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[[File:African american beauty (51213805514).jpg|thumb|African American women]]
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{{African American topics sidebar}}
{{POV|date=December 2017}}
African Americans and their skin color and hair were once considered unattractive by [[white people]]. Black women and their bodies have been devalued and rejected by white ideal beauty standards.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Awad |first1=Germine H. |last2=Norwood |first2=Carolette |last3=Taylor |first3=Desire S. |last4=Martinez |first4=Mercedes |last5=McClain |first5=Shannon |last6=Jones |first6=Bianca |last7=Holman |first7=Andrea |last8=Chapman-Hilliard |first8=Collette |title=Beauty and Body Image Concerns Among African American College Women |journal=Journal of Black Psychology |date=December 2015 |volume=41 |issue=6 |pages=540–564 |doi=10.1177/0095798414550864 |pmid=26778866 |pmc=4713035 }}</ref>
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{{original research|date=December 2017}}
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== Lead ==
Beauty is a perceived characteristic of an animal, [[idea]], [[Object (philosophy)|object]], person or [[Location (geography)|place]] that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure or satisfaction. Many people define beauty as something that is subjective, being that it is in the "eye of the beholder" to see what he or she thinks is actually beautiful. This "eye" is seen in many different cultures with each having a different preference. This subjective can be seen throughout history, especially in the African-American community. With the presence of oppression in the past, African-American cultural beauty has bend mended and redefined in many ways.
African American beauty focuses on the [[beauty]] of African Americans, as beauty is viewed differently by various groups.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Duncan |first1=Margaret Carlisle |last2=Robinson |first2=T. Tavita |date=February 2004 |title=Obesity and Body Ideals in the Media: Health and Fitness Practices of Young African-American Women |journal=Quest |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=77–104 |doi=10.1080/00336297.2004.10491816 |s2cid=144642186 }}</ref> Similar to other cultures, ideals of [[beauty]] in [[African-American]] communities have varied throughout the years. Influenced by the racial perspectives on beauty, [[lighter skin]] tones and straight hair have been considered desirable characteristics by different groups, including African Americans.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Patton |first1=Tracey Owens |title=Hey Girl, Am I More than My Hair?: African American Women and Their Struggles with Beauty, Body Image, and Hair |journal=NWSA Journal |date=2006 |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=24–51 |id={{Gale|A149460405}} {{Project MUSE|199496}} {{ProQuest|233235409}} |jstor=4317206 }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Mbilishaka |first1=Afiya M. |last2=Apugo |first2=Danielle |date=2020-09-02 |title=Brushed aside: African American women's narratives of hair bias in school |journal=Race Ethnicity and Education |volume=23 |issue=5 |pages=634–653 |doi=10.1080/13613324.2020.1718075 |s2cid=213377397 }}</ref>


==History==
== Slavery and Its Contribution ==
Racialized perspectives on beauty which led to lighter skin tones being considered desirable characteristics by different groups including African Americans can be traced back to slavery.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Turnage |first=Barbara F. |date=2005-04-26 |title=Influences on Adolescent African American Females' Global Self-Esteem: Body Image and Ethnic Identity |journal=Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=27–45 |doi=10.1300/J051v13n04_02 |s2cid=144552052 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rozie-Battle |first=Judith L. |date=2002-09-25 |title=African American Girls and the Challenges Ahead |journal=Journal of Health & Social Policy |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=59–67 |doi=10.1300/J045v15n02_06 |pmid=12413107 |s2cid=40764745 }}</ref> The view of lighter skin tones as the ideal beauty standard are linked to [[colorism]], which affects African Americans perceptions of themselves, with African women being disproportionately affected.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Harper |first1=Kathryn |last2=Choma |first2=Becky L. |date=2019-06-01 |title=Internalised White Ideal, Skin Tone Surveillance, and Hair Surveillance Predict Skin and Hair Dissatisfaction and Skin Bleaching among African American and Indian Women |journal=Sex Roles |volume=80 |issue=11 |pages=735–744 |doi=10.1007/s11199-018-0966-9 |s2cid=150156045 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Balcetis |first1=Emily |last2=Cole |first2=Shana |last3=Chelberg |first3=Marie B. |last4=Alicke |first4=Mark |date=2013-01-01 |title=Searching Out the Ideal: Awareness of Ideal Body Standards Predicts Lower Global Self-esteem in Women |journal=Self and Identity |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=99–113 |doi=10.1080/15298868.2011.639549 |s2cid=143048134 }}</ref>
Even before the United States had been formed, the idea of beauty was one which was seen throughout different societies. In ancient Egypt, women were classified based on their skin tone; the woman with lighter skin tones were seen as higher class because unlike the woman in the working class they did not spend their days working under the sun, and the judgement based on skin tone is one that was seen through slavery as well.<ref>Tungate, Mark. Branded Beauty : How Marketing Changed the Way We Look, Kogan Page, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, <nowiki>https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/washington/detail.action?docID=781928</nowiki>.</ref> Within the United States, the definition of beauty was mainly set by Whites, since they were slaves owners, and were in numerous ways, considered to be the superior race. Beginning from as early as 1619, African-American women's beauty has been compared to Caucasian beauty standards, mainly in two areas: hair and skin color. Even though African-American slaves were not seen as beautiful by some slave masters, that did not stop them from having intimacies with many of them, which resulted in lighter skinned offspring During slavery, those who were of lighter complexion and had more European features, did not work in the hot scorching sun with the darker complexioned slaves. The lighter toned slaves tended to be [[house slave]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Patton|first=Tracey|date=Fall 2017|title=Hey Girl, Am I More Than My Hair?: African American Women and Their Struggles with Beauty, Body Image, and Hair.|url=http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=e8c7f05d-2ed8-41b3-94c6-9913d430baf5%40sessionmgr104|journal=NWSA Journal|volume=II|pages=26|via=Ebscohost}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/newsandviews/2007/10/for_lightskinned_only.html|title=For Light-Skinned Only?|work=NPR.org|access-date=2017-11-19|language=en}}</ref> The idea of African-Americans being assimilated to obtain more "acceptable" or "beautiful" features slowly becomes juxtaposed with the abolishment of slavery by way of the [[Emancipation Proclamation]], written by [[Abraham Lincoln]].


