I went into one of my favorite stores in the whole world to splurge. You probably know exactly what it is. It is the boujie Walmart for the it-girls, and tik-tok girls. It is the upgrade of walmart. It is the store you cannot just go in without a list and just vibe out. You need a plan and a platform. You guessed it honey! TARGET! I went in to really look around and pick up a couple of self-care items. The new method body wash I have seen the tik-tok girls trying and of course some good scented candles. For Black History Month, I told myself I wanted to do something intentional. Last year, I ended up educating myself on more black women who have made a difference in the black community. I watched the Michelle Obama documentary, and I also started reading her book “Becoming”. This year I said I wanted to support a black business. For some reason I was really intentional about doing it. I have bought from a black business in the past, but I want to make it something I do on purpose. I go to the left side of the target, and I see their Black History display of clothes. First thing I do is look at price tags, because honey I am not about to pay $60 for a pair of tights. I don’t care if a black, or white person manufactured it! Okay! I winded up stopping, because I saw one of my favorite activists of all time, Malcolm X. I saw a shirt with him on it that said driven, immediately it was a cop. Then I saw another shirt with a super super dark black model. She had black lipstick on and a big hat like the girls walking down the runway usually have on. Immediately it caught my attention, because I love black women. I also love to see a black woman at the center of attention and the shirt was a head turner. I also love to see a super dark black girl. On the shirt was the words “Julie Noire”. I thought this was some kind of super model so I looked it up.
Jolie Noire is a black leisure athletic brand. The face behind it is two sisters from Atlanta, GA Keyondra, and Kim. The name Jolie Noire stands for “Pretty Black” in french. Their purpose for creating this clothing line is to let people know that black is beautiful no matter the shade.
However, in the society we live in today we are primed, and molded at a very young age to think that light is better and dark is ugly. That is the harsh reality we live in. This brand wants to change that outlook to let people know that color is not something that comes pre-labeled… we label it (Noire, 2022). At Jolie Noire their number 1 goal is to believe black is a beautiful period! On this day of Black History Month I wanted to be intentional and shed light on this beautiful black brand with such a positive message. Not only is the brand stylish!, but it comes with such a positive uplifting message for little black girls, and women.
In the society we live in now there are so many trends that are coming forward. Whether that is the BBL trend, being “that girl”, dressing a certain way, or having a certain “aesthetic”. Women, especially black women, are being pushed left to right to be a certain way instead of just being ourselves. This brand meant so much to me as a dark skin black girl, because people sometimes only look at us as a fetish. They look at our skin as being so dark calling us chocolate and just equating us to being exotic, and sexual beings. Not knowing that we are so much more than that. I had someone tell me “You have dark skin. Y’all are in right now”. That compliment just did not sit well with me because being dark skin is not a trend. It is not something that should be in one season and then out the next. It is the skin I am born with. It is the skin I will die with. It is the skin that I would not change for anything in the world. I have never been through that period of not liking my skin color, but I know that so many young dark black girls do. So, to have this brand highlighting black girls… darkskin girls to be exact just makes me so happy. We are Jolie Noire. We are “pretty black”. We are the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice, and the darker the flesh the deeper the roots, and I say that with pride. Being a dark skin girl makes others so uncomfortable. Not just white people but much of the disgust comes from people in our own community. Many black people put so many stigmas, and stereotypes of being dark skin such as why are you so loud? dark skin looks dirty, we are automatically seen as ghetto or ratchet. Even when talking with such passion and conviction about something people want us to “calm down” because it is not acceptable, because we are not lighter. There have been times I could be speaking with passion or not saying anything at all, and people assume something is wrong with me, I have an attitude, or why am I being “loud”? It is annoying because it makes you feel as if you can’t say this well. What can you say? I feel like it is something that people have to be aware of, because you do not know how it can affect someone. It is a real problem in the black community and a real conversation needs to be had about it.
I supported this brand by buying 2 of their t-shirts, and I will continue to support them. It was amazing seeing a black brand highlighted and being in such a high end store like Target. Black History Month to me is such a remembrance of all of the black excellence that we have around us. Black people are leveling up in so many ways it is crazy. Especially with how many black businesses are being created. Black History month is a celebration for brands like Jolie Noire, and others. It is a celebration. It is a moment.