found this memoir to be a raw and honest read， which did make it difficult to read at times， particularly the way she discusses her eating disorder and relationship with food。 The beginning was such a strong start but I did find some of the longer tangents later in the book to pull me out of the page turner category of reads。 Overall， definitely worth a read especially for white readers like myself who will never experience the racism and challenges Danielle Prescod faces in her life。 。。。more
Megan
，
I really enjoyed this book。 Danielle is a great writer & I found it extremely introspective for a memoir。 I appreciate her viewpoint & hope this is the first of many books from her！
Janilyn Kocher
，
An interesting memoir。 I try to read all different kinds of biographies to grasp a better insight into other people’s lives and upbringing。The author posits many opinions as fact， which I don’t necessarily agree with，Nonetheless， it’s an enterprising read。Thanks to Little A and NetGalley for the early read。
Richard Propes
，
Danielle Prescod is a 15-year veteran of the beauty and fashion industry and a graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study。 She was most recently the style director of BET。com and A lifelong fashion obsessive， she was most recently the style director of BET。com。 Recently， Prescod joined forces with Chrissy Rutherford to start 2BG Consulting， which aids fashion and beauty brands and influencers on their anti-racism journeys。 With "Token Black Girl: A Memoir，" Prescod shares her jour Danielle Prescod is a 15-year veteran of the beauty and fashion industry and a graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study。 She was most recently the style director of BET。com and A lifelong fashion obsessive， she was most recently the style director of BET。com。 Recently， Prescod joined forces with Chrissy Rutherford to start 2BG Consulting， which aids fashion and beauty brands and influencers on their anti-racism journeys。 With "Token Black Girl: A Memoir，" Prescod shares her journey of growing up Black in an elite and overwhelmingly white community where she voraciously consumed and immersed herself in white culture， especially pop culture， and reduced her own actual identity from damaging chemical hair treatments in elementary school to food deprivation once puberty hit to a number of other choices。 As she became more and more driven to move into the beauty and fashion industry， Prescod's lifelong experiences with self-denial and self-shaming translated into her ability to comfortably， or at least seemingly comfortably， embracing the role of an organization's "token Black girl。" With "Token Black Girl，" Prescod tells a story that is part memoir and part social justice exploration as she uncovers the unconscious and very conscious presence of white supremacy in the media。 Finally， she begins to unpack her own social conditioning and begins to move toward recovering her ability to celebrate her identity and let go of toxic views of perfection。 An Amazon Prime First Read in September 2022， "Token Black Girl" is simultaneously a piercing and revelatory read and a maddening and frustrating one。 At first glance， I may not seem to be the ideal reader for Token Black Girl。" I am not a Black man。 I certainly didn't grow up in anything resembling an elite community。 My sense of fashion basically consists of hoping my clothing passes the sniff test。 I have never been overly concerned with pop culture and I've seldom found my worth in status， financial success， or any semblance of fame。 On the flip side， I was drawn to the book precisely because of my lifelong experiences in the Black community from growing up in a Black neighborhood to attending a Black college to now living in a community that is 95% Black。 I would never describe myself as a token in my community， however， I have related to that sense of tokenism as an adult with a disability who has succeeded far beyond expectations and who has， more than once， looked and felt like the token disabled person in a work， non-profit， or other type of setting。 In other words， I was very intentional about wanting to read "Token Black Girl" and fully expected to embrace Prescod's storytelling。 However， time and again I found myself troubled by aspects of the storytelling that unfolded in "Token Black Girl。" By the end of the book， I was fairly convinced that part of what bothered me in "Token Black Girl" had to do with its editing rather than Prescod's own voice in the book。 Early on in "Token Black Girl，" it becomes readily apparent that Prescod's parents attempted to immerse her in Black culture while also wanting to provide her the best possible opportunities。 While years later Prescod would begin to unpack the inconsistencies in this message， I longed for "Token Black Girl" to delve deeper into what really caused her to so consistently choose white culture over the Black culture that was offered to her over and over again。 While "Token Black Girl" is labeled a memoir， it never actually feels like a memoir because she seldom paints a complete self-portrait other than that which supports her desired narrative。 