== Attempt of Assimilation ==
== Beauty Standards ==
Despite some similarities between how African Americans and other groups view beauty, African Americans also view beauty as seen in body ideals as not being limited to one specific type that has been portrayed in the media.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last1=Reel |first1=Justine J. |last2=SooHoo |first2=Sonya |last3=Franklin Summerhays |first3=Julia |last4=Gill |first4=Diane L. |date=December 2008 |title=Age before beauty: an exploration of body image in African-American and Caucasian adult women |journal=Journal of Gender Studies |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=321–330 |doi=10.1080/09589230802419963 |s2cid=144911557 |url=http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/D_Gill_Age_2008.pdf }}</ref> This view of beauty transcends the physical perception of beauty and recognizes that beauty is not limited to physical characteristics only.<ref name=":02" />[[File:Mybraids.jpg|thumb|[[Cornrows|Cornrow hairstyle]]|163x163px]]
[[File:Malcolm X NYWTS 2a cropped.jpg|thumb|Malcolm X, civil rights activist]]
{{Refimprove section|date=November 2017}}
African-American hair has, and still is sometimes seen as unprofessional and inappropriate to most white standards. Many people argue that imitation European standards of beauty was a necessity to the prosperity of blacks and how they would be accepted by white culture (mainly in the workplace).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/black-hair-care-and-culture-story|title=Black hair care and culture, a story {{!}} African American Registry|website=www.aaregistry.org|language=en|access-date=2017-11-20}}</ref> One of the main efforts of assimilation was to straighten African-American hair. This can be seen in history through figures such as [[Malcolm X]], who was a Civil Rights Activist in the 1950s. Malcolm X [[Perm (hairstyle)|relaxed]] his hair using, what was then called a “[[conk]]”, which consisted of [[lye]]. One experience he had consisted of the lye burning he scalp at the same time his water went out. He resulted in putting his head inside of a toilet to get the product out of his hair. This was his realization that his attempt to become more presentable was also his biggest mistake.


=== Hair ===
== Development of Black culture ==
African Americans hair is politicized, and this affects how African Americans choose to wear their hair as there is no way to know how it will be perceived, and the treatment that will arise from this.<ref name=":2" />
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2017}}
Throughout history, African-American culture has evolved in such a way that their beauty standards too became their own. Each time frame has its own standard of what beauty is, but many of them stick closely to natural beauty, without much processing taking place. The hair, clothes, styles, expectations (of a man or woman), and everything in between changes as time changes. During the 1960s, the [[Afro]] was cultivated. During the 1980s and early 1990s West African hairstyles began to regain their fame, including: [[braid]]s, [[Hair twists|twists]], [[cornrows]], and much more. Towards the end of the twentieth century, the [[Jheri curl]] was introduced, but most African-Americans chose [[dreadlocks]], fades, or other styles that used their own natural hair texture.<ref name=":0" /> During these time periods, the development of African-American music was mainstream with hip hop, which included foul language, violence, and truth in lyrics. Many [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] groups and Rap groups/rappers glorified the beauty of the natural woman, with her accentuating curves and even her flaws.


