Being a skinny girl in the black community was awkward growing up. I dealt with comments like “girl do you eat?” and guys saying “you cute and all but you would look better if you were thick.”
These comments made me feel insecure about my body. I tried to change my body by eating fast foods and junk food. I don’t recommend anyone to do that because it left me feeling sluggish and it’s not healthy at all. In the black community, it’s a stereotype that all black women have curvy bodies with big butts and thighs. However, black women come in all different sizes. We don’t all look like the Instagram models or video vixens. If we don’t embrace the different types of beauty within our race it will also affect the people around us and the next generation because we limit ourselves to what true beauty is. We need to build a generation of women that are confident in who they are no matter their sizes. Here are two stigmas that we have to destroy:
1. Skinny girls shouldn’t work out
I want to demolish this myth that skinny girls can’t be active. Just because someone is skinny doesn’t mean that they are in shape. Trust me I can attest to that. If you want to take up hobbies like kickboxing or running go for it. I remember in high school I hesitated on running track because I thought I was too skinny but I actually loved running. It made me feel calm, at peace and energetic. If you’re a runner you know what I’m talking about.
2. Are you anorexic?
This question is annoying. According to the dictionary, anorexia is an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat. All skinny people can’t be placed in this category of having this disorder. Skinny people just have a high metabolism and sometimes that can be affected base on our genes. If you are just a regular skinny girl there is nothing wrong with you. Now that I’m 22 years old, I must say that I love my skinny figure. I have grown to be confident in the skin that I’m in.
“Fashion and beauty are all about empowering women,” said Tai Beauchamp, style expert. My love for fashion has definitely help me gain my confidence. I love dressing up in dresses, shoes, and romper. Playing with different outfits is like art to me. I am able to express myself through my clothes and if I feel like wearing something casual then I go for that as well. With fashion, I have learned what looks good on my body such as a black pair of skinny jeans.
I love the way that God has made me. My faith has also made me realize that beauty on the outside is nothing if you are not a beautiful person on the inside. What makes an individual beautiful on the inside is their compassion for others. Also, they are willing to make the world around them a better place. To any girl that may feel insecure about their body just remember that you are beautiful. You don’t have to follow society standard of beauty. Break the mold and create your own definition of beauty.