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What Is Beauty?

Understanding the concept of Black beauty.

Ryann Flynn
Dec 06, 2016
Georgia State University
10
What Is Beauty?
Ryann Flynn

What is Beauty?

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

But what if you do not have a beholder

Where does the beauty come from?

Who decides?


Is it your hair?

The long length

The softness

The straight strands


Is it your eyes?

The blue, hazel, green

Glistening in the sun

Admired

Loved


Is it your nose?

The slim bridge

The pointed tip

The small, circular nostrils


No.


In this world, beauty means white

The standards are low

The expectations are the same


You see, for black folks

Beauty is looking like you

Beauty is having Eurocentric features


The slim nose

The straight hair

The blue eyes

The light skin


In order to be beautiful

You must be extraordinary

They only love us for our bodies

They only fetishize us for being exotic

“Jungle Fever” as they would say


Fawning over one because of ethnic possibilities

Ignoring and hurting the other because of midnight skin blues


Slowly we must realize

We as a race is beautiful


Our hair is good

Our nose is lovely

Our skin is radiant

Our eyes are divine


Do not let white voices cancel your views

Do not let white voices harm the truth


We are beauty

We are grace

Because we built the United States


We are strong

We are daring

We are smart

We are caring


Let’s continue to have them shook

Let’s continue to have them imitate

Let’s continue to watch them fail


The copies will dissolve

The originals will move on


So, what is Beauty?

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

But what if you do not have a beholder

Where does the beauty come from?

Who decides?


We decide


Beauty is our eyes,

Beauty is our lives,

Beauty is our stance,

Beauty is our dance,


Beauty is the way our hair curls,

Beauty is the way our hips sway,

Beauty is the way our skin is different,

Beauty is the way our hearts flutter,


To be beautiful means to be you

To be beautiful means to find self-love

To be beautiful is to follow your own vice

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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