Dillard University is known for its diverse organizations. Melanin Models Association is an organization founded by Jordan Clark, and current president Autumn Ryan, has for the past two years, done a phenomenal job at staying true to the values and goals established.
Autumn Ryan is best known for her leadership over the Association. According to Autumn Ryan, the overall goal of the organization is to help students build confidence through modeling, as well as promoting the self-expression of Black students.
The Melanin Model Association achieves its goals by not only uplifting Black models, but also encouraging Black designers, stylists, and anybody who wants to explore their creative sides. Values such as respect, integrity, creativity, and community are essential themes of the organization and its members. They encourage all members to have an open mind and an understanding mindset.
The members of the Melanin Model Association describe the organization as a safe haven filled with positivity and flowing ideas. Trinity Grisby has been a member of the Melanin Models for over a year. She says one of her biggest obstacles was overcoming her fear of judgment as well as overcoming her negative body image. Being at a historically black university, it is hard to feel like there’s a chance to stand out in a way that is creative and reflective of one‘s personality. It is easy to judge ourselves based on someone else’s accomplishments, while not uplifting our own. Trinity says as she continued practicing and engaging with mentors, her confidence grew.
“I worked hard to better myself and it shows in my modeling growth. I started paying attention to people who were giving me a “yes” instead of beating myself up behind those who were saying “no”. This helped me a lot and I started getting more opportunities”, Grisby says. She encourages students to join if they are looking to build bonds and express and embrace themes of Blackness and its beauty.
Aaliyah Gaskins has been a member of the Melanin Models for 2 years. As a model, she found one of the most frustrating struggles was building and maintaining confidence. When she first began modeling, she didn’t have any previous background. Just like Trinity and many other models, Aaliyah overcame it by practicing until she felt confident enough within herself.
”I have been much happier since. Putting in the extra effort really paid off,” Gaskins says. As mentioned, practicing is an important way models enhance their work and support their fellow models. Both models described the practice sessions as a space filled with opportunities to grow and learn. This is where most models connect with each other.
Marginalized groups have always lacked fair representation in various areas. The struggle for Black representation in the fashion industry led to the push for Black self-expression to be uplifted and acknowledged in the media. The Black is Beautiful movement heavily influenced the modeling industry and we continue to see its effects today. Melanin Models Association is a birthplace that cultivates creativity and encourages students to develop networking and teamwork skills. The Melanin Models Association welcomes everyone to come to their events and continue to support the empowerment of Black creativity.