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Tokira Labady

Mrs.Douglas

English 112

April 3,2017

Beauty?Who defines it?

In America there are 42.6 million African Americans and of the 42.6 million, 23.5 million are

African American females. Which leaves room for 23.5 million women getting exposed to a

world where their sisters and or friends and family can be degraded. All of those women come in

different shades of brown, and of these 23 million women not all will be fully accepted for their

own skin,hair and body. Colorism is an issue that has not been fully eradicated, now it is swept

under the rug as an issue no one wants or cares to talk about.Colorism is the practice of

mistreatment when one with darker skin are treated at a lower regard than one with lighter skin.

However colorism is issue that not only the world practices but trickles into the Black

community which leads many women to doubt themselves and develop low confidence because

of what society has brainwashed them to be acceptable.

Black women are generally vulnerable to the effects of European standards of beauty

because these standards emphasize skin colors and hair types that exclude

black women, especially those of darker color. A review constructed of the research shows

European standards have negative ripple that can have life long impacts on Black women life,

the darker and black women's skin is the more they are to relate to this concept sometimes this

concept can also lead to psychological damage such as self-hate. Through a social perspective

these Eurocentric standards are primarily seen in family, peers, the media, society, and self-

perception these are the primary social groups that cause the European standards to take effect.
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When your average black woman is exposed to these standards at a young age they would start

to doubt the importance of ones own culture and eventually that doubt leads to transformation

and conformation. Black women since a young age seeing the amount of acceptance that the

European culture is getting it is only natural that eventually, they would want to change their

appearance like to what seems to be more accepting. After transforming

ones own appearance after a period of time they start to conform their thought process

to make it seem like they are of the culture rather than their own distinct culture.

How much freedom of expression does an individual woman have with her

regard to her own personal sense of beauty? Beauty, as most would say, is in the eye of

the beholder that being said it can be inferred that there many different definitions to

what someone thinks is beautiful or pleasing to the eye so to say. Most seen by society beauty

standards are commonly predicated on how others perceive social norms, like on the media,

trends in fashion, and lastly cultural traditions. Personal beauty is also greatly impacted by ones

own view of personal beauty. In other words, a black womans beauty can be beheld by others or

by oneself.

When it comes to hair, all women can relate no matter the race all women

agonize how to wear it. The American experience has produced a unique struggle for

African American women to create their unique beauty aesthetic. However, Hair type is one of

the still present roadblocks in the journey of creating and more accepted Society of acceptance of

all color shades shape of people and sizes end hair textures, hair texture is one of the remaining

stumbling blocks on this journey to create an aesthetic that embodies every color, shape, size,

and texture. This subject is commonly a dispute with in politics and emotional implications.
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Most African Americans often find themselves questioning what their hair types have anything to

do with anything, how often do you see different cultures wear their hair in an afro like a black

woman would? It is the details in cultures that make them different.

One of the reasons why black women trying to live up to or being pressured by

European standards became an issue is because these are standards not of their own

culture. Not to say that there is anything wrong with other cultures, but wouldnt it be

best to feel completely confident in ones own culture before exploring and delving into

others. The problem lies in the fact that Eurocentric beauty seems to be more accepted

than black beauty. The question we need to ask is who did we allow to make that

decision? This problem started with slavery and is still an ongoing issue.

One of the best examples one could give would be the doll test. Psychologists

Kennie and Mamie Clark how conducted this experiment using dolls of different colors

to view, the young African Americans view on racial perception. This is not to

target the European culture, but to bring to light that this is a topic that is still in effect

today. Even though it is true that African American women have found a common

ground for confidence in ones own looks and culture the European Culture has still

been upheld in modern practices of todays society.

Many people today recognize the importance of projecting a professional image

and a positive demeanor. However, in society today we are well aware of social science research

that women are and have been for a very long time been a minority and this issue is still present

in today's society. What makes this hard is that due to the negative stereotypes of the black

culture and being a black woman on top of that is that apparently there are still some standards
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that we still have to see nearly every day. Gender alone creates a double-bind for women who are

making decisions about their grooming and appearance in the social place.

One way that is certain to put a stop to these forced standards is to stop

comparing cultures that have no business being compared in the first place. It is true

that we may have all been born with different backgrounds or culture, but we are all

human first. It is not my intention to target other cultures and make the African American

culture play victim, but this merely touching upon the elephant that has been in the

room for quite some time now. The social norms and trends is what makes this a hard

obstacle to get past whether the pressure of these standards are intentional or not.

Images have been marketed of what beauty is supposed to be like in order not to be considered

beautiful. Black women are not the only group of women who are adversely

affected by this standard. However, The unique features a black woman possesses in America

mainstream Beauty culture has misconstrued it and created a negative connotation for it such as

interconnected violence of slavery and normal beauty standards.Supposing affirmation of

European beauty in America, there has been a counterculture That constantly battles the idea that

a Eurocentric beauty is the only beauty worth recognition. Through the course of history, it has

been found that black women are eager and excited to talk about their own culture and ready to

delve deeper into it.

Women have constantly been given alternate facts especially black women that have

falsely been presented their entire life with the concept that the world only values you off of your

looks.Hair and skin color have been included as social criterion for success in ones professional

and personal life. Beauty, however, must be understood as socially constructed and an

an important source of womens oppression. It may be unintentional at this point, but that is
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exactly what these European standards do, they oppress the feeling of pride and joy in

ones own culture. Even though day by day black women feel more comfortable in their

own skin and grow to love themselves it is still difficult when these standards are

surrounding you.
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Work cited

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"Black Children, White Preference: Brown v. Board, the Doll Tests, and the Politics of

Self-Esteem." American Quarterly 61.2 (2009): 299,332,423. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Jose Nadine. "Cultural Knowledge, Cultural Identity, Self-Esteem, and Intercultural Interaction."

Order No. 3219068 Carlos Albizu University, 2005.

Sekayi, Dia. "Aesthetic Resistance to Commercial Influences: The Impact of the Eurocentric

Beauty Standard on Black College Women*." The Journal of Negro Education 72.4 (2003): 467-

77. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Color-Blind Ideology and the Cultural Appropriation of Hip-Hop Jason Rodriquez.Journal of

Contemporary Ethnography Vol 35, Issue 6, pp. 645 - 668

Oney, Christina N., Elizabeth R. Cole, and Robert M. Sellers. "Racial Identity and Gender as

Moderators of the Relationship between Body Image and Self-Esteem for African Americans."

Sex Roles 65.7-8 (2011): 619-31. ProQuest. Web. 20 Ma

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