This episode explores the complex relationship between material culture and appearance, socioeconomic status, and how these issues affect Black students in predominantly white schools. We discuss the pressures around the “look of success,” how it is perceived, and how it impacts academic and social environments and encounters. From feeling the pressure to fit “the look”, we unpack how these material markers of success can influence everything from social acceptance to academic opportunities and discuss the importance of understanding and addressing these invisible yet significant challenges.