Featured Life as a Black Girl

Life As a Black Girl: Dark Skinned, Nappy Headed, Broad Nosed Black Girl

By:Obria Shaw

In today’s society a non-African American female may look through our window and see progress. They will see us glorified on social media for our melanin and tightly coiled 4c hair textures. They will see endless collages of females embracing their heritage like they are proud of every imperfection that graces their bodies.

But what happens when you close your Twitter app and when you log off of Instagram? How do you feel about your dark skin when the guy you flirt with tells you that he only dates light skinned females? How does it make you perceive yourself as a light skinned woman when everyone around you is following the new trend that dark skin is now winning? What occurs when you look in the mirror and you don’t see an Instagram collage, but the rejection of someone’s affection?

Don’t misunderstand me, the newfound love for the Black woman is enlightening and empowering. It is such a stimulant to log on to social media accounts such as the Twitter account @MyBlackMatters and see a woman enriched with melanin as a representative of beauty, but if we don’t already have a sense of appreciation for ourselves, the attempt will not reach us. The love for oneself starts from within; it is an emotional, yet beautiful journey that transforms the perception and changes the woman in the mirror.

I was once a dark skinned, nappy headed, broad nosed Black girl. My mom always told me I was pretty, but the moment I stepped out of the threshold of her ruling, I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t be pretty. I did not have a perm so whipping my hair as I walked down the street was completely out of the question, and my dark skin made me invisible.

Getting a second glance from a male was like waiting for pigs to fly; it was not happening. I grew very comfortable in the “one of the guys” role or even the “we can talk, but never date” role because I felt as though it was the best I would ever get. There were many nicknames about my nose that spreads wide across my face and my abundance of hair that could not be tamed by any straightening comb or flat iron. Silent tears were the least of my pain; it was the conditioning of mind that caused the most damage. I was conditioned to feel mediocre about being a Black Woman.

In retrospect, my journey began the moment I accepted mediocrity because it was reluctant. I knew this could not be the end goal for my self-esteem, but conforming seemed like the only option, so that is what I did. I cursed my natural coils, and straightened them weekly as if the flat iron would remove all traces of my “imperfect” identity. I changed my clothing choices and demeanor to finally make my way to being “pretty for a black girl” or “cute to be chocolate”. One of those so-called compliments served as the highlight of my existence, and I strived daily to be seen that way.

The realization began to seep when keeping up with the façade proved to be too much and impossible. I could not even glance at moisture without my hair reverting back to its original state, and the summer heat only made my skin darker which took previous compliments to disgust and only described by the adjective “burned”.

I could not go back to square one because I was so far removed from that girl, but I did not know where I could go from this point. It was an insecurity that crept into every aspect of my life and began to dictate my actions. At this point in my journey, the turning point was right around the corner.

The moment I began asking questions, was the moment I began to love myself. Why didn’t I see beauty in myself without the “enhancements”? Why did I desire the recognition of people that didn’t even appreciate the woman behind the nappy hair and dark skin? Why wasn’t I trying to explore the woman that I was becoming instead of the woman I thought they would like? Why didn’t I listen to my mama? The answers to these questions were not simple, nor did they just appear overnight, but they were thought provoking? These questions forced me to explore myself, and decide whether the recognition from others was more important than how I felt about myself.

I soon found myself dealing with internal issues that were defining how I perceived myself on the outside. I became happier with the woman I was, which allowed me to see myself with new eyes. Appreciating my struggles and breakthrough allowed me to look at my nappy bush as a symbol of my story. My 4c coils are evident of a survivor, because despite the flat ironing, damaging, cutting, and despising; my coils will always revert to their true being, just as I have.

Raw beauty cannot be tainted; altered temporarily, but never eradicated. My dark skin holds melanin that glows without lighting, which is in direct correlation with the woman I am, and am becoming. No matter how dark my story may be, it holds an innate beauty that cannot be explained or dulled.

The journey to self-love and appreciation began with the nature of reluctance towards accepting something less than greatness. It took a strong sense of understanding self before I could truly look in the mirror and be proud and happy of the woman that stared back at me. Yet, it was a journey that has shaped me into the woman that I am today. Instagram pictures and twitter collages praising the black woman now are not taunting, but refreshing. I look at those women and know that I am one of them. I was once a dark skinned, nappy headed, broad nosed, Black girl and I am a dark skinned, nappy headed, broad nosed, beautiful, proud Black woman.

Sort by:   newest | oldest | most voted
Guest
Frederique
8 years 9 months ago

This is beautiful, thank you for this.

Guest
Anonymous
8 years 9 months ago

Powerful message

Guest
Anonymous
8 years 9 months ago

Thank you so much for this post… I’m 17, just graduated high school and it is hard to love yourself in a world so evil towards black women. Reading this just made my whole day. Thank you so much again.

Guest
Anonymous
8 years 9 months ago

Very inspiring and motivating for black women and men …. you know the true meaning of self beauty and being fearfully and wonderfully created

Guest
Joyce Shaw
8 years 9 months ago

You are our beautiful miracle!

Love,
Mommy

Guest
Anonymous
8 years 9 months ago

I was very touched by this. I’ve been told Im too dark and I should do something with my hair for so long it hurt. But once I stopped listening I felt free and I love myself a lot more

Guest
Anonymous
8 years 9 months ago

Thank you so much for this.

Guest
Anonymous
8 years 9 months ago

Beautiful Sis. Thank you for sharing your story. Peace and Love unto you!

