Today we’d like to introduce you to Yanique Duke.
Yanique, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My passion for helping women find their voice started early in childhood. Somehow at 8 years old I was able to muster up the courage to sound the alert of the sexual abuse happening in my youth group, which in turn freed not only myself but so many other young women in that group from the monster masquerading as a man of faith and our leader. My voice was the spark that allowed so many others to speak up as well. No matter how hard the days ahead got, I always remembered how that decision to use my voice unlocked other voices and that is the foundation of my journey.
Now as I wear the additional roles of wife and mother, I am using my social media platforms to reframe the construct of womanhood, especially for Black women. Black woman are the backbone of their homes and their communities. We stand up for other people so much that we struggle to stand for ourselves. In general, we have put the needs of our loved ones and the needs of our communities before our own, and unfortunately we’ve been taught that being a good woman, mom, wife, daughter, employee, etc means we are so selfish that we almost completely forget about our own needs. We saw this on a grand scale during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement a couple months ago. It was so obvious that Black Women truly picked up and carried that mantle and as equally blatant was the lack of regard for our needs. I am using my platforms to change this narrative. It is imperative that we place ourselves as priorities on our to do list. It is imperative that we stand up for ourselves, that we find our voices, that we take the time we need to nourish ourselves mind, body, and soul.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
You know how you plan your life and then God laughs? Yeah, definitely not smooth!
I always saw myself as a career woman. I was really focused on where I was going that when I became a mom and a wife, as happy as those roles have made me, I struggled juggling where I thought I should be versus where I actually was. I also struggled with who I was as a woman and who I thought a mom and wife should be. I tried so hard to be those ideals, a woman who makes sure everyone is clean, fed, entertained, chauffeured wherever they need to go, all their needs met and none of mine considered. One day I looked at myself and realized I had no idea who I was now did I know what would make me happy.
Can you imagine? Being goals on paper, having all the material things you think you need, going through the day to day motions and the reality was I was creating a mess by trying so hard to please everyone else and neglecting myself. But that realization is the beauty of life. You always have the option to pivot and do the necessary work to get to a life of fulfillment, peace, joy, and it starts with that realization.
This is why I am so passionate about helping women find their voices and take care of themselves. I’ve been in that dark place, I’ve done the work to get my peace, and never want anything less than that peace for anyone.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with your work – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
As a content creator, I use my skin care and beauty content to grab the attention of women but in turn feed them self-care and inspiration. I’ve learned that we love and are drawn to entertainment. So, I answer questions about skincare, and beauty from a lens of self-care. Even in my content that is about motherhood and marriage, it’s always from the perspective of being the best you for you before you can you be for them.
Because of this lens, I’m not your typical content creator. I’m probably not going to be where you come for the hottest trends, but if you need help figuring out how to manage a full life and still have bomb, healthy skin, I got you.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m looking forward to getting out of 2020 lol! No but seriously, I am so excited for this community that we are building. I’ve made so many great connections already with women over YouTube and Instagram in the last few months since I posted my first video. I have some amazing collaborations coming up in the future, a blog launching in 2021, and hopefully can start connecting with women with in person events within the next year!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yaniqueduke.com
- Email: info@yaniqueduke.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/yaniqueduke
- Other: youtube.com/yaniquedukelive
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