What was it about this family relationship that must have fractured？ Did it fracture？ Or did something else？ While Prescod admirably owns her choices here， I kept hoping for a discussion that would dig deeper。 Perhaps because of my own disability， I found one particular story about Prescod's admittedly troubling encounter with a fellow white student with physical challenges to be disturbing。 Throughout the storytelling， Prescod casts dispersions on this person as not nearly as disabled as they projected。 However， she also acknowledges actually making threats toward this person in an incident that she felt reinforced institutionalized racism because she would， at least temporarily， be kicked out of the school for her threats while others around her had allegedly behaved similarly。 These were abysmal leaps of logic， especially for someone who ultimately was returned to school when her parents hired a lawyer。 Prescod notes that it should have been well known she never would have actually followed through on threats and seemed appalled （years later） that they entered her instant messages to uncover her language （which is a well-known and established right， but whatever）。 She projects concern that she was a good girl who was suddenly portrayed as someone who got drunk all the time - then， acknowledges that it was no more than a few times of actual underage drinking。 Sigh。 Weird。 While this could have been a valuable story， she ends it by condescendingly referring to this woman dismissively as someone whom she believed to be still alive and a mother （like either of these is a bad thing？）。 The ableist language throughout this story is squirm-inducing and it's remarkable that an editor didn't reshape it。 I understood what she was going for her - and I don't in anyway believe someone is innocent because of having a physical challenge or disability， but by the end of the story it's entirely Prescod who is portrayed badly here。 The same is true， in obviously different ways， in story after story Prescod shares as she'll often write her own experiences with remarkable precision but then turn around and portray how poorly she treated others。 "Othering" is prevalent throughout "Token Black Girl" and it greatly dilutes the impact of her storytelling。 By the end， it's difficult to have anything resembling empathy for Prescod because she's criticized nearly every peer， every employer （including BET。com）， and every institution she's been a part of。 One of my own rules I've learned when I feel persecuted is that if I have issues with everyone around me？ I'm probably the issue。 In the end， "Token Black Girl" at times feels like the journey I can just tell Prescod wants it to be - her journey from rejecting her own identity to learning how to love herself。 Unfortunately， its structure all too often gets in the way and "Token Black Girl" ends up portraying Prescod as negatively as the institutions and people around her。 These would be valuable issues to explore， but "Token Black Girl" never goes there。 As "Token Black Girl" winds down， Prescod enters celebrity culture and begins to connect-the-dots toward its racism。 A late jab at Blake Lively feel particularly desperate - Prescod observes having had to work with her at the same time she was marrying Ryan Reynolds at a plantation。 This was a decision that attracted negative press attention。 However， Prescod completely fails to mention that both celebs later apologized for this choice and were， in fact， very precise in their apology。 Should they have made the choice？ Of course not， but using it here as an example to support your narrative and not acknowledging the full truth feels invalidating。 I would assume as someone in the beauty and fashion industry， there would be a myriad of better examples to use。 I enjoyed parts of "Token Black Girl" and I applaud Prescod's decision to reveal her journey and to have these difficult but important discussions。 However， "Token Black Girl" ultimately falls short of its goals almost entirely because Prescod doesn't get out of her own way narratively and the editor who should have shaped this discussion failed to do so。 In the end， "Token Black Girl" only skims the surface of a discussion that needs and deserves to go so much deeper。 。。。more
C。R。
，
Rarely have I read a book so brutally honest and sharp-witted。 Written by a self-professed "mean girl" and 'token black girl，" Danielle Prescod grew up in a white community， searching for her identity and discovered it in the pages of fashion magazines and popular movies where the perfect woman is inevitably white， blonde， and thin。 This pursuit of perfection （or rather the illusion of perfection） leads her down a self-destructive path where she is never satisfied with her own reflection。Token B Rarely have I read a book so brutally honest and sharp-witted。 Written by a self-professed "mean girl" and 'token black girl，" Danielle Prescod grew up in a white community， searching for her identity and discovered it in the pages of fashion magazines and popular movies where the perfect woman is inevitably white， blonde， and thin。 This pursuit of perfection （or rather the illusion of perfection） leads her down a self-destructive path where she is never satisfied with her own reflection。Token Black Girl is not always easy to read and the author is often unlikeable， yet she effectively demonstrates to her reader the cultural and social forces that twisted her into a wanting to be what she was not - and who now wonders if she was always meanest to herself。 。。。more
