Monday, February 7, 2011

My Black is Beautiful

This Black is Not Beautiful!
When I was little most of the black women that I had to look up to were not the greatest role models. There were not many respectable black people, male or female, on TV (BET or MTV). It is sad when an entire group of people is completely misrepresented for entertainment.

Anyone know what blackface was? Well a good example of it (people making money off of a caricature of black people) is the gangster rap they play on the radio. I will give you guys some examples of socially aware and intelligent hip hop in a future post, probably this month (here are some past music posts Bad Brains, a Gospel Choir).

NPR on blackface 

The point of Black History Month is not only to educate ourselves but to be proud of what makes us (not just blacks but people in general) unique and beautiful. Because I believe that all women and girls should have the opportunity to see beautiful, intelligent and respectable women who look like them, I decided to post this. And for those of you who are not a black female, I believe that you deserve to see something other than the dancer in the latest Jay-Z video. You deserve to see real beauty and real people. 

My Black is Beautiful Manifesto

My Black is Beautiful
From the color of my skin, to the texture of my hair, to the length of my strands, to the breadth of my smile,
To the stride of my gait, to the span of my arms, to the depth of my bosom, to the curve of my hips, to the glow of my skin,
My Black is Beautiful.
It cannot be denied. It will not be contained. And only I will define it.
For when I look in my mirror, my very soul cries out,
My Black is Beautiful.
And so today, I speak it out loud, unabashedly, I declare it anew,
My Black is Beautiful.
Whether celebrated, imitated, exploited or denigrated. Whether natural from inside or skillfully applied,
My Black is Beautiful.
To my daughters, my sisters, my nieces, my cousins, my colleagues and my friends,
I speak for us all when I say again,
My Black is Beautiful.

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