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Posts Tagged 'BLACK GIRLS'
BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY O-TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO BE PROUD OF THEIR BEAUTIFUL BLACK SKIN O!
"AS you can see, I'm a beautiful girl because I'm dark in complexion. I like to look nice and beautiful always. My mum always encourages me every time I appear clean, that, I'm black and I'm shining. I sweep my room, lay my bed and clean our sitting room always. I learn how to be clean from my mum because she dresses well. She is my role model when it comes to looking good. "- Iremide Oyelaja, 10-year-old, Pry 4. (THIS NIGERIAN MOTHER TAUGHT HER DAUGHTER TO BE PROUD OF HER BLACK BEAUTIFUL SKIN COLOR UNLIKE MICHAEL JACKSON'S FATHER WHO TOLD HIM HIS BLACK FEATURES WERE UGLY! TEACH YOUR BLACK CHILDREN TO LOVE THEIR BLACK FEATURES-NOSE,MOUTH,BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY!(IBADAN,NIGERIA)
Tags:a black skinned beauty, A BLACK STANDARD OF BEAUTY BASED ON THE BLACKEST SKINNED Woman, BEAUTY, BLACK GIRLS, BLACK PEOPLE, black skin, colorism
"SKIN BLEACHING: IDENTITY CRISIS OR MENTAL SLAVERY?"-BY ALICIA NUNN ON FACE-TO-FACE AFRICA
BY ALICIA NUNN, at 12:00 pm, December 15, 2018, OPINION
Skin bleaching: Identity crisis or mental slavery?
In 1492, Christopher Columbus stumbled upon the Americas and Caribbean Islands in search of the East Indies. With open arms, the natives welcome him as their guest, oblivious to their impending doom.
Bringing with him diseases and a hidden agenda, he was following orders from the Roman Catholic church to revitalize the failing European economy under the guise of "civilizing the natives". With him was a crew that included three vessels of criminals let out of jail in Europe to go on the voyage.
A similar strategy was used in the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; disrupting their way of life with the intent of enslaving them, stealing their land, massacring millions.
MORE ABOUT THIS
As Africa loses fight against skin bleaching, Rwanda deploys police to enforce laws
Blac Chyna is heading to Nigeria to roll out new skin bleaching cream
This Somali anti-skin bleaching crusader in the U.S. is ending stigma against dark-skinned women
Skin bleaching isn't passe in Africa, it's just been re-branded
In 1619, Africans, inhumanely stacked and packed like cargo in dark, rancid ships, began the ominous Middle Passage to the Americas during the most savage, diabolical slave trade in history.
Stolen from their homes, separated from their families, raped and bred, YOU20 million Africans made it to the shores of America; twice as many are killed: the African Holocaust.
Fast forward to 2018, model and entrepreneur, Blac Chyna makes the voyage home to Africa to launch her Diamond Illuminating and Lightening Cream, in partnership with Whitenicious creator, Dencia, Cameroonian-Nigerian singer, songwriter and entrepreneur.
Blac Chyna found her way back home to Africa, bringing with her the ways of her ancestors' captors.
Blac Chyna and Dencia have everyone in an uproar over their new partnership. While it's inspiring to see two African Diasporan women coming together to build an empire, there is a deeper issue with Whitenicious.
What's most sad and alarming is these two beautiful, powerful black women would resort to such drastic measures to make money. Let's take a look into the mind of a black woman who feels she needs white skin to feel beautiful.
Skin bleaching is a multibillion-dollar global industry according to Sarah L. Webb in her 2013 article, 'The Epidemic of Skin Bleaching around the World.' Although Indians make up the largest skin bleaching market, a staggering 52-77 per cent of African women use skin lighteners. 20-50 per cent of Asians use skin bleaches and 20-50 per cent would use more if they could afford it.
In her article Webb lists the potential health risks of skin bleaching, "neurological damage, kidney disease, ochronosis, eczema, bacterial and fungal infections, skin atrophy, and Cushing's Syndrome." Furthermore, the body can form a dependency on the chemicals in bleaching products that ensure the multibillion-dollar industry sustains itself.
