Why Strong, Female Role Models are Important: Yvette & Debra

This video is part of Shapermint’s #WhatSheTaughtMe Mother’s Month campaign, tributing mother figures’ wisdom. How did your own mom shape the self-image you have today? Share with #WhatSheTaughtMe on social media - we’ll be donating $1 to HelpAMotherOut.org for every story shared during May.

Who did you look up to when you were growing up? What was your idea of success? Did any woman in your life embody your idea of success?

Debra knew it was important to make sure her daughter Yvette had African-American role models to look up to, especially growing up in a small, mostly-white Texan town. In turn, Yvette grew up a strong, successful fashion and beauty blogger living in LA. Spoiler alert! Yvette ended up choosing Oprah as her vision of success 😉

Find out exactly what Debra did - and what she SAID to raise a strong, confident black woman today - in the video below (or scroll down to read the entire transcript - hey, it’s valid!).

Because Not All Superheroes Wear Capes

Some wear heels. Others wear makeup. And some even wear shapewear. Join the conversation and honor the mother figures in our lives that made us who we are now. Share your story with #WhatSheTaughtMe on social media - we’ll be donating $1 to Help a Mother Out® for every story shared.

Watch the #WhatSheTaughtMe campaign video below:

Video Transcript

D: It was hard for a young beautiful brown girl like Yvette, to be accepted.

Y: I feel like when I was growing up I had a lot of things that you could pick on me for and I know at the time I was like why don’t I look like everybody else.

D: Sometimes it was tough and I bought her little dolls that looked like her and I always made sure that she saw people that looked like her, successful people.

Y: They’d pick on me for being skinny and then I have like big eyes and my skin color.

Y: She would help me just feel confident and like it’s ok, there’s people that look like you that are doing amazing things. Oprah is doing amazing and she looks like me, you know.

D: In that world you had to be a little light skin black girl to be accepted, you have to look like close to white, it’s tough but she, she, it made her strong and I’m glad, it made her who she is today.

Y: The biggest lesson you have taught me… I feel it would have to be just being true to myself and remembering who I am first.

D: You have bad moments but don’t make them bad days and they don’t become who you are and it’s just going to make you stronger so just hold on, it gets better.

Y: Thank you mom for raising me the way you did, I know I didn’t appreciate you as much when I was younger but I appreciate all the things you do for me now, all you did for me and just raising me to be a strong woman, I wouldn’t be here without you so I thank you.

D: Thank you Yvette, you did appreciate me I understand you may not have felt it cause as young girls you don't see the future, but I always saw something special in you from the time you were born, you always, you were that light that I know God gave you to me and I knew you would be something special always no matter what you do, I'm always proud of you.

About Help a Mother Out ®

Help A Mother Out® is a California-based organization that provides access to clean diapers for families in need. Clean diapers aren’t only hygienic and timer-savers - they’re basically a requirement for daycare facilities, which mothers need in order to work. Help a Mother Out® turns 10 years old this year - and May marks the month in which they’ll be delivering their 10 millionth diaper! We’ll be donating $1 for each story shared on social media with the hashtag #WhatSheTaughtMe*, as well as a percentage of our overall sales during May. Let’s band together to help us make this donation LEGENDARY ❤