Coppell High School junior Hailey Wilkins has been a model for two years and is also a member of KCBY. During Black History Month, Wilkins emphasized the importance of black history and uses black fashion as an inspiration for her modeling career.

How do you use Black History Month as an inspiration in your life?

[Black History Month] helps me look at the role models and the different people that have made an impact on, not only my culture, but on everyone in America. It helps me embrace my culture and who I am as a person.

Do you do anything special to commemorate Black History Month?

I wouldn’t say that I did anything special. During Black History Month, I try to research more and honor more of my culture then I do normally because it spreads awareness and I feel more confident during Black History Month. It gives me a chance to express myself and to showcase myself and my culture but I wouldn’t say that I necessarily do anything, any traditions, anything like that.

How has being African American affected your modelling career?

Being African American has affected my modelling career in many ways because back in the day it wasn’t very common for there to be black models and so it definitely helped me build my confidence because now I can look up to a lot of the black models like Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell. Many agencies like to look for [African features] so it helps me feel more confident about myself and happy about the features that I’ve been blessed with.  

How might Black History Month improve the societal perception of black models?

I think Black History Month showcases the black beauty that a lot of people don’t see. People used to look at big lips as a bad trait or big foreheads as a bad trait but now people see those as positive things, people actually find those beautiful so I think more black models are being recognized for these traits that they carry and more agencies are starting to accept that and appreciate it. 

Why did you start modeling?

I decided to model because at first I was doing it to help out a friend who needed to enhance her [photography] portfolio but then I realized that it was something I really like to do because being on camera was something that had beauty to me and I found my passion in that. I do that not only through modelling but through KCBY. Being on camera helps me to be who I am and show my personality through the screen and I like doing that.

Why did you join KCBY?

I decided to join KCBY because journalism is one of the things that I found myself passionate about and in middle school I never got the chance to take a media course. I always used to make my own YouTube videos, I started with that, and when they showed KCBY in middle school I knew that was something I wanted to do once I got to high school. Once I got to high school, I joined the course and it’s been something I’ve loved to do ever since because not only do I love journalism and expression through stories but I also like video production itself and when I grow up I want to be a producer.

How does being black influence your perspective?

Being black changes my view of today’s world because back then, a lot of people were racist towards African Americans and they were discriminated against and now I feel like I can be myself without  feeling discrimnation. We’ve got to a place where, yes, racism still exists but it’s getting better, more people are becoming open to the fact that we’re just normal people too and that skin color is just skin color, we are all the same on the inside. 

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