“I was the only black girl in my friend group … plus, I’ve always been a bit bigger than my friends, both in size and in weight. My teen years were hell. I was ashamed of going to the beach because I thought I was too fat, enormous, inadequate. Since I lived in a predominantly white area, I felt like I never fit the beauty standard, and boys didn’t even look at me.
I watched all my friends get into relationships, have crushes, and flirt at school parties. And I was just the fun friend who gave advice. It wasn’t easy. I remember not liking sleepovers at my friends’ houses, because they would wake up looking ready, with their long, straight, beautiful hair, and I’d look at myself in the mirror and not know where to start. I just felt like crying.
When I was 12, I had bulimia. I wasn’t living in the best environment for my self-esteem, but that experience helped me realize I could no longer accept being mistreated by anybody. Today I accept myself much more, especially because I started attending a university where I could be around other wonderful, inspiring black girls.” — Luísa Góes
