A Girl Like Me

Someone sent this postcard into post secret a few weeks ago and I saved it, cause I can relate, lol...and I think that picture is pretty hilarious!

But this whole concept has been on my mind a lot lately. The standards that are placed on beauty and how they all relate to being white, and having light skin, and long, tan legs, and straight hair, etc...

I never realized how detrimental it was to me for people to say things like "oh-he's cute for a black boy" or "you're such a pretty little black girl" But I've come to realize that I actually view myself and other black people this way. I think people just fail to realize how hurtful it can be when they say these things. ....but it comes down to the fact that I look at myself the way other girls look at themselves and their beauty...and I can't do that, because I'm not the same. I have a different body shape, different skin, different hair, different culture....

I never even realized how important it would be to me to meet someone who looked like me, just in church for instance. I mean think about...you walk around(I know people aren't clones are anything) but people look like you. I look around my surrounding at church, or class, or work... and most of the time and no one looks like me. I don't even know how to describe it, but just think about being in a room full of black people. You know you stick out, you know people notice you, you know some people probably wonder where you came from...


Proverbs 31:30Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
I realize this is the only standard I should hold myself to....I'm getting there ;)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17fEy0q6yqc
Interesting video...made by some high school girls

response to question about how children pick up these cues: where does all of this come from? it's all around them...they look at tv and they see blond-headed barbies, and other white baby dolls...they see white children playing with these white dolls and everybody is happy. it's all about assoication, b/c that is all they can do at that age. they go to school and they are taught that the colors black and white are referenced to good and bad. it takes a concious effort for the parent of a black child to instill a positive self-image. that is why so much energy is taken to find dolls and toys and books that"look like" black children. it's the premise behind the disney princesses. little black girls see these characters, and they simply can't relate b/c none look like them. so they conclude that they have to look like them to get prince charming, or live in the big palace or whatever. it's a sad state of mind, but that's the way it is.

I've had this post saved as a draft for a while and I've deleted lots of it...cause I dont even know how to describe what I'm trying to say...I guess there is just no way too...