Marie
，
I’ve followed Danielle for years on Twitter and was so excited to learn more about her。 This memoir started off strong， but unfortunately fell a little flat as it progressed。 Prescod has a strong voice and the theme of being the “Token Black Girl” is thoroughly thought out and well executed chapter after chapter。 The mix of essay style and social commentary with personal anecdotes was unique from other memoirs I’ve read。 Thank you to NetGalley and Little A for the advanced copy。
Benjamin Everkrisp
，
Just another poorly written novel with poor takes on being the wokest in the room。 Waste of trees。
Mai
，
Kindle First September 2022
Jamie
，
I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley。 Token Black Girl will be published on Oct。 1， 2022。Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod was a great read！ I was really impressed by how Ms。 Prescod described her childhood and explained growing up black in an elite （white） private school。 The pressure she felt to fit in， to conform to a standard that was not her own， to essentially change， code switch， and manipulate herself to feel accepted by her age-range peers just because she wa I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley。 Token Black Girl will be published on Oct。 1， 2022。Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod was a great read！ I was really impressed by how Ms。 Prescod described her childhood and explained growing up black in an elite （white） private school。 The pressure she felt to fit in， to conform to a standard that was not her own， to essentially change， code switch， and manipulate herself to feel accepted by her age-range peers just because she was the only black girl in a sea of white girls was extraordinary to read。 And then her college and professional life was really telling。 I will be honest， I started reviewing my own childhood and adulthood and thinking if I ever made expectations of friends to either conform or adopt a certain way of being just because of who I expected them to be。 This book has definitely made me more aware of those who are living black in white society （because let's be honest， it is a thing within itself in the middle/upper middle/elite world。。。） and the pains they go through just to be "accepted" when they shouldn't have to be。 This is definitely something that everyone needs to read in order to understand the black experience in the world of white superiority （whether or not they *believe* in white superiority。。。） 。。。more
Michelle
，
This was an experience far out of my own comfort zone--I'm a white woman and know nothing about the fashion world--and I am so glad I got to read this ARC。The author describes her affluent upbringing and how difficult it was for her to fit into the white private schools she attended， and then her career in the fashion world and how hard it was to fit into that white world。 She describes the results on her psyche， her body image， her resulting eating disorder， and it is wrenching to read。 She hon This was an experience far out of my own comfort zone--I'm a white woman and know nothing about the fashion world--and I am so glad I got to read this ARC。The author describes her affluent upbringing and how difficult it was for her to fit into the white private schools she attended， and then her career in the fashion world and how hard it was to fit into that white world。 She describes the results on her psyche， her body image， her resulting eating disorder， and it is wrenching to read。 She honestly points out the racism she has had to fight against constantly， even when she didn't really feel confident saying what it was， and confesses all the terrible results of trying to please everyone， be perfect， be accepted。 I hope this book starts conversations about racism and body image。 。。。more
sari
，
In this memoir， Danielle describes how growing up in a wealthy， predominantly white community made her struggle with her blackness and thereby， try to do anything to assimilate。 This included avoiding swimming lessons so as to not ruin her straightened hair， consuming the same media as her friends， and in doing so， not black media， and taking the role of the Token Black Girl when required。Later in life， she began working in the fashion industry and found a new way to assimilate by developing an In this memoir， Danielle describes how growing up in a wealthy， predominantly white community made her struggle with her blackness and thereby， try to do anything to assimilate。 This included avoiding swimming lessons so as to not ruin her straightened hair， consuming the same media as her friends， and in doing so， not black media， and taking the role of the Token Black Girl when required。Later in life， she began working in the fashion industry and found a new way to assimilate by developing an eating disorder and becoming as small as possible。 During this time， she embraces the ruthlessness the industry had used on her， but she also stops having as much patience with her racist colleagues， rightfully calling out the toxic workplaces she was in。Overall， it was an incredibly well-written journey through her experiences and growth but I wish she would've gone more in depth about the role class and wealth played in her life since at times she came across a bit tone-deaf。 。。。more