Europe, the instigator of the fixation with white skin, has instituted laws banning distribution of mercury soap for its own people but continues to export the product with no regard for the health and well-being of other people. Webb quotes Evelyn Glenn, Professor of Gender & Women's Studies and of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
"The media messages are conceived and created by a few individuals and are projected throughout the world. In fact, distribution of mercury soap has been illegal in the EU since 1989, but it's manufacture has remained legal as long as the product is exported".
Keeping dark-skinned women in a perpetual state of insecurity is big business for Europeans. Webb calls this "race- or ethnicity-based capitalism."
The internet and specifically social media gives the capitalistic influence of the West, instituted by Columbus in 1492, open access to the rest of the world. Tragically, to Africa. As if the African Holocaust was not enough, the degrading assault on the African woman, matriarch, mother of humanity, continues.
Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pump images of white blondes and Kim Kardashian to unsuspecting women and men all day, every day, like drugs into the veins of an addict. No matter what you search on social media, whatever the people in power decide they want to inject into your brain will infiltrate your feed, sending subliminal messages; programing your mind.
The masses follow blindly like sheep to slaughter, rushing to buy the latest products to look like a false image of beauty. And eventually, EVERYONE, falls prey to the brainwashing. Even the strongest minds begin to question themselves.
Don't blame Blac Chyna or Dencia. They are simply pawns in a diabolical game of chess. Their profit is pennies compared to the billions of dollars the cosmetic industry makes, laughing all the way tothe bank despite the emotional and mental cost to the unsuspecting masses.
African American girls and women have always scored the highest of all races and ethnicities on self-esteem surveys. White, Hispanic, and Asian girls and women score the lowest respectively. Yet black women are brainwashed to feel inferior to these groups of women.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a mental illness associated with skin bleaching and unnecessary plastic surgery. The DSM-5, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, defines BDD as:
1. The individual obsesses over one or more apparent flaws in his or her physical appearance that are not visible or a big deal to others.
2. At some point, the individual has performed recurrent behaviors like frequently looking in the mirror, excessively grooming, or comparing his or her appearance to another's.
3. This obsession causes clinically significant distress or impairment in his or her social or work life.
4. The individual's preoccupation with his or her appearance cannot be explained by concerns with body fat or weight, which may be symptomatic of an eating disorder.
With the typical age of onset is between ages 12 and 13, BDD is associated with childhood abuse, depression, and suicide.
Although white women get cosmetic procedures done far more than any other race or ethnicity, the American Society of Plastic Surgeon reports the number of African American women getting procedures increased by 17 per cent between 2016 and 2017. The daughter of Hip Hop legend, T.I., was reportedly advised by doctors that she may go blind after receiving an eye implant to change her eye color from brown to"ice gray".
According to DoSomething.org, 75 per cent of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking, or disordered eating compared to 25 per cent of girls with high self-esteem. And teen girls that have a negative view of themselves are four times more likely to take part in activities with boys that they've ended up regretting later.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in 2016, the highest U.S. suicide rates were among Whites and lowest was among African Americans. Although suicide rates increased across age, gender, and ethnicity between 1999 and 2016. Suicides in the United States in 2016 doubled the number of homicides making it the second leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 34.
An alarming statistic is that African American children aged five to 12 are committing suicide about twice as much as white children the same age, according to a new study that shows a widening gap between the two groups. Social media replacing neighborhood play and isolation are cited as reasons.
The brainwashing by internet and social media have led to global assimilation to Eurocentric ideals, values and way of life. Money, individualism, competition, chaos. Traditional African value of family, community, love, harmony may explain the higher self-esteem and lower suicide rates among black people.
In his book, Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust: Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism, John Henrik Clarke quotes Columbus, "all the inhabitants could be taken away to Castile (Spain), or made slaves on the island. With fifty men, we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want." The mission in Dr.Clarke's words is, "to dominate the world and all its resources by any means necessary.".
Columbus was speaking of Haiti, but imagine similar words spoken in boardrooms of the cosmetic companies and other industries that profit from low self-esteem and insecurity. "With a few advertising dollars, we can bamboozle the masses into believing they need whatever we are selling."
