In honor of Black History Month, I would like to discuss the beauty and grace that is Black women. There is without a doubt a certain je ne sais quoi to Black women and the world is clearly aware of this fact. In various ways, time and time again has shown Black women as the blueprint. We have left our mark in so many different avenues of pop culture and for some reason, the recognition doesn’t feel fully given. It is 2021 and over the years many stigmas have been put to light, yet that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement.
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As a Black woman, it’s very frustrating to witness the Black community’s beauty, accepted by society due to a non person of color. Cornrows, box braids, kinky hair and fuller features have always been beautiful through the eyes of the Black community. It’s interesting how often the statement “it’s just hair,” is thrown around by a non person of color. I can see when you’ve never experienced being looked upon a certain way for the choice of your hair, it would feel like “just a hairstyle.” This does not mean the statement is acceptable, it is always important to take a look into perspectives before we speak. I often question those recently intrigued with Black women’s beauty when just a short time ago our beauty was not seen as beautiful. From a Black woman’s perspective, it truly feels like “why all of a sudden?”
To see a non person of color get worshipped for using Black culture as part of their aesthetic is heartbreaking. When you don’t experience your beauty not fitting into a certain standard, you may not understand this issue. Once again, this doesn’t give a non person of color permission to maintain a blind eye to ignorance. It’s rather fascinating to see people who looked down on Black women and their features are the same people getting lip fillers and tanning their skin to look darker.
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To shed some light, Black women such as Issa Rae, Beyonce, Rihanna, and many other influential Black women continue to make impacts on our world. These women have created a space where various different types of Black women are spotlighted. I couldn’t relate more to Issa Rae’s web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. Issa’s quirkiness and humor in this web series showcased Black women in a way that has not been commonly shown and is well appreciated. How could one forget Beyonce’s iconic Coachella performance in 2018? Beyonce made history by being the first Black woman ever to headline Coachella. Instead of flower crowns, Beyonce highlighted the poise of Black people by paying homage to HBCUs throughout her entire performance.
Last but certainly not least, bada** Rihanna has changed the game tremendously. Rihanna’s Fenty empire consists of luxury fashion, make-up, lingerie, and skincare. If that doesn’t scream Black girl magic I don’t know what does! In each of these different avenues, Rihanna is consistent with maintaining a representation of not only Black women but everyone. Everyone is able to find someone who looks like them during a much needed retail therapy when shopping from Rihanna’s, Fenty brand.
On that note, Black women will continue to make impactful moves to our world, Happy Black History Month collegiettes!