Alexis Priester
，
Thanks to NetGalley and Little A for this Review Copy of Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod。3。5 stars （rounded up to 4） for Token Black Girl。 The best way to sum up my feelings on Danielle Prescod’s memoir is with that meme that’s a screenshot of an old Facebook report option for hiding images: “I’m in this photo and I don’t like it。”As a mixed girl growing up in a glaringly white part of NYC， I definitely know and connect with the feeling of being everyone’s “token black girl，” which is exact Thanks to NetGalley and Little A for this Review Copy of Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod。3。5 stars （rounded up to 4） for Token Black Girl。 The best way to sum up my feelings on Danielle Prescod’s memoir is with that meme that’s a screenshot of an old Facebook report option for hiding images: “I’m in this photo and I don’t like it。”As a mixed girl growing up in a glaringly white part of NYC， I definitely know and connect with the feeling of being everyone’s “token black girl，” which is exactly why I picked up this book。 I was not expecting so much of Prescod’s memoir to focus on her struggle with body image and eating disorders， something I have also dealt with from a very young age and am unfortunately still battling as I approach 30。 It was difficult to read her story at times， but very real。 Danielle is incredibly honest， perhaps to a fault， and I appreciate that。 There were moments where she came off a bit cold but ya know what， who hasn’t？ It all contributed to how forthcoming she was with her journey。 Her critiques of the fashion world were really nuanced， which I so appreciate it and want to hear more of。Overall， Token Black Girl is a wonderful book for women of color coming of age in the 80s/90s/2000s， as well as anyone interested in the fashion/magazine publishing world。 Even when i found TBG difficult to read， it was only because I saw so much of myself in every page。 I look forward to following more of Danielle Prescod’s career！ 。。。more
goldenbookhunter
，
Token Black Girl touches on so many points I think a lot of Black girls will relate to。 There’s also a uniqueness to Danielle’s point of view that a lot of us won’t relate to， and that’s ok。 This is the story of her experience and opinions。 I always love a chance to hear first person accounts of the behind the scenes of careers in media/entertainment/beauty， so I particularly liked the parts about her experience in the fashion industry。
Rachael
，
CW: racism， disordered eating， bulimia， anorexia， depression， self-hatred， suspension， sexism， fatmisia， burnout， colonialism， cultural appropriation， sexual abuse （mentioned）， prescription drug misuse， suicidal ideation， homomisia （mentioned）， cyber bullying， gaslightingI would like to thank NetGalley and Little A for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 I very much enjoyed reading Danielle Prescod’s memoir。 Despite never really knowing her before I CW: racism， disordered eating， bulimia， anorexia， depression， self-hatred， suspension， sexism， fatmisia， burnout， colonialism， cultural appropriation， sexual abuse （mentioned）， prescription drug misuse， suicidal ideation， homomisia （mentioned）， cyber bullying， gaslightingI would like to thank NetGalley and Little A for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 I very much enjoyed reading Danielle Prescod’s memoir。 Despite never really knowing her before I read this title， Token Black Girl really is an honest and thought-provocting memoir。 Prescod brings up very insightful observations about the inherent racism and sexism within the fashion/beauty industry。 Consequently， her writing poignantly illustrates her inner turmoil towards perfectionism in order to be accepted by her peers。 The blatant racism， sexism， and fatmisia can be hard to read at times， but Token Black Girl brings a spotlight on these issues within the fashion industry and how we can address them。 That being said， this is a book I would recommend to anyone who’s interested in learning more about the intersectionality of race and size within the fashion industry or want a memoir about being a woman of color in America during the 21st century。 。。。more
Erika
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Rounding up。 This book isn’t for me。 I understand the author has/is working through her own antiblackness but it’s still giving “I’m not like those other Black girls” energy。
Maureen
，
