Suicide is the act of intentionally ending one’s own life, often resulting from overwhelming emotional pain, hopelessness, or mental illness. Psychology identifies suicide as a complex phenomenon influenced by depression, anxiety, trauma, and feelings of isolation (Joiner, 2005). Biblically, life is sacred: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13, KJV), which includes oneself. Understanding the root causes of suicidal thoughts and offering support can save lives.
Those considering suicide often feel hopeless and trapped. They may perceive their problems as insurmountable and believe that death is the only escape. Psychologists emphasize that suicidal ideation is frequently a sign of treatable mental health conditions, including depression, bipolar disorder, or severe anxiety (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Scripture provides hope and encouragement: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God” (Psalm 42:11, KJV). Loss of hope can be addressed through counseling, spiritual guidance, and community support.
If someone expresses suicidal thoughts, it is critical to act immediately. Encourage them to speak openly, listen without judgment, and validate their feelings. Professional help should be sought urgently. In the United States, individuals can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. Internationally, hotlines vary, but local mental health services or hospitals can provide immediate support.
Talking someone out of suicide involves empathy, presence, and reassurance. Avoid minimizing their feelings or giving simplistic solutions. Ask questions like, “Would you tell me what’s causing you to feel this way?” or “Can we find help together?” Show them that they are valued and not alone. Psychological research demonstrates that active listening, emotional validation, and connecting individuals to professional care significantly reduce risk (Gould et al., 2012).
Suicide carries severe emotional, social, and spiritual consequences for the individual and those left behind. Survivors often experience guilt, grief, and trauma. Even temporary thoughts of suicide are dangerous and require immediate attention. Biblical encouragement reminds us: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18, KJV). Life is precious, and hope can be restored.
Tragically, suicide affects people across all walks of life, including celebrities. Examples include Robin Williams, an acclaimed actor and comedian, who died by suicide in 2014, reportedly after battling depression and Lewy body dementia. Their deaths highlight that fame and success do not prevent despair and underline the urgency of awareness, intervention, and mental health care. Their stories can serve as a reminder to watch for warning signs in ourselves and others.
The solution to preventing suicide involves support, counseling, medical care, and spiritual encouragement. Encourage therapy, psychiatric evaluation, or support groups. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) are evidence-based approaches that reduce suicidal ideation (Linehan, 1993). Spiritual guidance through prayer, mentorship, and faith communities can also restore hope. Scriptures such as Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV): “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” affirm that life has purpose and hope.
How to Help Someone Considering Suicide
1. Recognize the Warning Signs
Talking about wanting to die or kill oneself.
Expressing hopelessness or feeling trapped.
Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities.
Extreme mood swings or reckless behavior.
Psalm 34:18 (KJV): “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
2. Take It Seriously
Never dismiss their feelings or assume they’re seeking attention.
Acknowledge their pain and validate their emotions.
James 1:19 (KJV): “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
3. Ask Directly
Questions like: “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” or “Do you have a plan?”
Research shows asking about suicide does not increase risk and opens dialogue (Gould et al., 2012).
4. Listen Without Judgment
Offer empathy, patience, and understanding.
Avoid criticism or offering simplistic solutions.
Romans 12:15 (KJV): “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.”
5. Encourage Professional Help
Connect them with trained counselors, therapists, or psychiatrists.
Evidence-based therapies like CBT and DBT reduce suicidal ideation (Linehan, 1993).
6. Provide Crisis Resources
U.S. National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (24/7).
Encourage immediate help if danger is imminent.
For international numbers, consult local mental health services or hotlines.
7. Remove Immediate Means of Harm
Safely secure medications, firearms, or sharp objects.
Reducing access can prevent impulsive attempts and save lives.
8. Offer Hope and Spiritual Encouragement
Remind them that life has purpose and that help exists.
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV): “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Prayer, fellowship, and consistent support reinforce hope.
9. Follow Up and Stay Connected
Check in regularly, maintain contact, and continue support.
Consistent presence reduces isolation and strengthens coping.
10. Take Care of Yourself
Supporting someone in crisis can be emotionally challenging.
Seek guidance from professionals, mentors, or faith leaders to maintain your own well-being.
In conclusion, suicide is preventable. Awareness of the signs, compassionate intervention, professional support, and faith-based encouragement are crucial. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call 988 in the U.S. or reach out to local mental health services immediately. Life is sacred, hope is real, and help is available. Encouraging words, listening ears, and professional care can save lives and restore purpose even in the darkest moments.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: APA.
