Black Health: Black Ph(F)at – Big or Beautiful
The first installment of the Black Health topic focuses on the idea of Black beauty and how it effects the Black Community.
The 3 Questions
1. Is Our perspective of beauty unhealthy?
2. Is Our perspective of beauty tainted by the media, i.e. movies, magazines?
3. Does Our version of beauty play into the stereotype of Black people being hyper-sexual?
FRONT STREET
Most Black men have no problems with a woman with curves and bumps and Black women have even fewer complaints with their figure. Our version of what is sexually stimulating in general has differed from the euro-centric version of beauty and are rarely seen on the magazines in our supermarkets. However, much like the euro-centric version of beauty, Our shapes can be viewed as harmful to both the body and the mind of Our people. Are We putting too much into this idea or is Our version of beauty helping to contribute to the destruction of the Black Community?
Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked. These question and more will be addressed during the discussion found on YouTube beginning on x/xx/20xx.
1. Is our perspective of beauty unhealthy?
I think that the shape and size of what we as Black people love is fine, however I believe that the way that it is exploited is unhealthy specifically for Black women. For instances, if a black woman is thick, I believe that she is encouraged to show off her assets in a promiscuous fashion thus the huge surge in popularity of becoming a stripper or at least having some stripper to you.
2. Is our perspective of beauty tainted by the media, i.e. movies, magazines?
Yes and No. Nothing is more frustrating to me then to see the Hollywood version of beauty and how it is forced upon our Black youth, specifically Black women. When I go to the supermarket and see these magazine covers of these skinny, pale, women it infuriates me. I feel that through colonization and the continued dominance of “western” culture over the world from the perspective of standards of conduct through standards of beauty, that the Eurocentric form of beauty is seen as the only form of beauty. If an Indian/Korean/Chinese so on and so on don’t bring home someone from their own race, white is usually the next step. To me the reason for this has been the brainwashing of the world’s population into believing that beauty is a tall thin pale women or man with blondish hair and blue eyes. So to the question, I’m sure there are some brothas and sistas that are affected by this and I also believe that we as a people love us too.
3. Does our version of beauty play into the stereotype of Black people being hyper-sexual?
Yes and no. I think that Black people are beautiful and that is something that can’t be helped. The fact that we come in such variety makes us desirable no matter what your standards of beauty are. However, because of the thickness of our thighs, and lips, and hips, and the physically beautiful structure of us we can’t help but be seen as fantasy in some instances.