A provocative and timely memoir。 Danielle's experiences growing up in the US and then working in the fashion industry are fascinating and enraging。 The casual， and overt， racism that she and other people of colour have to face every single day is unbelievable。 I'm so grateful that she has the strength to write about this so that I can read her words and imagine walking in her shoes a bit。 Although， I can't walk in those heels she described！！ She takes us behind-the-scenes of the fashion industry A provocative and timely memoir。 Danielle's experiences growing up in the US and then working in the fashion industry are fascinating and enraging。 The casual， and overt， racism that she and other people of colour have to face every single day is unbelievable。 I'm so grateful that she has the strength to write about this so that I can read her words and imagine walking in her shoes a bit。 Although， I can't walk in those heels she described！！ She takes us behind-the-scenes of the fashion industry and it was fascinating！ I know nothing about fashion or US pop culture so I had to google a bit but it was enlightening。 That aspect of women's lives was also something to ponder。 The gender inequity in standards of beauty， not to mention systemic sexism， are almost as sickening as the horrors of personal and systemic racism。 I highly recommend reading this book。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more
Sue Williamson
，
The best book I’ve read all year！ Prescod brilliantly interweaves her personal history with cultural context， providing a unique perspective into the nuance of identity。 Prescod tells the story of her youth， working in fashion as an adult， and what she learned while navigating through it all。 It’s a must read for anyone。
Lauren Brumley
，
After following Danielle Prescod on Instagram for a couple years， I was really interested to read this memoir and get to know more about her story。 There is a lot I really enjoyed about this book and a lot of things that will stick with me。 I appreciate the self-awareness that Danielle has， clearly coming from time spent in therapy and doing work to dig deep into her past and why she is the person that she is。 Danielle gives a really interesting perspective of being the only black girl in a sea After following Danielle Prescod on Instagram for a couple years， I was really interested to read this memoir and get to know more about her story。 There is a lot I really enjoyed about this book and a lot of things that will stick with me。 I appreciate the self-awareness that Danielle has， clearly coming from time spent in therapy and doing work to dig deep into her past and why she is the person that she is。 Danielle gives a really interesting perspective of being the only black girl in a sea of whiteness for most of her life and how that affected her， not only at the time， but how that experience has shaped the way she sees herself in the world today。 She gives an， at times， painfully honest recount of her struggle with eating disorders， racism experienced while working in fashion and media， and toxic beauty standards set for and perpetuated by women， and sometimes even herself。 There are points of the story that seemed to go off on a tangent and left me temporarily confused， but it always circled back back to the point。 I really appreciated all the pop culture references that reminded me of things I enjoyed in my childhood， even the problematic ones。 Hello， Sweet Valley High！ These references helped me connect with the author， especially as a millennial woman who grew up in the same era。All in all， Danielle's story is an important one to be told and I'm glad she's telling it！ 。。。more
David Guerrero
，
Pop culture， seen and defined by racial identity， all framed in the context of fashion， make this book something very unconventional， but fascinating。Danielle Prescod and Little A manage to be subversive， in the best sense of the word， against the expectations that someone might have of a memoir of this style。It's personal， brilliant， entertaining， and thoughtful in ways few readers would see coming。As someone outside the fashion world， I never felt lost in descriptions or narratives。 On the con Pop culture， seen and defined by racial identity， all framed in the context of fashion， make this book something very unconventional， but fascinating。Danielle Prescod and Little A manage to be subversive， in the best sense of the word， against the expectations that someone might have of a memoir of this style。It's personal， brilliant， entertaining， and thoughtful in ways few readers would see coming。As someone outside the fashion world， I never felt lost in descriptions or narratives。 On the contrary。 This book grabs the reader's attention and introduces them to a world full of new things to think about。Wonderful。 This book is wonderful。 。。。more
Sandra Pipitone
，
This was truely eye opening for me！ I never thought some of these thoughts; Really can't wrap my mind 。 We women really aren't so different after ALL！ Guess w have the media to thank！ Having an Asian granddaughter who also has these ideas。 This was truely eye opening for me！ I never thought some of these thoughts; Really can't wrap my mind 。 We women really aren't so different after ALL！ Guess w have the media to thank！ Having an Asian granddaughter who also has these ideas。 。。。more
