Before I go into this article I want you to ask yourself a deep question, who is the beholder of MY beauty? Prior to my stroke of enlightenment I was into making my image match to those of what I was conditioned into thinking "this is the look that makes me acceptable to society". I've had the learning experience of modeling for 15+ years and my appearance was always important, constantly wearing weaves and at one point I tried skin bleaching for experimental purposes. When I looked at the magazines and video models or even television showed the reflection of what they wanted me to think I should look like as a natural black woman. Which always appeared to be the total opposite of my content as an African/ Native American woman, and for the most part to being on the cover of a magazine required me to look the part of what they find acceptable the sleek straight hair, curly, or permed high yellow red bone with nice boobs and voluptuous curves. Even the petite models had a certain look that they had to maintain to grace the covers. In the course of time I had to reflect on not only all the money I was putting into looking like someone else but also WHO am I really trying to be? and I hated my hair for no reason because it was strong, thick, and kinky. I thought about how many natural black women I really see on magazines and certainly did my research, nothing shocked me about how something I was never really used to seeing was never there to encourage me to embrace what the good LORD had given me "Good Strong Hair". I realize I wanted to burn it chemically straight, hide it under a wig, intertwine it with someone else s hair to make the fit. All the while I'm losing MYSELF and my money in in something I was already blessed with "originality". So I asked myself why in the hell would I want to copy someone Else's image to make myself worthy of acceptance. I am who I am because God made me that way.
And the last time I checked none of those people were MY makers. I freed myself by saying they can love me naturally because this is what makes me ME or they can create the lies and deceit that goes through time making others think this is the only way to be IN. Embracing my hair, skin, and body has been a burden lifted off of me, as a matter fact I take pride in who I AM more so now today because I don't have to prove to anyone I'm IN. God didn't neglect the fact to show me that I am beautiful just the way I was created giving me the strength to discipline and love myself regardless of what I see on a magazine or television. I think it's disappointing to not see as many beautiful authentic black women gracing the media, it sure would help the younger generation appreciate genuine real people instead of trying to copy paste the same scene that's had us lost for so long. If you don't like me for what I was made to be, talk to my Creator and I'm sure the quote can be found in the King James version bible "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them". I see a lot of black women allowing someone else to "Behold"<< (Word Origin & History) form)) their beauty changing and conforming them into the image others see fit for them. If that's in your nature to do so, by all means continue to do what's best for YOU, in the process of it all I just ask that you hold on to what's really you as much on the inside being (that is if you know exactly who you are) as well on the outside. I would say this picture made me think really hard about do I really want to look like a white woman? I'm just saying, not judging she may want to but I don't and I damn sure don't want my daughter to take on the same trait. She should be a proud black woman confident in her skin and hair for what it was meant to be naturally!!!! CAN'T PULL THE WOOL OVER MY EYES ANY LONGER....making me to be something I was never meant to be was never in ALMIGHTY GOD'S PLAN but I do have something much greater and that's a PURPOSE! They're glamorous, but natural isn't..... PLEASE!!!
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