=== Effects of beauty standards ===
== Cultural appropriation ==
Similar to other minority groups, African Americans have been subject to [[Western world|Western]] beauty ideals which portray slim body types as the standard to aspire to. The portrayal of slim body types as the ideal in Western beauty ideals has been linked to various eating disorders. There have been limited studies that show the effects of Western beauty ideals and the resulting eating disorders amongst African Americans.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gilbert |first1=Stefanie C. |last2=Crump |first2=Stacey |last3=Madhere |first3=Serge |last4=Schutz |first4=William |date=2009-06-24 |title=Internalization of the Thin Ideal as a Predictor of Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating in African, African-American, and Afro-Caribbean Female College Students |journal=Journal of College Student Psychotherapy |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=196–211 |doi=10.1080/87568220902794093 |s2cid=143591088 }}</ref>
[[File:Mybraids.jpg|thumb|Cornrow Hairstyle]]
White culture subdues African-Americans in many aspects. The past and present culture that America lives in criticizes blacks for the styles or trends that they create and later copy them and become coined as “trendy” or “fashionable”. Many celebrities have showed examples of this appropriation in most recent years. [[Miley Cyrus]], for example, at one point in 2015, wore her hair in faux dreadlocks at an award’s show and was seen as being edgy. [[Zendaya]], a celebrity of African-American descent, also wore her hair in dreadlocks at an awards show later on that year, but was publicly criticized for looking like “she smells like … weed” by Entertainment News host Giuliana Rancic in one of her TV appearances.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2017/02/how-black-culture-is-exploited-in-memes-copy-headline-plz|title=The Double Standards of Cultural Appropriation {{!}} The Bottom Line|date=2017-02-22|work=The Bottom Line|access-date=2017-11-20|language=en-US}}</ref> Also celebrities like the Kardashian and Jenner family have made names for themselves by basically using black attributes and culture to their advantage.


== Effects on society ==
== Media ==
African American beauty takes into consideration the [[intersectionality]] of African Americans and how this intersectionality has affected the representation of African Americans in media, which plays a significant role in communicating what society's beauty standards are.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cummings |first=Kamilah |date=2019-03-15 |title=Sisters in the Shadows: an Examination of Prince's "Strange Relationship" with Black Women |journal=Howard Journal of Communications |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=144–163 |doi=10.1080/10646175.2018.1541768 |s2cid=150139997 }}</ref><ref name=":1" />
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2017}}
Within the United States, the beauty of African-American woman continued to be ostracized in society by not allowing African-American woman to participate in [Miss America] beauty contests until 30 years after their beginning. <ref>Jones, Geoffrey. “Blonde and Blue-Eyed? Globalizing Beauty, C.1945-C.1980.” The Economic History Review, vol. 61, no. 1, 2008, pp. 125–154. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40057559.</ref>The beauty contests within the United States were the beginnings of ideal beauty portrayed in the media.


Portrayals of straight hair in the media have set a beauty standard which is exclusionary of the different hair textures of African Americans.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Ellington |first=Tameka N. |date=2015-01-02 |title=Social networking sites: a support system for African-American women wearing natural hair |journal=International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=21–29 |doi=10.1080/17543266.2014.974689 |s2cid=145688859 }}</ref> Despite the role played by media in setting beauty standards for hair, social media has provided a platform for African Americans who are progressing beauty standards by wearing their hair in different states, including its natural state.<ref name=":3" />
== References ==

== See also ==
*[[African-American hair]]
* [[Black is Beautiful]]
*[[Beauty Deserts]]
==References==
<references />
<references />


[[Category:Slavery]]
[[Category:Cultural appropriation]]
[[Category:Beauty]]
[[Category:Beauty]]
[[Category:African-American culture]]

{{African Americans}}

Latest revision as of 17:04, 6 November 2024

African American women

African Americans and their skin color and hair were once considered unattractive by white people. Black women and their bodies have been devalued and rejected by white ideal beauty standards.[1]

Lead

[edit]

African American beauty focuses on the beauty of African Americans, as beauty is viewed differently by various groups.[2] Similar to other cultures, ideals of beauty in African-American communities have varied throughout the years. Influenced by the racial perspectives on beauty, lighter skin tones and straight hair have been considered desirable characteristics by different groups, including African Americans.[3][4]

History

[edit]

Racialized perspectives on beauty which led to lighter skin tones being considered desirable characteristics by different groups including African Americans can be traced back to slavery.[5][6] The view of lighter skin tones as the ideal beauty standard are linked to colorism, which affects African Americans perceptions of themselves, with African women being disproportionately affected.[7][8]

Beauty Standards

[edit]

Despite some similarities between how African Americans and other groups view beauty, African Americans also view beauty as seen in body ideals as not being limited to one specific type that has been portrayed in the media.[9] This view of beauty transcends the physical perception of beauty and recognizes that beauty is not limited to physical characteristics only.[9]

Cornrow hairstyle

Hair

[edit]

