This Before-and-After Photo Isn’t What You’d Expect It to Be
Ashleigh Shackelford’s viral before-and-after #TeamStillFat photo. (Photo: @ashleighthelion/Instagram)
The advent of social media has made the “before-and-after” picture a total phenomenon. From pics of contouring to hair braids to straight flexing, a day probably doesn’t go by without one such typically jaw-dropping or envy-inducing transition photo in your feed.
Ashleigh Shackelford’s version, though, is different. She is using social media to show that there’s actually no difference in her side-by-side mirror pics, aside from her hand propped on her hip. Instead, the 24-year-old writer snapped two selfies in a black bra and panties — taken only hours apart — to show that she is the same size in both … and for good reason.
“#TeamStillFat,” Shackelford captioned her image. “Because before-and-afters are most often triggering and a means of reminding people that happiness/your future should revolve around losing weight or fitting lethal white, thin, and able body beauty standards. Stop promoting healthiness as thinness. And stop perpetuating violent beauty standards that maintain racist, ableist fatphobia. #beblessed ✌🏾️”
While Shackelford’s viral post was met with some criticism, it’s safe to say the naysayers have been outnumbered. Her photo has more than 8,000 likes on Instagram — making it her most-liked one to date — and nearly 17,000 likes on Facebook.
“I see there being so much more of a revolution going forward,” Shackelford said in an interview on Self.com. “There are so many conversations that need to be had around the body and what that looks like for who we consider worthy and who we consider healthy.”
We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves.