Grace
，
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book。 I was very excited to read this book， as I have been following Danielle Prescod on Instagram for some time。 Her social commentary is always insightful， but also funny， which is exactly the perspective I was hoping for in this book。 Token Black Girl follows Prescod through her upbringing， adolescence， college， and professional career。 As someone who is roughly the same age as the author， I enjoyed her cultural references （Spice Girls forever）， bec Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book。 I was very excited to read this book， as I have been following Danielle Prescod on Instagram for some time。 Her social commentary is always insightful， but also funny， which is exactly the perspective I was hoping for in this book。 Token Black Girl follows Prescod through her upbringing， adolescence， college， and professional career。 As someone who is roughly the same age as the author， I enjoyed her cultural references （Spice Girls forever）， because I was consuming the same media。 However， I was consuming them as the targeted audience （read: white）。 Prescod invites the reader to follow her on her journey of navigating racism and fatphobia in a poignant way， inviting readers to a behind-the-scenes look at how it truly feels to be a black girl growing up while receiving constant negative messages about being black。 I also found her insight into the fashion world （which I really didn't know much about） fascinating， as she shares about all the ways that whiteness is centered in media。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it。 This book shows that Danielle Prescod has a talent for discussing and analyzing topics in ways that are transparent， relatable， and inspiring。 。。。more
Alejandra Elizondo
，
Amazing memoir for anyone interested in fashion！ Danielle beautifully tells the story of growing up black in a world with Eurocentric beauty standards and the way it hurts black women long-term。 She worked in the fashion industry and tells about the way racism was and is a hug part of it even today。 Honestly she opened up my eyes for certain events， people and things I wouldn't have thought of as a white person。 Would give it 4。5 stars， but rounded up on Goodreads Amazing memoir for anyone interested in fashion！ Danielle beautifully tells the story of growing up black in a world with Eurocentric beauty standards and the way it hurts black women long-term。 She worked in the fashion industry and tells about the way racism was and is a hug part of it even today。 Honestly she opened up my eyes for certain events， people and things I wouldn't have thought of as a white person。 Would give it 4。5 stars， but rounded up on Goodreads 。。。more
BookOfCinz
，
The honesty does not let up…。 A memoir you won’t soon forget。 So happy to get my hand on Danielle Prescod’s memoir “TOKEN BLACK GIRL…”。 While I have seen Prescod’s work on my newsfeed， I don’t think I was prepared for how real her memoir would be。 I think she perfectly details what it is like being the only Black woman in certain spaces， especially in the fashion industry。 Danielle Prescod grew up Black in an overwhelming white community， a lot of her identity was shaped based on the media she h The honesty does not let up…。 A memoir you won’t soon forget。 So happy to get my hand on Danielle Prescod’s memoir “TOKEN BLACK GIRL…”。 While I have seen Prescod’s work on my newsfeed， I don’t think I was prepared for how real her memoir would be。 I think she perfectly details what it is like being the only Black woman in certain spaces， especially in the fashion industry。 Danielle Prescod grew up Black in an overwhelming white community， a lot of her identity was shaped based on the media she had access to which was predominantly white。 We see how the media she engaged with shaped how she saw the world and herself and I think it was very jarring at times to read。 I particularly loved how she spoke about her hair journey and how her body stacked up against that of her white counterparts。 For a first-time memoir I felt this book was particularly honest， engaging and had a lot of teachable moments。 An insightful read。 。。。more
Liz Pegler
，
This isn't your usual memoir。This is Danielle Prescod sharing her lived experience of being the token black girl growing up in a white world。What is interesting to note here is that Danielle does an amazing job showing the racist undertones in what we all grew up with labeled as "normal"。 I enjoyed learning about Prescod's life and found myself devastated reading of her struggles with disordered eating。 This is an absolute must read。Thank you to both Little A and NetGalley for this ARC。 This isn't your usual memoir。This is Danielle Prescod sharing her lived experience of being the token black girl growing up in a white world。What is interesting to note here is that Danielle does an amazing job showing the racist undertones in what we all grew up with labeled as "normal"。 I enjoyed learning about Prescod's life and found myself devastated reading of her struggles with disordered eating。 This is an absolute must read。Thank you to both Little A and NetGalley for this ARC。 。。。more