African Americans hair is politicized, and this affects how African Americans choose to wear their hair as there is no way to know how it will be perceived, and the treatment that will arise from this.[4]

Effects of beauty standards

[edit]

Similar to other minority groups, African Americans have been subject to Western beauty ideals which portray slim body types as the standard to aspire to. The portrayal of slim body types as the ideal in Western beauty ideals has been linked to various eating disorders. There have been limited studies that show the effects of Western beauty ideals and the resulting eating disorders amongst African Americans.[10]

Media

[edit]

African American beauty takes into consideration the intersectionality of African Americans and how this intersectionality has affected the representation of African Americans in media, which plays a significant role in communicating what society's beauty standards are.[11][5]

Portrayals of straight hair in the media have set a beauty standard which is exclusionary of the different hair textures of African Americans.[12] Despite the role played by media in setting beauty standards for hair, social media has provided a platform for African Americans who are progressing beauty standards by wearing their hair in different states, including its natural state.[12]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Awad, Germine H.; Norwood, Carolette; Taylor, Desire S.; Martinez, Mercedes; McClain, Shannon; Jones, Bianca; Holman, Andrea; Chapman-Hilliard, Collette (December 2015). "Beauty and Body Image Concerns Among African American College Women". Journal of Black Psychology. 41 (6): 540–564. doi:10.1177/0095798414550864. PMC 4713035. PMID 26778866.
  2. ^ Duncan, Margaret Carlisle; Robinson, T. Tavita (February 2004). "Obesity and Body Ideals in the Media: Health and Fitness Practices of Young African-American Women". Quest. 56 (1): 77–104. doi:10.1080/00336297.2004.10491816. S2CID 144642186.
  3. ^ Patton, Tracey Owens (2006). "Hey Girl, Am I More than My Hair?: African American Women and Their Struggles with Beauty, Body Image, and Hair". NWSA Journal. 18 (2): 24–51. JSTOR 4317206. Gale A149460405 Project MUSE 199496 ProQuest 233235409.
  4. ^ a b Mbilishaka, Afiya M.; Apugo, Danielle (2020-09-02). "Brushed aside: African American women's narratives of hair bias in school". Race Ethnicity and Education. 23 (5): 634–653. doi:10.1080/13613324.2020.1718075. S2CID 213377397.
  5. ^ a b Turnage, Barbara F. (2005-04-26). "Influences on Adolescent African American Females' Global Self-Esteem: Body Image and Ethnic Identity". Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work. 13 (4): 27–45. doi:10.1300/J051v13n04_02. S2CID 144552052.
  6. ^ Rozie-Battle, Judith L. (2002-09-25). "African American Girls and the Challenges Ahead". Journal of Health & Social Policy. 15 (2): 59–67. doi:10.1300/J045v15n02_06. PMID 12413107. S2CID 40764745.
  7. ^ Harper, Kathryn; Choma, Becky L. (2019-06-01). "Internalised White Ideal, Skin Tone Surveillance, and Hair Surveillance Predict Skin and Hair Dissatisfaction and Skin Bleaching among African American and Indian Women". Sex Roles. 80 (11): 735–744. doi:10.1007/s11199-018-0966-9. S2CID 150156045.
  8. ^ Balcetis, Emily; Cole, Shana; Chelberg, Marie B.; Alicke, Mark (2013-01-01). "Searching Out the Ideal: Awareness of Ideal Body Standards Predicts Lower Global Self-esteem in Women". Self and Identity. 12 (1): 99–113. doi:10.1080/15298868.2011.639549. S2CID 143048134.
  9. ^ a b Reel, Justine J.; SooHoo, Sonya; Franklin Summerhays, Julia; Gill, Diane L. (December 2008). "Age before beauty: an exploration of body image in African-American and Caucasian adult women" (PDF). Journal of Gender Studies. 17 (4): 321–330. doi:10.1080/09589230802419963. S2CID 144911557.
  10. ^ Gilbert, Stefanie C.; Crump, Stacey; Madhere, Serge; Schutz, William (2009-06-24). "Internalization of the Thin Ideal as a Predictor of Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating in African, African-American, and Afro-Caribbean Female College Students". Journal of College Student Psychotherapy. 23 (3): 196–211. doi:10.1080/87568220902794093. S2CID 143591088.
  11. ^ Cummings, Kamilah (2019-03-15). "Sisters in the Shadows: an Examination of Prince's "Strange Relationship" with Black Women". Howard Journal of Communications. 30 (2): 144–163. doi:10.1080/10646175.2018.1541768. S2CID 150139997.
  12. ^ a b Ellington, Tameka N. (2015-01-02). "Social networking sites: a support system for African-American women wearing natural hair". International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education. 8 (1): 21–29. doi:10.1080/17543266.2014.974689. S2CID 145688859.