Dr. Clarke warned, "All African and other non-European people should be on the alert, because a new form of slavery could be more brutal and more sophisticated than the slavery of the Christopher Columbus Era." Mental slavery. The inability to make decisions or think foryourself. If someone else is dictating how you see yourself by the incessant mental images they project to you, how are you free?
Dr. Clarke further states, "He was demeaned. This is the thing that is uniquely tragic about the African slave system. Of all the slave systems in the world, no other dehumanized the slave more than that started by the Europeans in the fifteenth century. Using the church as a rationale, they began to set up myths that nearly always read the African out of human history, beginning with the classification of the African as a lesser being."
And over time black people began to believe they are lesser and seem to bow down to the people who colonized and enslaved them, when research proves Africans are the only people who are 100 per cent human. All other races share DNA with a vicious, disease-carrying subhuman species called Neanderthals.
Yet Africans have been convinced that they are the savages. And to hate the skin and hair which is 100 per cent human skin and hair. Unlike the skin and hair, they have been brainwashed to envy.
Loss of identity and culture can lead to genocide. When you can be convinced to change your skin, face, body, and hair to look like someone else, you can be convinced to do anything.
How do we stop the colonization and slavery of our minds? Block the mental images put in the media. Fight for your identity. Protect it. Take off the wigs, weave. Wear your natural hair. Touch your natural hair. Care for it. Love it. It is beautiful because it is yours. Nourish your skin with natural oils. Rub it. Love it. You are beautiful. Repeat until you believe it because it is the truth.
We didn't start racism but we can stop believing it. And stop passing it on to our children. We must teach our daughters to love themselves. Their worth is not measuredby how they look or what they wear. Their worth comes from who they are.
Africa is at a crossroads. Her children are dispersed across the world, in search of something better.
The motherland is rising from the ashes of colonization and slavery. Surrounding countries see opportunity and are lurking to find a way back into the very continent they helped deconstruct and deplete. Have we learned from our mistakes? Or will we repeat them?
"When you have to call your former master back to do basic things for you, you are not free you have re-enslaved or recolonized yourself. There are Africans educated in Africa with African money who are scattered all over the world; they want to be everything but Africans," Dr. Clarke warned.
"No matter what island you're from, no matter what state you're from, no matter what religion you belong to… we must develop a concept of our Pan Africanism that cuts across all religious, political, social, fraternity, sorority lines and allows us to proudly face the world as one people."
Blac Chyna made her way back to Africa. Her intentions may have been misguided, but she made a giant first step towards getting back to her roots. Blac Chyna made it back home. All Africans are her family. Embrace her. Love her. Guide her. Heal her. Protect her.
No matter where you live, every person of African descent must return home. To our roots. Or face extinction.
"I think we should begin by finding a mirror and liking what we see. If we can't like what we see, then we can't make each other whole again. It can't be just ceremony; we can't just decorate the outside of the head forever without putting something inside of the head" Wise words from Dr. Clark.
ALICIA NUNN
Alicia Nunn, author of Take Off The Mask, is writer, activist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Nominated for Leaders as Heroes 2015 and Athena Awards 2014, she has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and Huffington Post.
Tags:A BLACK STANDARD OF BEAUTY-NO MORE BLEACHING, AFRICA, beyonce is bleaching ati she is a "disgrace to the Black race" as Iya mi used to say, BLACK GIRLS, BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK PEOPLE DON'T BLEACH YOUR BEAUTIFUL GOD-GIVEN SKIN AWAY!, BLACK WOMEN, BLEACH AND DIE!, BLEACHING, colorism
BLACK PEOPLE-STOP BLEACHING BEFORE YOU KILL YOURSELF WITH SKIN CANCER!-AMIRA ADAWE FIGHTS BLEACHING 000!
FARIDA DAWKINS, at 09:04 am, July 17, 2018, CULTURE
Amira Adawe on her radio show, 'Beauty Wellness Talk'…NHPR
Despite the dangers associated with skin-bleaching, the desire for some to change their skin tone has anything but lessened. Many skin-bleaching creams include mercury, cortisone and hydroquinone; chemicals linked to skin cancer, high blood pressure, thinning of the skin, other forms of cancer, and kidney and liver failure.
Yet many women and men are willing to undergo drastic measures to be regarded as desirable and beautiful, including applying skin-lightening creams and lotions to their skin while pregnant.