Guest
Arsha L.
8 years 9 months ago

This is honestly such a great article. I just disagree with the part that talks about light-skinned women feeling down because darker ones are “winning”. With lighter skin being more glorified, I don’t see how it’s wrong to uplift a skin color that seems to be the least preferred. I know that they both black but darker skin just isn’t as preferred. It’s great regardless how darker skin is starting to be seen as much more beautiful that before.

Guest
Mimi Shavon
8 years 8 months ago

I definitely agree. I’m a light skin lady and I love to see how dark skin women are being uplifted now. It just makes me so happy. It’s like black women as a whole is winning. I always hate when I hear people say someone is cute for a dark skin woman. So yea… I couldn’t agree any more

Guest
Anonymous
8 years 8 months ago

This is a great piece! Keep writing!!

Guest
sonia
8 years 8 months ago

Excellent writing..most of us naturally sun tanned beauties with tightly curled hair have walked this same road to self appreciation..no matter your genesis this journey is mandatory for us all…our beginning, up bringing just determines where we land…forever hating who we are, and developing into a powerful, intelligent, successful person with low-self esteem or a power filled, strong, confident, beautiful woman with loads of self appreciation and worth..quiet as it’s kept confidence is the quality that will attract…our light skinned sisters have been told by outside influence that they are “pretty” while darker skinned sisters.were not, or at least not… Read more »

Guest
Anonymous
8 years 8 months ago

Very inspirational and moving , thank you!

Guest
Anonymous
8 years 5 months ago

Love you for this!! Thank you so much ?

Guest
8 years 4 months ago

This is Sarabi Cornish and I attended school with the author of this article and she always inspired to to embrace my natural beauty, she was a role model to me in school and I never got a chance to let her know

Guest
8 years 2 months ago

Very uplifting article I’m learning to love my skin and my coily hair. I would like to see both light skin and dark skin women come together I hate the divide over something so silly as the color of our skin. We are all beautiful.

Guest

[…] 1, 2015 Featured • Life as a Black […]

Guest
7 years 11 months ago

I absolutely love this. xoxoxo

Guest
Fable S.OM
7 years 9 months ago

Deep powerful insight. A refreshing perspective & I loved how the author came to see & love herself for who she is.

Guest

THIS IS AMAZING AND TOO RARE AND SOOO WONDERFUL, THANK YOU FOR WRITING, IM WEEPING!

Guest
N
7 years 4 months ago

so inspiring. thank you so much for this

Guest
Anonymous
7 years 4 months ago

I love this!

Guest
7 years 4 months ago

Just wow! this is perfection

Guest
Anonymous
7 years 3 months ago

May whosoever has increased the self esteem of every brown girl be esteemed too.

Guest
You are beautiful
6 years 8 months ago

You are amazing !

Guest

I like the efforts you have put in this, thank you for all the great content.

Guest
3 years 2 months ago

Google

The facts mentioned within the post are a number of the best offered.

Guest
3 years 2 months ago

Google

Very few websites that take place to become detailed beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly very well worth checking out.

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

Winrun

[…]Here is a great Blog You might Discover Intriguing that we Encourage You[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

best broker for loan

[…]that could be the end of this write-up. Here you will obtain some sites that we consider you will value, just click the links over[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

샌즈카지노

[…]The info mentioned inside the write-up are a few of the top out there […]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

SOUR DIESEL DANK VAPES

[…]The information and facts talked about within the report are a few of the very best accessible […]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

우리카지노

[…]usually posts some extremely interesting stuff like this. If you’re new to this site[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

메리트카지노

[…]here are some hyperlinks to web-sites that we link to since we assume they’re really worth visiting[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

퍼스트카지노

[…]the time to read or take a look at the content or web-sites we’ve linked to beneath the[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

Dank Vapes

[…]one of our visitors not too long ago advised the following website[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

AnaGlobal

[…]the time to study or go to the material or internet sites we’ve linked to below the[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

click here

[…]Every once in a when we choose blogs that we read. Listed beneath are the most up-to-date web pages that we select […]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

cargo holidays

[…]the time to study or check out the content or web sites we’ve linked to below the[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

best cbd oil

[…]very couple of internet sites that occur to become detailed below, from our point of view are undoubtedly nicely really worth checking out[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

cbd near me

[…]one of our visitors recently recommended the following website[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

best cbd oil for anxiety

[…]usually posts some really fascinating stuff like this. If you’re new to this site[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

best cbd for dogs

[…]we came across a cool internet site that you simply could possibly enjoy. Take a look if you want[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

best cbd gummies

[…]always a huge fan of linking to bloggers that I like but really don’t get a whole lot of link appreciate from[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

cbd oil for dogs

[…]check beneath, are some entirely unrelated web sites to ours, even so, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

best cbd for dogs

[…]Every the moment inside a even though we select blogs that we study. Listed beneath would be the most current websites that we decide on […]

Guest

workouts to get better at sex

[…]Sites of interest we have a link to[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

best cbd gummies

[…]Sites of interest we have a link to[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

Sphynx Kittens for sale

[…]check beneath, are some entirely unrelated websites to ours, nevertheless, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]

Guest

rent house website in singapore

[…]the time to study or take a look at the content or internet sites we’ve linked to below the[…]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

p spot massagers

[…]Every the moment in a whilst we pick blogs that we read. Listed beneath are the newest web sites that we opt for […]

Guest
3 years 1 month ago

red maeng da kratom

[…]one of our guests a short while ago encouraged the following website[…]

wpDiscuz