The Great British Baking Show's Nadiya Hussain Recalls Being Discriminated Against at Modeling Job

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I was responding to an ad in the paper, back in the day when we looked for jobs in the paper…there was an ad for a hand model needed to model jewellery. I called. Made an appointment. No previous experience required. I had hands, I needed the money, so figured it was a no brainer! It was a sure thing, I was counting my pennies before I had even got the gig… walked in on the day. The room went quiet, the room filled with white faces and white hands. The receptionist stumbled. I sat down while she called someone in. I was met by a women who came and greeted me. I figured it was my turn to show off my hands. She said ' im sorry I didn't know you were black' 'yes, right but the ad wanted hands, I have hands' 'black hands dont sell jewellery'. That was her response. The blood rushed to my face. I was so embarrassed, I was now a deep shade of burgundy. I never really thought about my hands, till the colour of the skin that covered them stopped me from getting a job. When you are a teenager, already a little lost, words like this stick. Fast forward to my 30s and now my hands are in my cookbooks and in cookery shows, even now I look at them and still I have a seed of doubt imbedded telling me that people must be disgusted by the sight of my brown hands. But as you can see from my second picture, you know how I feel about it now. I use my hamds with pride and allow them to grace cookbooks and cookery shows, to hold my chidrens hands and stroke their little faces, to cook, to feed… to hold! I have since worked with Swarovski with these very hands, worn their jewellery with pride! When I worked with them they never knew the anxiety I felt at the thought of showcasing my hands, but I did it anyway! We need to start representing with our voices, with our eyes, with our thoughts, with our hearts and with our hands! I am taking ownership back with my hands ! #represent #hands #withallofourbeing #timeforchange @swarovski

A post shared by Nadiya (@nadiyajhussain) on Jun 12, 2020 at 3:52pm PDT

Hussain is now in her thirties, and while her hands are featured in her cookbooks and television shows, they're still an insecurity for her. "Even now I look at them and still I have a seed of doubt imbedded telling me that people must be disgusted by the sight of my brown hands," she said in the post. "But as you can see from my second picture, you know how I feel about it now. I use my hands with pride and allow them to grace cookbooks and cookery shows, to hold my children's hands and stroke their little faces, to cook, to feed… to hold!"

Since the incident, Hussain has gone on to work with the jewelry company Swarovski, which has been a positive experience for her.  "When I worked with them they never knew the anxiety I felt at the thought of showcasing my hands, but I did it anyway!" she says.

The baker joins dozens of celebrities speaking out about racism amid protests and social unrest following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police officers.

"We need to start representing with our voices, with our eyes, with our thoughts, with our hearts, and with our hands!" Hussain advised on her Instagram post. "I am taking ownership back with my hands!"

To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations:

• Campaign Zero (joincampaignzero.org) which works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies.

• ColorofChange.org works to make the government more responsive to racial disparities.

• National Cares Mentoring Movement (caresmentoring.org) provides social and academic support to help black youth succeed in college and beyond.

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