The risks associated with skin bleaching inspired Minnesota public health advocate, Amira Adawe, who has made it her personal mission to seek out shops selling skin-bleaching creams and report their activities.
Ghana to Ban Sale of Skin Bleaching Products in August
African Singer Dencia Encourages Skin Bleaching With 'Whitenicious'?
The Universality of Skin Bleaching: Looking Beyond Africa
Amira Adawe…Minn Post
Adawe can often be seen in Karmel Square, a meeting point for Somali immigrants in Minneapolis to socialize and purchase goods from their native land. It is also a prime location for the sale of skin-bleaching products. Adawe uses her visits as an opportunity to scout and report merchants who still sell the controversial products.
As a county public health educator and a graduate student at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Adawe purchased 27 samples of creams in 2011 and had them tested by pollution control agency specialists. Their finding revealed that there were 33,000 parts of mercury per million in the samples given. The Food and Drug Administration only allows one part per million.
Adawe's actions caused the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to raid and investigate establishments selling lightening creams. The Minnesota Department of Health then issued warnings about the dangers of skin-bleaching creams.
Mercury is a neurotoxin that eats away at the skin, damages membranes and causes death by poisoning. "Just touching a washcloth or a mother's cheek that has been rubbed with the products could be harmful to a baby, the FDA notes, interfering with brain and nervous system development."
Adawe is now a manager for the Children's Cabinet of Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and host of a weekly radio show dubbed "Beauty-Wellness Talk." It launched in November 2017. More than being on a crusade to stop the illegal sale of skin-bleaching creams, Adawe feels it's important to discuss the issues that prompt women to alter their skin in the first place.
Though it is difficult, Adawe is now allowing women to speak out about the underlying issues such as colorism, self-esteem, social media and how the ideas of self-hate are a seed often implanted by one's surroundings.
Salma Ali, 19, a Somali-American college student reveals, "Growing up, if somebody in my family was mad at me, they'd call me koor madow, which means, 'Hey darker-skinned,'" "And it was an insult." Ali goes on to say, "I've had my aunts come up to me telling me, 'Salma you're not ugly, it's just that your skin is just a little dirty. You need to clean it up. I got some products from China. I'mma hook you up.' I'm like, 'How is my skin dirty? I'm taking care of myself.' But because of the fact that I have darker skin, I'm seen as ugly. And that's just part of the way we've all been socialized."
"My dream is that every woman stops using skin-lightening creams and trying to change their color," Adawe proclaims. "And that they are happy for who they are."
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FARIDA DAWKINS , Staff Writer
Farida Dawkins is a blogger, video content creator and staff writer at Face2Face Africa. She enjoys writing about relatable and controversial lifestyle issues that pertain to women in Africa and the African diaspora.
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BLACK POLYGAMY OOO!–OGUNDE HAD 17 WIVES OOOO!- NIGERIAN/YORUBA OOO!
The Fascinating True Story of a Man, His Seventeen Wives and the Beginning of Nollywood.
'Funmi Oyatogun
"This is a fascinating story", I thought — a man with seventeen wives and many children, who traveled around the country acting plays and creating films. Ogun State tourism is incomplete without the Hubert Ogunde Living History Museum and this could be one of Nigeria's best museums yet.
Hubert Ogunde. Photo by Guardian NG
"What's there to see in this museum?" I asked my contact over the phone, after exchanging pleasantries. I was hoping to hear some enticing reasons beyond the vague descriptions on the internet. "You'll see when you get here," he said. I tried another approach. "Please, how are you related to him? Are you a grandson?" In a whisper, he promised to tell me when I arrived at the museum. I was getting none of the details I was expecting but I was eager to visit with a small group of five TVP Adventures tourists. So, my expectations were at the barest minimum — perhaps there would be a few photos of his lifetime and a showcase of his barely preserved clothes and shoes. I was sure that we would learn one or two things about his life and work and maybe a few heavily curated stories about his seventeen wives. "This is a fascinating story", I thought — a man with seventeen wives and many children, who traveled around the country acting plays and creating films.