Gould, M. S., Greenberg, T., Velting, D. M., & Shaffer, D. (2012). Youth suicide risk and preventive interventions: A review of the past 10 years. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(1), 11–31.
Joiner, T. (2005). Why people die by suicide. Harvard University Press.
Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press.
The Holy Bible, King James Version.
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. (n.d.). Call or text 988 (U.S.) for immediate assistance.
Worldly validation is the pursuit of approval, acceptance, or worth through external measures—often defined by society’s ever-shifting standards of beauty, success, popularity, or material achievement. It is the constant need to be seen, liked, applauded, or affirmed by others, rather than finding peace in intrinsic worth or divine identity. This form of validation is rooted in the values of the world system, which often contradicts the eternal truths of Scripture. While it can appear harmless or even motivating, worldly validation is deeply deceptive, drawing individuals into cycles of comparison, performance, and insecurity.
From early childhood, the human need for validation begins to take shape. A child first learns their sense of value through their parents, peers, and environment. Compliments for physical beauty, academic performance, or athletic ability teach children that love and acceptance can be earned through performance. When affirmation is withheld, children may internalize rejection and form a lifelong hunger to seek external approval. Over time, they begin to associate their identity with how others perceive them—leading to the development of people-pleasing behaviors, perfectionism, and an inability to rest in who they are. This craving for validation becomes especially acute in the age of social media, where likes, followers, and comments become a false measure of one’s worth.
The roots of worldly validation are deeply entrenched in humanity’s fallen condition. After the fall in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve became self-conscious and ashamed, covering themselves with fig leaves and hiding from God. This moment reveals the birth of insecurity and the separation from divine affirmation. Instead of finding identity in God’s voice, humanity began to seek worth from external things. Throughout biblical history, God warns His people not to conform to the world’s standards. Romans 12:2 commands, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Galatians 1:10 asks, “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?” These verses suggest that worldly validation is a form of idolatry, replacing God’s approval with man’s applause.
When it comes to gender, worldly validation manifests in different but equally destructive ways. For men, validation is often sought through success, strength, power, and status. Society teaches men that their worth is tied to what they can produce, conquer, or control. For women, the pressure is frequently centered around beauty, body image, and likability. The world whispers that unless a woman is desirable, youthful, and admired, she is invisible. These lies fuel comparison, insecurity, and unhealthy relationships. In both genders, worldly validation becomes a prison—chasing a standard that is ever-elusive and never satisfying.
One of the most dangerous forms of worldly validation is that based on appearance. The obsession with physical beauty, designer labels, and flawless images creates a culture of vanity and false self-worth. Proverbs 31:30 warns, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Likewise, 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us that “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Worldly validation through looks leads people to idolize the mirror rather than cultivate the soul. It leaves them vulnerable to depression, eating disorders, and pride, as they chase an ideal that was never meant to define them.
From a psychological perspective, the need for external validation stems from the innate human desire to belong, be seen, and be loved. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs includes esteem and belonging as foundational human motivators. When people lack internal security or experience rejection in formative years, they may become addicted to external praise to fill that void. Social comparison theory, developed by Leon Festinger, posits that individuals evaluate themselves based on how they stack up against others—especially in ambiguous situations. This explains why people seek applause, status, or validation even when it’s harmful. Additionally, narcissism, trauma, low self-esteem, and fear of rejection drive individuals to construct identities that gain them the attention or approval they crave.
Why do people seek to impress others? Because they believe that by doing so, they will finally be seen as “enough.” People who grow up without affirmation or who internalize shame often strive to prove their value through achievement, image, or performance. The desire to impress is a coping mechanism—a mask for deeper wounds. It’s a way of saying, “If I look successful, attractive, or important, then maybe I’ll be loved.” Unfortunately, impressing others only offers fleeting relief. The more we try to be what others want, the more disconnected we become from our authentic selves. The deeper truth is that no amount of applause can substitute for inner peace, nor can the world’s approval replace the affirmation of God.
Yet there is hope—and deliverance. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers freedom from the bondage of worldly validation. God calls us to rest in His love, not in others’ opinions. Ephesians 1:6 says we are “accepted in the beloved.” Psalm 139 declares that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Our worth is not earned but given. It is not tied to beauty, performance, or approval but rooted in God’s unchanging love. The believer is not defined by Instagram likes or corporate promotions, but by the fact that they are a child of God. Only in Christ can we find the identity that satisfies, the love that does not fluctuate, and the security that does not fail.
