Decontee Peters holds a quiet confidence with her presence. As a professional model, Peters is able to put herself out there to the world, but she also maintains a sense of self protection. This becomes evident in the story she tells about one of her favorite accessories, sunglasses. As a symbol and a physical barrier, the glasses block out what she wants, being selective of what she lets in.
“I don't like being judged, that was my big thing and that’s when I started wearing the sunglasses. I wear them to clubs and on outings. I wear them to family events just so I don't feel all those eyes.” Peters explains.
Peters grew up between Portland and Atlanta and recognizes the differences. “When I see new Black people in Portland, you're either here for Nike or you're here for intel it's the only way. It’s different, a lot of the Black culture here is different, really different from the black culture in Atlanta.” Peters feels Portland is a much more comfortable place for her as the atmosphere is progressive. She adds, “The South still has a lot of work they need when it comes to just overall society and thinking.”
Peters recently moved back to Portland to start her Modeling career, and it’s paying off. “I've been signed twice this year, so far. I'm super proud of that. I came here, I had a goal and I went way past it.” Her work has taken her to Los Angeles and she hopes New York Fashion Week is on the horizon. The nature of Peters work puts her in the public eye and creates a need to be tuned in with social media. With the protests, and racial tension in the air and on the streets, Peters often feels overwhelmed by what she sees.
“It is definitely scary to be Black in America right now, you're scared for your little brothers, you're scared for your sisters, you're scared for just yourself walking alone at night because racism is so open. Racists are comfortable saying what they want to now.” These emotions are combined with the knowing that this has all needed to happen for some time now, that people need to open their eyes to the reality. Peters hopes extend to the next five years where she expects to see real change.
Peters says Black women are the most disrespected today in all facets of life. She has hopes of this changing as more and more Black women are seen and heard.
As a Black woman she has faced having to adapt herself to situations around her, to feel safe and to move through society in general. “It’s set in our way so much that it's our everyday way of living. If a cop car pulls up next to you on the street you're automatically turning your music down so you do not attract attention. If you see commotion going on somewhere you'd rather cross the street to walk the other direction so you don't even look like you're a part of that.”
Peters has experienced having to work harder than her white peers. “I always feel like I have to go twice as hard to get as far as the next person or the next white person just because of the color of my skin. It's engraved in us. I grew up knowing to go twice as hard as the next white person so you can get qualified or you can get to where you need to go.”
Peters explains her mother would often come home crying from a job interview she was qualified or overqualified for, to find out a less qualified white person would receive that job. Peters herself knows she has experienced this as well, in her employment searches.
Her mother and family have experienced direct racism at the workplace. Her mother is a Doctor and for awhile they lived in North Dakota to be near each other. Peters sister was also working at the clinic when a white woman came up to her at the counter and said ‘she didn’t know they let people of your skin color work here now.’
Peters explains “My mom actually runs this whole part of the hospital and the woman was just like oh well, I'm disgusted, so you can go ahead and remove our records if they let you people work here now. I remember my sister coming home in tears and that's my big sister, you know, and I'm the feisty little sister. But you can't do anything to change somebody's opinions, that's just how it is. I had to sit there and tell my older sister that's just how it is, that’s just how they are and I can't fight for you right now. That was two years ago years ago. And I still remember like today. She was just so shocked.”
Peters explains this exhausting dynamic “This is this crazy stuff that we as a culture are just so used to and it is just coming to the world’s eye. Some of us just don't have much to say because it's been our whole life, you know, it's been our whole life.”
Peters uses the very platform she has created for herself to speak up and speak out about the very issues that are important to her. She feels the trend in modeling to use black and dark skinned people creates advantage to their voices being heard. She knows it may just be a trendy phase, but vows to make use if it to turn it around and get her words out. Peters says Black women are the most disrespected today in all facets of life. She has hopes of this changing as more and more Black women are seen and heard. They should have the same platform and exposure as others.
“I'm going to use it to my advantage, as my way to speak because that's how I'm getting through to people.”
Peter’s sweet spirit shines again as she wraps up her thoughts with, “Black lives matter. Just love each other. It's not hard to be a decent human being. Just love each other everybody!”
Interview & story by Jennifer Randall
Editing: Calcio Rose
Photographs taken by Shawnalee Anderton
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