The drive from Abeokuta to Ososa was smooth and straightforward. During the one-hour drive, we chatted about some of everything with our chatter interrupted only by the verbal directions from Google Maps. We found the museum easily — a bold signpost welcomes guests to a large bungalow nestled among trees in a well-maintained and spacious compound. As the curator welcomed us, we were quickly briefed about the rules of the museum — no photos inside and no touching of museum items. It is no surprise that Ogunde's former home is tasteful and artistic without being flamboyant. Beside the building is an old bus and a lorry — actual tour buses used by the Ogunde travelling theater with mega phones used to advertise as they drove through towns. Beside the buses is the engine of an aircraft used to create heavy winds and rain in one of Ogunde's movies. "He put a lot effort into his work because he loved theater", the curator explains. But there is no need for the explanation because every inch of every wall of every room in that house exudes passion and exquisite taste.
TVP Adventures: Our tour group with the Hubert Ogunde's Travelling Buses. Photo by Ibinabo Oyibo
Hubert Ogunde was a tall and built man, so the enormous statue in front of his house is no exaggeration. It shows him dressed up in the garb from one of his plays while beating a replica of the drum that no other person played in his lifetime. His cheek is punctured by a deep dimple and when he smiles, it deepens to reveal a gap in his front teeth. Ogunde was undeniably charming. When he was born in 1916 in the obscure Ososa town founded by his grandfather, there was no way of foreseeing his journey to becoming the grandfather of Nigerian drama. Despite only a total of seven years of formal primary education, he would eventually hone a command of English that exceeded university levels at that time. With Christian parents who revered traditional customs and demagogues, Ogunde grew up as an enthusiast of Nigerian folklore. Every profession in his life —first church organist then teacher then police officer, would become useful in creating the dramatist that he was. One day, a church in Lagos would sponsor the production of his first play and when he astonished the crowd of over 1000, his professional career in theater was born.
While he was a brilliant entertainer, his plays and dances addressed societal and political realities that were sometimes uncomfortable for the government. He was arrested and fined a number of times and even banned for years at a stretch. Sometimes, he would escape to nearby Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin) to escape the ban but never stopped performing with his troupe. A stint at a prestigious dance school in London enabled him incorporate folk-style dances in his plays. All of his influences are well documented in the museum and it is clear that whether it cost a mile or a million, Ogunde was never stingy with the quality of his productions. He was not wasteful though as he put every resource available to him to use, including his wives and children who were all integral parts of running the business. In fact, he saved much cost by filling much of his cast with family members.
At the museum, every single item has been painstakingly labelled and preserved for the public to learn from. Some of his personal clothes hang on the wall as they would have if he were alive while others are folded neatly in a wooden wardrobe. In his bedroom, there is a large bed — for a large man — and arm chairs surrounding the bed. Someone makes a joke about the need for Ogunde to have such a spacious bedroom and an unusually large bed, especially as the better part of one of the walls is adorned with a large family tree. Ogunde's seventeen wives and their children are pictured on the tree. "I am his grandson," our guide eventually confesses, as he points to his grandmother — Ogunde's first wife. The spacious bedroom opens up into two other rooms — one, a prayer room with enough chairs for him and his wives and floor space for his children, and the other room — a meditation room that allows breeze from the airy compound. His expensive film equipment are carefully preserved in another room while there are at least three rooms containing props, costumes and detailing full scenes from some of his popular plays and films. There are countless albums and magazines with dates as far back as the '60s. Old posters show that some of his plays cost 1 Pound and others cost 3 Naira; figures enough to evoke nostalgia. I am most fascinated by his dining room where awards adorn his show glasses and there are photos with interesting people such as a young Jide Kosoko and Adeyemi Afolayan whose sons have continued the advancement of Nigerian drama.
Hubert Ogunde with some of his wives.
Ogunde was a family man. It was important that all his wives could perform because the troupe needed them as much as he did. He would look for wives from nearby villages but never from Lagos where he lived for a long time. Throughout the museum, there is some indication as to who his favorites were — his documentary highlighted only a few women and some were exceptionally gifted actresses and dancers, making them most indispensable for the success of his troupe.
