‘Black beauty’? Thanks, but I prefer my looks unqualified
A dark-skinned model on a black background.
What you need to know:
- I am dark-skinned and somehow my skin colour makes me feel hidden away in it.
- Unfortunately, in this century, beauty is defined by what society presents as acceptable in the mass media.
When Georgia O’Keeffe said, “there’s something about black, you feel hidden away in it”, never did I think that, as an African girl, I would refer to this statement and get any other meaning than that of an artist talking passionately about her preferred colour.
Yet, here I am, living the very depths of these words.
I am dark-skinned and somehow my skin colour makes me feel hidden away in it, makes me feel like I don’t belong because somewhere along the way, beauty standards changed and having lighter skin is preferable.
In 1877, Anna Sewell published a book entitled “Black Beauty,” looking to educate people on the importance of being kind to animals. However, to the White leaders in apartheid South Africa, the words “black” and “beauty” simply could not be in the same sentence and the book was banned, a shallow and racist act.
This is almost comical but I feel like, in some way, people still pass these sentiments when they refer to dark-skinned women as “black beauties”.
Why can’t we just be regarded as beautiful without adding the word “black”? It somehow takes away from the compliment and makes it sound as like: “For a black person, you are beautiful”.
Latest beauty trends
Doing so could really go a long way in assuring many troubled black women and even boost their self-esteem. Unfortunately, in this century, beauty is defined by what society presents as acceptable in the mass media.
People are taking to Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook to catch up with the latest beauty trends and as others seek validation.
Tune into the mainstream media, look at social media influencers or just watch prime-time news and you’ll see for yourself.
Light-skinned girls and women are really privileged as they are considered more beautiful or better suited for these roles.
Those with not-so-light skins are taken through make-up “laundry” as many times as possible until they meet the set standards. We shouldn’t be so enamoured with society’s beauty standards that we fail to recognise that there’s so much more to a person than his or her looks.
Marion, 20, is a student at KCA University.
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