Andrea Thatcher
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Danielle Prescod is a black fashion industry vet and social media influencer who bubbled up on my Instagram algorithm during the Black Lives Matter protests。 I was actively diversifying my feed and gave her a follow and she's become one of my favorite content creators。 While I was originally drawn to her thoughts on racism in the fashion industry and beyond， her dating TikToks have been a real highlight。 Token Black Girl will give her social media fans more of what they love about Danielle's con Danielle Prescod is a black fashion industry vet and social media influencer who bubbled up on my Instagram algorithm during the Black Lives Matter protests。 I was actively diversifying my feed and gave her a follow and she's become one of my favorite content creators。 While I was originally drawn to her thoughts on racism in the fashion industry and beyond， her dating TikToks have been a real highlight。 Token Black Girl will give her social media fans more of what they love about Danielle's content， and likely also more of what might make them feel a little uncomfortable。 Danielle's description of growing up as the only black girl in many affluent white spaces is one that the white people like myself who occupy those spaces should read。 We need to hear other people's perspectives of the white supremacy at work in spaces we would not call overtly racist。 The way Danielle internalized beauty standards that idolized a standard of thin， white， WASPY beauty truly made her miserable for many years of her life。 This is relatable to a point as a white woman， but to have the things you hate about yourself on such a deep level be tied to your race and genetic heritage is something we will never experience。 While I've done a lot of anti-racist work， there were a few times my own attitudes were illuminated through the lens of race in ways I had not anticipated。 This is the type of challenge I have come to really appreciate from Danielle。The second major theme of this book was body acceptance。 Danielle makes it clear she has more work to do here。 Like some of her social content， the book does betray some fatphobic rhetoric and attitudes。 I know it is hard to let these ideas go， and perhaps as someone older （and actually fat， and starting from a place of white privilege） I have just had more time to learn and grow to accept all body sizes。 I was tangentially involved in the fashion industry for a period of my own career， and know that my body was part of the reason I did not go further in that field。 Hearing this idea legitimized and confirmed was gratifying and upsetting in equal parts。 Turns out there's still a little shame left in me。 But， only a little， so I was able to take a deep breath and move on without letting intrusive thoughts take hold。 But， if you are still working on unlearning fatphobic thought patterns and actively struggle in your daily life unlearn diet culture， this book may prove more challenging and upsetting。 Danielle is careful not to divulge details of her eating disorder that could provide a roadmap for vulnerable readers， but the thoughts and attitudes that could send someone spiraling are still there。 Least of all - Danielle is not even plus size。 She describes herself as at the top end of most designer fashion ranges， which usually tops out around a US 10-12。 This is， of course， the insidious power of body dysmorphia and the way our brains lie to us。 But seeing a relatively thin person with a lot of "pretty privilege，" financial resources， and luxury fluency discover in real time that designer fashion isn't actually made for everyone and be flummoxed by that fact does make you wonder where she's been all these years。 But hey， many of us had blinders on to racial inequities for many years - which is far worse， so we have to respect another person's journey。This book will be especially dishy and delectable to those readers who are obsessed with fashion and the era of the decline of print media and a few legacy media brands' chokehold on popular culture and fashion media。 She names some names， and those she doesn't are easily googleable。 I would have liked to have heard more about Prescod's romantic life， but I'm sure she wants to save something for the next book！I raced through this book and if I had time to read it in one day I would have。 We need to hear from more black voices in fashion and expose the racist realities in fashion and media。 I can't wait to hear more from Prescod。 。。。more
Mackinsey Wood