In the roll call of Nigerian museums, this one sits among the top. Even though Ogunde dies young, he lived a full and robust seventy four years and the museum is a spectacular reference to his legacy. It is indeed one of the historical treasures of Ogun State and will appeal to every Nigerian — whether or not they have a taste for art, theater or tourism. There is no doubt that Hubert Ogunde's charm lives on through this museum and his family deserves the praise for that. I must say that could easily be one of Ogun State's biggest potentials for tourism footfall.
Follow 'Funmi's discoveries, travel stories and guides on Instagram — @TVPAdventures. Send a DM to book one of our group tours or a custom itinerary. You can also book 'Funmi for a writing or travel expo opportunity.
NigeriaOgun StateTourismTravelNollywood
Writer. Explorer. Geographer. African. Woman. Experience Designer @ TVP Adventures
Tags:AFRICA, BLACK GIRLS, BLACK MAN IF YOU CAN HANDLE IT MARRY MORE THAN ONE SISTER!, BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK POLYGAMY, BLACK WOMEN, MARRIAGE, NIGERIA, POLYGAMY, POLYGAMY ENABLES ALL BLACK WOMEN TO HAVE A HUSBAND, POLYGAMY IS THE ANSWER TO THE BLACK WOMAN'S HUSBAND Problem
BLEACHING OOO!-BLACK PEOPLE OOO!-SAY NO TO SKIN BLEACHING!
http://bleachanddie.blogspot.com
Tags:AFRICA, BEAUTIFUL BLACK SKINNED MEN AND WOMEN-DO NOT BLEACH AND KILL YOURSELF SLOWLY WITH CANCER!, BLACK GIRLS, BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK PEOPLE DON'T BLEACH, BLACK WOMEN, BLEACHING, NIGERIA, skin cancer
BLACK SKINNED BEAUTIES WHEN GIRLS ARE ABUSED ATI OVERLOOKED!-BUT THIS FILM SHOOT DEALS WITH THAT!
Teenvogue.com
Creators' Circle is a fashion series that gives visionary young artists carte blanche to execute a photo shoot or art display —100 percent on their own terms.
Fashion is at its best when it's born from a desire to challenge, to represent, to honor, and to progress. As stylists, designers and photographers have demonstrated time and time again, fashion can be so much more than what we wear: it's a representation of how we see the world. Artists wield the power to empower and to represent the world as we'd like to see it — that's the magic of fashion.
Earlier this year, photographer Zoe Lawrence was scrolling through Instagram stories when she saw a post by her friend, Cienna, that she empathized with on a deeply personal level. "She posted something about her little sister [Halia] feeling inadequate and it brought me back to my own experience throughout grade school," says Zoe. "Black girls are are often overlooked, ignored and quieted, and we learn early on that we are not part of the standard for beauty. That can be damaging to an impressionable 12-year-old child."
Zoe reached out to Cienna via DM, explaining that she wanted to put together a photo shoot featuring Halia with the goal of showing her that her voice matters and that she is beautiful, despite what mainstream beauty standards propagate. Soon, the two were exchanging their own stories about growing up and dealing with colorism .
"I've spoken to other dark-skinned black girls about experiencing colorism and how it affected their self-confidence," says Zoe. "Cienna and I have both done our work to unlearn those harmful messages. What saved my self esteem was surrounding myself with black people. Black people are healing. Swapping experiences, opening up dialogues, building a community within your own community, keeping your allies close — these are all ways to combat anti-blackness."
And, of course, through art.
Materialized as a means of empowerment for Halia and to serve as a visual love letter for black girls, this photoshoot is the latest in our Creator's Circle series. Starring Halia and Cienna, it features designs from two clothing companies with black men and women at their helm. "This shoot was a chance for Halia to get dressed up in clothes she wouldn't normally wear and see herself in the media, specifically fashion photography," explains Zoe.
The standout denim and knitwear in the shoot are created by Los Angeles-based brand, No Sesso. The Italian name literally translates to "no sex/ gender." Founded by Pierre Davis in 2015, No Sesso is a community brand focused on "empowering people of all colors, shapes, and identities via fashion presentations, parties, educational activations, and more," according to their website. "I've walked in three of their runway shows — at this point they're family to me," says Zoe. "I always feel taken care of by them and feel a great sense of inspiration when I work with them."
