Black is beautiful
It later spread beyond the United States, most prominently in the writings of the Black Consciousness Movement of Steve Biko in South Africa.
It affirms the beauty of Black people's natural features, such as their variety of skin colors, hair styles and textures, as well as physical characteristics.
Research indicates that the idea of blackness being ugly is highly damaging to the psyche of African Americans, manifesting itself as internalized racism.
[6] This idea made its way into black communities themselves[7] and led to practices such as paper bag parties: social events which discriminated against dark-skinned African Americans by only admitting lighter-skinned individuals.
For example, in Maya Angelou's iconic autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" (1969), she explores her journey of self-discovery and acceptance of her own physical appearance, reclaiming her blackness as beautiful.
In "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf" by Ntozake Shange (1975), this groundbreaking choreopoem combines poetry, music, and dance to depict the lives of black women.
The main attractions of the pageant were the Grandassa Models, who were a group of local activists turned models within Harlem made up of Clara Lewis, Black Rose, Helene Nomsa Brath, Priscilla Bardonille, Mari Toussaint, Esther Davenport, Wanda Sims, Beatrice Cramston, and Jean Gumbs.
Even in Black magazines such as Ebony, models were expected to be light-skin and wear designs and brands created by white people.
The Grandassa Models, along with Kwame and his brother, Elombe Brathe, essentially helped to popularize the term “Black is Beautiful” following the major success of their creation and caused it to evolve from a fashion show into a mainstream movement to honor Afro-centric culture and features.
Business mogul and megastar Rihanna cited Kwame's photos of the Grandassa Models as the inspiration for her initial Fenty collection, which released in 2019, stating "When I was coming up with the concept for this release, we were just digging and digging and we came up with these images – they made me feel they were relevant to what we are doing right now[16]..." The movement focused on natural hairstyles such as the “Afro”.
More brands began to widen the lipstick, powder, foundation, and blush shades in order to cater to darker skin tones.
Advertisements for products enhancing and celebrating natural hairstyles and afros featured black men, women, children, families, and couples.
[19] James Brown ditched his conk, a popular straightened hairstyle worn by African American men,[20] for an afro after releasing “Say It Loud - I’m Black And I’m Proud!” Marcus Garvey, a political activist once said “Don’t remove the kinks from your hair!
Kathleen Cleaver, an activist and former spouse to the early leader of the Black Panther Party, also wore her hair in an afro.
In 1971, the Philadelphia Commission on Human Rights received complaints from black women that got fired or sent home for the wearing their natural afro at work.
A drawing of her titled “A Pair of Broad Bottoms”,[2] was created to recognize her larger exterior in the presence of the wealthy, bigger rich men.
Nicknamed the “Hottentot Venus”, she was widely recognized and sought out by viewers for her shows, which saw her dancing and playing various instruments to garner attention for herself.
[4] This picture remains an iconic photo that resembles the many phallocentric shapings of black women, heavily depicted throughout the history of music, television, and now into mainstream media as it continues to grow.
[6] Artist Robert Mapplethorpe was often chastised for the portrayal of the black body in obscene gestures and images visualized to the public.
Due to the fact that whiteness was the goal for many black people when finding a partner they would look for someone who could provide them with lighter skinned kids.
By promoting messages of self-love and self-acceptance, the movement sought to counteract the self-hate that had been ingrained in black communities for years.
Through social media and other online platforms, individuals are able to share their stories and experiences, and to celebrate the diversity and richness of black culture.
By rejecting harmful societal hierarchies based on skin color, the movement is helping to build a more inclusive and equitable society for all.
The exploitation of Baartman & others took interest in the black community, opening the discussion to challenge beauty standards among races and cultures alike.
He said, “There was lots of controversy because we were protesting how, in Ebony magazine, you couldn’t find an ebony girl.”[28] Naturally '62, a fashion show designated in New York, had featured black women that decided to repel against Western beauty standards; instead deciding to represent themselves and natural hair in the wake of a new outcry for black representation.
[29] The beauty system, during this time, mostly appealed towards European standards that valued lighter skin and straightened hair that sold more towards white audiences than others.
Muscular body, shirtless, and tattoos were often associated with attractiveness and masculinity in black men, often being commodified for toxic traits more than any other culture.
