Rose Concencion for Sleek
(Source: sidibeauty, via tha-htwnbelle)
The Himba are not just their culture. They’re not just a fashion symbol. They’re survivors of genocide who’ve managed to regain and maintain control of their ancestral lands, and keep a very old culture intact. Thus, to admire the culture and beauty of the Himba is one thing; it’s also understandable. To actually respect the Himba, however, is another. It means to travel to their land, (speaking at least a little of their language) to learn about their history, their customs, and have enough humility to not presume that they have to do anything for you. It means understanding that they don’t have to learn from you. They have a religion, thank you; they don’t need or want yours. They have a language, thank you; they don’t need to learn yours. Respecting them also means accepting that they don’t have to teach you anything about themselves if they don’t want to. And if you feel the need to impose your curiosity on them anyway, then understand that when you inevitably come out looking like a fool, they have the right to laugh at you. When POC write about the Himba, I’ve noticed there’s no talk of changing them in any way. But if you read the comments under the Himba vids on YouTube, you can tell the bulk were written by white people. They talk about changing the Himba’s religion (which they automatically assume is Islam, btw), and doing away with all the “wrong” aspects of their culture.
— Ankhesen Mié (via dreams-from-my-father)
I remember my first relaxer. I was 5. My mom put it in. Before the relaxer, I had lovely hair…
The first few relaxers seemed to go fine… My hair was super long and straight. Then, I remember waking up one morning and finding broken hair all over my pillow case.
By the time I got to middle school, it was all gone. Then, instead of family members and strangers talking about how long my hair was.. and being envied by school yard girls, I was suddenly indistinguishable from all the other little Black girls with chewed up ends and hair that barely made it into pony tails.
And the reaction from everyone was like.. Well, you’re just normal.
In undergrad, I decided to go natural (Because, like I’ve said before, somebody told me that when they prepare Black women’s bodies for burial, they can find the chemicals from relaxers underneath their scalps on the skull.. and that scared me nappy!). I was still on that Whiteness though…. I flat ironed at least once a week to keep my hair straight.
My natural hair still wouldn’t grow past my shoulders. And, it also wouldn’t curl. It would be bone straight. I finally realized that I was still damaging my hair with the heat from the flat iron.. and stopped flat ironing. After cutting off my natural heat damaged hair, my hair grew. My hair is Bra strap length now…
My point is… STOP THAT SHIT! I do not judge people with relaxed hair. I was one of those people for a long time. But, at least try natural hair. Don’t you want to know what it looks like? Why are you possibly risking your health for straight hair?
There is literally nothing like having natural hair and having it rain.. and, for the first time, realizing that you can just walk in it.
(via pistols-and-koolaid)
Photography: SubySinem
Make up: Lola Maja-Okojevoh
Model: Raquel
LaNeshe
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Black is Beautiful…sigh
There are moments when I think that the collective desire to be seen as beautiful is a direct challenge to the white gaze.
Often times, I read posts here on Tumblr about how Black beauty is trashed by white hegemony. I agree wholeheartedly. Thus, there are many blogs devoted to Black beauty.
Personally, those blogs don’t interest me because they still play within a very messed up system.
I understand the need to see ourselves in positive light. At the same time, I wonder if that is enough.
Are we truly resisting the status quo or are we trying to make space for ourselves in it?
Nowadays I focus more on my humanity - my personhood. That, and that alone should be enough for me to be treated with respect. Not my perceived beauty.
POC should not need any qualifiers in order to get the respect that is theirs by default.
