Body Image & African American Women

I came across the following article by Tameka Raymond (ex-wife of the popular singer, Usher) on body image among African American women. In a society that seems to glorify toothpick figures and long, blond straight hair, women that don't meet that criteria are often left wondering whether they are considered beautiful.

Raymond has this to say:

"I am a dark-skinned African American woman with features that reflect my ancestry. Debates regarding Light vs. Dark and other biases have plagued our race for years and continues to impact millions of Black women. The deeply rooted intra-racial contempt that lies beneath this inane "compliment" is the reason I've chosen to spark dialogue surrounding the topic of self-hatred in our culture. It saturates every aspect of our lives, dominating the perspectives of our generation as a whole. We culturally are so influential, at times inadvertently, that we affect all with the words we utter and the images we portray."

Raymond has some intriguing thoughts and you can read her complete article on the Huffington Post here.

In addition to body shape and skin color, comedian Chris Rock raises another important question in his new documentary, "Good Hair." In the film Rock inquires about how black women feel about their hair and how popular culture influences the money that is spent on hair care products and the hairstyles that women wear.

You can read an interview that Rock did on the movie here and view the trailer below. (If the video player doesn't show up please click here.)