During the time SouKeyna Diouf was studying biochemistry at Howard University ― and volunteering in hospitals in Senegal in the interim ― she found that people were really engaging with her posts about beauty and fashion. A proponent of inclusion in the beauty world, she examined what it truly meant to see beauty outside of what the western world perpetuated. As her following grew, she began to think about how she could use her platform to direct resources to a cause she already considered her life’s work.
“When we think of models, we think of body types that we aspire to have or certain physical features that we aspire to have,” said Diouf, a Senegalese American model and public health advocate. “People pay so much attention to those they look up to. What if everyone who had all this attention used it to channel attention to something much more important?”
Diouf feels energized by the evolving role of models and influencers. Could we really go from just selling products and perpetuating westernized beauty standards to becoming agents of change where it truly matters, she wondered?
Early on in the pandemic, the U.N. Global Health advocate began to partner with brands more intentionally ― in particular, ones that supported her in the fight to eradicate malaria, a life-threatening disease that is preventable and treatable but persists, especially in developing countries. Malaria advocacy has been her mission since contracting it as a teenager after failing to use a bed mosquito net at night. “That net can literally be the difference between life and death for some people,” Diouf said.
Diouf recently participated in Hourglass Cosmetics’ Impact Day campaign, which donated a portion of the company’s revenue to organizations its models champion. One of these is United to Beat Malaria, an initiative that provides bed nets and other life-saving supplies to communities that need them.
Diouf vividly remembers the fear that consumed her when she had malaria. Her health declined so swiftly that she bid her final farewells to her family, she told me. “I’m relatively small already, but I lost so much more weight within the span of a week. I could see my ribs,” she said. She only experienced a robust recovery thanks to her access to good health care. The turbulent experience made her reflect on those who don’t have that access.
The disease, transmitted through bites from infected mosquitos, once existed everywhere but has been largely eradicated in the U.S. and other areas due to advances in sanitation and medicine. In 2021, the World Health Organization reported 247 million cases of the disease globally. Of those cases, 95% came from regions in Africa. There were 620,000 deaths reported from malaria during that year — and likely many more that went unreported. Many of those who survive the disease have severe cases that are both devastating and life-changing.
“That infuriates me. We’ve effectively been able to eradicate malaria in places like the United States. Why is it still endemic in places like where I come from?” Diouf asked.
Of course, the simplest answer is privilege. The journey to dismantling white supremacist systems looks different for every activist. For Diouf, it involves not just addressing colorism in the beauty industry, but shedding light on global health disparities. And that can be as simple as slaying in a red lip with a powerful message behind the look.
And so Diouf wants to work within her lane to encourage fashion and beauty industries to actively engage with individuals of all demographics. She wants to see structurally marginalized communities in print ads, sure. But she also wants to be part of conversations around addressing social issues such as the disparity in health outcomes and access.
“I have had malaria, and you can relate to me. I think eliminating all the ways that we are different … naturally increases empathy,” Diouf said. “And if we increase empathy, all the changes that we wish to see in the world will definitely come.”
