We Can't Get Enough Of #BlackGirlMagic
Times are constantly changing. Beauty standards are slowly becoming more diverse in color, shape, size, and everything else in between. We're learning to appreciate people for their complexities and what makes them unique, instead of telling them they all have to look like different versions of the same exact person.
However, this is all extremely new and the world is still in need of improvement in the beauty standards aisle. That's what #BlackGirlMagic is all about: black women embracing their beauty and talents in a world that told them they couldn't. It's all about black women reclaiming who they are instead of complying with euro-centric standards.
Amy Juicebox of Blavity wrote about the world before #BlackGirlMagic. She says, "We continued to shape-shift, adopt and adapt to societal norms. We relaxed our hair to tame it down. We lightened our skin to be fairer. We, kind of like Elsa in Frozen, hid our magic — we hid it under foundation that didn’t quite match."
Most of us grew up in a world where all of our Barbie dolls and all of our favorite cartoon characters were white. Black girls didn't have the representation they so desperately craved. Now, black barbie dolls are becoming the norm, black women are slaying everything from fashion, to athletics, to science, and you can see a little cartoon black girl on mainstream TV shows.
#BlackGirlMagic is all about black women taking back their identity in a world that tried to take it away. Black girls: magical, beautiful, unique.
You can read more on the subject here:
#BlackGirlMagic: Serena and Venus Williams giving us all something to look up to.
#BlackGirlMagic: being confident in your skin.
#BlackGirlMagic: showing the world what you're made of.
#BlackGirlMagic: Embracing your melanin.
#BlackGirlMagic: making the world a better place for black women of the future.
#BlackGirlMagic: COMING OUT WITH A BOOK. (We can't wait for this.)
#BlackGirlMagic: Being happy & strong in a harsh world.
#BlackGirlMagic: Effortlessly slaying the cover of a fashion magazine.
As Amy Juicebox says, "But still, why magic? Because what else do you call it when you live in a place that devalues your very existence but still manage to rise? How else do you explain the grace of our elders — our aunties, our grannies — despite all they’ve been through and seen in their lifetimes? Who else can weather the storms from outside and within and age like we do?"
How do you show the world your #BlackGirlMagic?