Kenneth Nicholson brought the impeccably tailored menswear to the shoot. Having served in the United States Army, the designer is inspired by military dress and mixes its precise tailoring with other techniques and aesthetics he picked up during his global travels. "I fell in love with how detail oriented Kenneth is with his pieces," says Zoe. "I like to use brands that showcase black people in an refreshing way and I feel like both of these designers do a amazing job at showing how dynamic black people are."
The shoot toes the line between stately-cool family portraiture and a hazy fairy-like dreamworld — two very different concepts that somehow flow seamlessly into one another. At first glance, you probably wouldn't glean the weight of the message the project encapsulates. It's only once you hear the personal story behind it that it's importance and underlying themes really sink in. "Always keep in mind that the world's disdain for your skin isn't personal, it's political," concludes Zoe. "I hope young black girls can remember that sentiment the next time they catch themselves internalizing any form of anti-blackness." Ariana Marsh
Tags:A BLACK STANDARD OF BEAUTY BASED ON THE BLACK SKINNED W, AFRICA, BEAUTIFUL BLACK SKINNED MEN AND WOMEN-DO NOT BLEACH AND KILL YOURSELF SLOWLY WITH CANCER!, BLACK GIRLS, BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK RACE, BLACK SKINNED BEAUTIES, BLEACHING, CANCER, NIGERIA, skin
FARRAKHAN TELLS THIS BLACK HUSBAND THAT HIS WIFE IS LOOKING FOR AN ANGEL OOOO!-FANTASIA – A BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY!!
Check out @LouisFarrakhan's Twitter
https://twitter.com/LouisFarrakhan/status/1046924914182246405?s=09
Tags:AFRICA, BEAUTIFUL BLACK SKINNED MEN AND WOMEN-DO NOT BLEACH!, BEAUTY, BLACK GIRLS, BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK SKINNED BEAUTIES, BLACK SKINNED BEAUTIES ARE QUEEN MOTHERS OF ALL BEAUTY, BLACK SKINNED BEAUTIES ARE WINNING!, BLACK WOMEN, BLEACHING, DARK SKIN BEAUTIES, fantasia, NIGERIA
BLACK WOMEN OOOO!-"BACK WOMEN REALLY ARE….AN ARCHITECTURAL TRIUMPH…."-A POEM BY MENELIK CHARLES-FROM FACEBOOK
"BLACK WOMEN REALLY ARE…AN ARCHITECTURAL TRIUMPH…"-A POEM BY MENELIK CHARLES OOOO!-ON FACEBOOK
BY Menelik Charles
Black women really are…
An architectural triumph, aren't they? I mean, whether slim, medium or large, they consistently declare themselves the very model of what women of all races ought to look like…but don't.
Every time I do a status on Black women's aesthetic, sensuality or their physical form, I run the risk of sounding like a scratched record…well,
so shall it be.
If the mainstream media will not speak of their hallowed status then I sure-
as-hell will! There is much about Black women's attitude which is often quite repugnant…I get that.
But only a liar, a fool or a blind man would deny them (and all Black women) their true status as the world's most astonishingly beautiful women.
So yeah…the record maybe scratched
but I'll keep right on playing it!
(c) Menelik Charles.
Photography: Jafar M. Pierre
— with Akiko-Ayalla Cotton Cooks, Makeda Voletta, Shannon Shandingo White and 36 others.
Tags:AFRICA, African Americans, BEAUTY, Black beauty, BLACK GIRLS, BLACK MEN, BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK POETRY, BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY IS BACK ON TOP OF THE WORLD BEAUTY PYRAMID LIKE IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING!, BLACK WOMEN, BLACKS IN AMERIKKKA!, dark skinned beauties, POEMS, THE BLACK RACE
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BLACKEST SKIN BEAUTY CREATES COSMETICS.FOR US!=FROM LOLA SHORT ON FACEBOOK!!!
from lola short on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNowThisEntertainment%2Fvideos%2F1507612555966968%2F&show_text=0&width=400
Tags:BEAUTY, BLACK GIRLS, BLACK MEN, BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK SKINNED BEAUTIES QUEEN MOTHERS OF ALL BEAUTY, BLACK WOMEN, STOP BLEACHING OUR BEAUTIFUL BLACK SKIN AWAY
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