Quintessence Magazine*

millions of black women in ability to successfully resolve North America. The constant or deal with life circumstances. “Why Are depiction of being irate and The physical of black unpredictable has caused many womens suppressed emotion women of colour to suffer in are also very telling. In 2006 it You So silence in fear of their was shown that 32% African emotions may be taken as American woman suffered anger. According to Thomas from hypertension compared to and González women on 24% of caucasian women and Mad? colour most often have feelings 25% of African American Since the dawn of of powerlessness because of males. Only 51% of African time black women have always racial and gender biases as well American Woman reported had the same nagging question as increase of volume and very good/excellent health constantly repeated at them. everyone comes running while 63% caucasian women The minute an ounce of asking”Why are you so mad?” reported excellent health. agitation is sensed or the Black woman have Oppositely 19% of African slightest and is still a popular been portrayed as sassy, American women claimed to cliché in popular shows like attitude giving, neck rolling, have poor health while 12% of Lee Daniels Empire.There emasculating creatures for at caucasian women reported to even reality tv shows based on least eighty years limited have fair to poor health. lives of these like Love and access to resource. These So what needs to be Hip-Hop and The real feelings are then internalized done to dispel the angry black Housewives of Atlanta. The and because black women are woman narrative?The solution long history of this controlling supposed to be the pillar of is to allow black women to image much like anything strength and endurance there is express their emotions and involving race goes back to the an expectation that they must feelings free of judgment and Jim Crow Era. cope with the situation. Black scrutiny. One black women Initially black female women often feel they are feel they are able to express workers were portrayed as unable to express frustration or themselves freely any quick witted, tough, with a anger because of social fears of environment just like anyone whole lot of attitude from the being labeled as well as the else with the internalized 1800s to the mid 1900s in cultural expectation of being feelings of inadequacy and order to show the general strong and independent. The powerlessness will be able public the segregation and lack of expression often leads diminish.Secondly black slavery as a whole was not as black women to suffer women must feel like they are bad and oppressive. If black internally with health able to seek adequate female help and slaves were problems, stress and depression professional help by those they able to have such attitudes and and they may have internalized feel will be able to understand freedom to speak to their white thoughts of inadequateness the full scope of their owners or employers. It was because they are- unable to experiences of both racism and used to show that these black handle a situation. sexism. If they do not women were accepted and part Stereotyping all black understood by clinical of the family therefore their women as angry passses the professionals they may not free speech was warranted. judgement that the struggles seek help because they are This was at a time when a that these women face unable to relate to their specific person of colour could be everyday as trivial and circumstances of beaten, jailed or even killed for insignificant. It result in a intersectionality. arguing, talking back or even misinterpretation and alteration looking wrongly at a white for their actual feeling and person. The tactic was in experiences. It dehumanizes essence to divert peoples and silences women of colour attention of what was really by blaming them for their b happening with a false image experiences of both sexism and of acceptance and harmonious racism.They are denied or living. given limited access to The real life resources because their consequences of such a frustration is taken as anger negative stereotype have and as a result often leaves greatly affected the lives of black women with reduced I’m Black and Not Beautiful Jessica Akintomide All too often black women are made to had “good” loose curly and fine “bad” thick and seem as the “beast” when it comes to their bodies coarse hair. Thing like this are not only just skin and appearances. Whether it be Michelle Obama, a deep they are also linked to things like beautiful dark skinned woman being called and employability. On average women who are more “ape in heels”, or Serena Williams who has a body likely to be employed rather than a woman who that anyone would wish for all being called a man. embraces her natural coils. Back in 1988 there was For Black women and especially those who are a highly publicized incident where a black woman darker skinned, society's obsession for eurocentric was fired because she had worn her hair i braids. features and white beauty standards often leaves Her supervisors deemed the hair style “ extreme them being seen as ugly and unattractive. Like all and unusual”. that have to do with race there is a root in slavery, The all to popular line that many darker there has always been an obsession with black skinned women hear “ You’re pretty for a dark bodies and often mocking the features of black skinned girl” is probably the most damaging. For women. For centuries black women's bodies have many women with darker skin the realities of these been seen as abnormal and extra-ordinary because eurocentric ideals suffer the most “ studies suggest it was so outside what white people had ever seen. that black girls with darker skin may be more The full figure, thick hair and plump lips were so vulnerable than their lighter-skin peers to negative abnormal for many that black women would often messages from the media about be on display and mocked by white members of their physical appearance and attractiveness, which society. Fast forward to the 1950s with the Brown can lead to long-term risky behaviors” says Susan vs. The Board of education case and the fight for Bryant. The lack of representation for darker desegregation in schools. Dr Kenneth Clark skinned women in positive roles in televisions and conducted the influential doll test in which he ge movies gives young black girls no roles models in got a sample group black children aged between six which they can see themselves in. Darker skinned and nine. He presented the children with two dolls, women are often portrayed as unattractive, one white and the other black and asked them a belligerent and lacking sensuality by many popular series of question and statements like “Give me the shows and movies even today. These negative doll that looks like you”. Astonishingly 44% of images are then internalized by both dark skinned black children believed that they looked like the women who will grow to see themselves as white doll rather than the black one. The study has unattractive and unwanted but also by the rest of been re-done over again in recent years with very the population who may view darker skinned little change. Many young black girl aspire to the women as undesirable. beauty of white women which is incredibly So what can be done to help show the problematic “These consequences may be diversity in beauty for not only black black women particularly problematic for but every minority group. The lack of positive Black women who aspire to a White standard of imagery and role models for young black girls to beauty because the standard is look up has serious negative impacts when it comes difficult to achieve due to physiognomic to self worth and perception. There needs to be differences” say Makker and Strude. Black women more representation of something other that thin result into dangerous practices in order to achieve white women so that people will be able to find whiteness through skin bleaching with cancer beauty in other features and aspect of what is in causing chemicals and especially through perming society. When one face is constantly being pushed and relaxing hair which is sadly a large business in as beauty it gives no opportunities for other many countries. features characteristics, and bodies to be seen as Chemically altering their hair texture is beautiful. There not only has to be a societal one of the most predominant steps that many black change there needs to be a change within black women take in order to fit the flowing, and straight homes. There needs to be constant reassurance for hair or white women.Many black women reject black girls especially darker skinned girls that their their natural hair texture because of the internalized features are beautiful and they there is no chemical self hate that exists within them. For many black on this earth that can emulate a black girls girl from a young age they are told whether that magic.The black community must see the beauty in every 4C stand and every drop of melanin that has been poured upon them ““pride in the race is taught and stressed, . [but] admiration and success seems to be accorded to those, who have adapted their lives and looks to the majority standard” and that is is what exactly need to be changed. There must be self love for one's features whether it be a wide set nose or large kinky afro, self love must be place in ones on features and communities so that the cycle of european beauty standards being the pinnacle of break to end.

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