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ARC obtained from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Token Black Girl is a memoir that focuses on Danielle's experience as a Black woman in predominately white communities。 The book starts with her childhood in white suburbia， and follows Prescod as she pursues a career in the fashion industry。Danielle's experience as a token: a person who serves as a stand in for an entire community， sheds light on how damaging this tactic can be。 Prescod felt the responsibility of representing the dive ARC obtained from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Token Black Girl is a memoir that focuses on Danielle's experience as a Black woman in predominately white communities。 The book starts with her childhood in white suburbia， and follows Prescod as she pursues a career in the fashion industry。Danielle's experience as a token: a person who serves as a stand in for an entire community， sheds light on how damaging this tactic can be。 Prescod felt the responsibility of representing the diverse and dynamic identity of Blackness as a whole， which is an impossible task。As someone who shared similar experiences （such as never really knowing how to do my own hair once I was too old to have my mother do it for me）， it was deeply relatable。 It was deeply moving to read about Danielle's perseverance in an industry that often imitates trends created by Black women while simultaneously erasing them。 Every microaggression she faced felt eerily similar to ones I've experienced in my own life。I highly recommend this book for Black and nonblack people alike。 It serves to underscore what so many marginalized people experience while trying to break into white dominated industries。 。。。more
Kimberley
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Danielle Prescod’s memoir was a moving testament of growing up black in an upper middle class white world。 I found myself looking back quite often on past shared experiences （books， magazines， movies， etc） in a whole new light。 It made me think a lot about my non-white childhood friends and what it must have been like for them。 I’m not into the fashion scene but it was fascinating to read about her experiences。 Thank you for sharing your lived experience。 I hope it gives voice to some and perspe Danielle Prescod’s memoir was a moving testament of growing up black in an upper middle class white world。 I found myself looking back quite often on past shared experiences （books， magazines， movies， etc） in a whole new light。 It made me think a lot about my non-white childhood friends and what it must have been like for them。 I’m not into the fashion scene but it was fascinating to read about her experiences。 Thank you for sharing your lived experience。 I hope it gives voice to some and perspective to others。 *Copy provided by NetGalley for honest review。 。。。more
Sequoia
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There are points in this book where I relate a lot to Danielle。 Being brought up around few Black people， it was hard to adjust to moving in and out of Black and White spaces。 From trying to figure out your hair to music to seeing yourself in media。 Danielle and I are close in age and I could see what the early 2000s was like trying to be a teenager with the media that we were consuming at this time。 This book will give other Black girls， or non-white people in general， a sense of comfort when i There are points in this book where I relate a lot to Danielle。 Being brought up around few Black people， it was hard to adjust to moving in and out of Black and White spaces。 From trying to figure out your hair to music to seeing yourself in media。 Danielle and I are close in age and I could see what the early 2000s was like trying to be a teenager with the media that we were consuming at this time。 This book will give other Black girls， or non-white people in general， a sense of comfort when it comes to trying to figure out who we are when raised outside of our predominate culture。 My only complaint is that the book gets chapter titles， it would help to know what chapter is which。 。。。more
JulieG
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This book is an experience more than a story。 Danielle Prescod has done a great job of sharing her perspective and reality growing up Black in a white world。 I admit， this one was so difficult for me because I grew up in exactly the same time， in such similar circumstances， but with an experience that was worlds apart。 We read the same books and magazines， watched the same shows and movies， were influenced by the same trends yet we had entirely different experiences。 This book is important and i This book is an experience more than a story。 Danielle Prescod has done a great job of sharing her perspective and reality growing up Black in a white world。 I admit， this one was so difficult for me because I grew up in exactly the same time， in such similar circumstances， but with an experience that was worlds apart。 We read the same books and magazines， watched the same shows and movies， were influenced by the same trends yet we had entirely different experiences。 This book is important and is written in a way that really highlights the struggles and confusion of the token black girl， and the ridiculous pressure white society puts on young girls。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Karleen
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