I was denied jobs because of my black skin colour—-Ghanaian International Model talks racial abuse
A well-established Ghanaian Model, who is now based in France, Kwaku Boadi, has recounted some horrifying racial abuse in the early days of his career when he got the chance to travel abroad to advance his work.
Kwaku Boadi started his modelling career in the early 90s and trained with Ghanaian legendary fashion designer Kofi Ansah where he made some very good money and fell in love with the modeling work.
According to him, after training and working for some years with Legendary Fashion Designer Kofi Ansah, he had the opportunity to travel to France to explore what the world had to offer and that was the beginning of his woes.
“I went through a lot since our days there was no social media, no mobile phones, no advanced ways of communication so we had to physically walk around in search of jobs; attend model casting events and auditions amongst others. During this period, I was rejected and denied loads of job opportunities by about 10 modeling agencies in France,” he said.
He mentioned that today’s generation is so blessed and lucky to have social media and a more advanced world of technology since aspiring models can now post their contents and easily get into contact with agencies, music artistes, fashion companies, movie producers, etc.
He indicated that racism didn’t stop him or hinder him from chasing his dreams and has now trained and groomed many people.
“The world of modeling has something for everyone. There are so many niches and specializations that you can find at least one that fits your look and personality.
“To the youth out there, I want to tell you that getting started as a model is no easy feat. It takes a great deal of patience, passion and loving what you do, investing time, dedication, and probably most importantly, developing a very thick skin to face all challenges.
“If you’ve always dreamed of being a model, you need to understand exactly what a model is. Modeling involves someone employed to display clothes or other merchandise or a person or thing that serves as a pattern for an artist.
In this context, there is always something to display by wearing, using, or posing with. With this in mind, the form, figure, and appearance of a model is the most important factor used when obtaining jobs, which is one of the reasons why this job can be so tough.”
He added, “there’s a lot more to the modeling profession than just looking good.
For many, the modeling industry is becoming more body-inclusive, opening more opportunities for aspiring models of all shapes, sizes, genders, and sexual orientations.”
Kwaku Boadi was born to an Ewe mother from the Volta region and a Bono father from the Ahafo Region of Ghana.
Kwaku Boadi hails from a small village in the Volta Region known as AGATA but was born and raised in Tema Community 5.
He started his basic and primary education in the same community and further pursued high school education at the Tema Senior High School completing in the year 1997.
He is also a Computer Hardware Engineer.