Let this be a call to release the chains of worldly validation. We must not conform to a world that demands we earn love through perfection. We must return to the One who gave us value before we were born. To the woman struggling with beauty standards, to the man trapped in performance-based identity, to the youth seeking likes online—know that you are already seen, already chosen, already enough in Christ. The applause of the world fades, but the affirmation of heaven is eternal.
References
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497–529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.
Smedley, A., & Smedley, B. D. (2005). Race as biology is fiction, racism as a social problem is real. American Psychologist, 60(1), 16–26.
The Holy Bible, King James Bible. Scriptures: Romans 12:2; Galatians 1:10; Proverbs 31:30; 1 Samuel 16:7; Ephesians 1:6; Psalm 139.
Reclaiming Biblical Manhood: Leadership, Provision, and the Crisis in the Black Family.
Born into shadows, marked by scars, His crown forgotten beneath the stars. Yet strength still lingers in his frame, A chosen son, called by God’s name.
The “Brown Boy Dilemma” captures the complexity of Black men’s struggles in a world that criminalizes their bodies, questions their worth, and fractures their identities. At its root, the dilemma is spiritual. The Bible declares, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6, KJV). Separated from the Most High through sin and forgetfulness of His commandments, the sons of the diaspora wander without the stability that divine order provides. Deuteronomy 28 outlines the curses that have followed disobedience—captivity, broken homes, violence, and oppression. Reconnection with the Creator is the first step in addressing the dilemma.
Historically, slavery dismantled the image of Black men. Enslavement emasculated them before their families, reduced them to property, and instilled a legacy of generational trauma. Even after emancipation, Jim Crow laws and systemic racism continued to suppress their advancement. As Du Bois (1903/1994) described, the “double consciousness” of Black life forces the Brown Boy to see himself both through his own eyes and through the eyes of a hostile society. This fractured identity still reverberates in the psyches of young men today.
The family structure remains central to the dilemma. Many Black boys grow up fatherless due to incarceration, systemic violence, or abandonment. Without fathers to model godly manhood, young men often turn to peers, media, or gangs for definitions of masculinity. The absence of fathers is not merely personal—it is systemic. The mass incarceration crisis disproportionately removes Black men from households, leaving children without guidance. Yet scripture teaches, “Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4, KJV). Restoring family order is essential for healing the dilemma.
The Brown Boy is criminalized early. Research shows Black boys are suspended or expelled three times more often than white peers and are more likely to be referred to law enforcement in school (USDOE, 2022). Police brutality has claimed the lives of Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, and countless others, reminding young Black men that their innocence is fragile. To be born Black and male in America is to inherit suspicion before one speaks or acts. The dilemma is survival under perpetual surveillance.
Hypermasculinity adds another layer of difficulty. Black men are stereotyped as hypersexual, aggressive, and emotionally detached. Some internalize these stereotypes, believing manhood requires dominance, conquest, or violence. bell hooks (2004) argued that this “patriarchal masculinity” is destructive to both men and women, limiting the full humanity of Black men. The dilemma lies in resisting caricatures while rediscovering healthy, spiritual masculinity.
Economic inequality worsens the crisis. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023), Black men earn significantly less than white men across nearly all professions. Joblessness, underemployment, and wage gaps limit their ability to provide for families, creating feelings of emasculation. Many turn to informal or illicit economies to survive, perpetuating cycles of poverty and incarceration. Economic disempowerment remains one of the greatest barriers to stability for Black men.
Health disparities add to the weight. Black men face higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and shorter life expectancy than any other male group in the U.S. (CDC, 2023). Mental health challenges are also prevalent, yet stigma prevents many from seeking therapy. The constant stress of racism and systemic exclusion contributes to what Geronimus (1992) calls “weathering”—premature aging caused by chronic stress. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, KJV) calls Black men to honor their health as part of their spiritual stewardship.
Colorism shapes the Brown Boy’s experience as well. Darker-skinned men are often portrayed as dangerous or thuggish, while lighter-skinned men may be deemed more attractive or socially acceptable. These biases influence relationships, job opportunities, and media representation. Although colorism impacts Black women more overtly, it still burdens Black men with distorted images of desirability and worth.
Media portrayals reinforce these dilemmas. From the “gangster” to the “deadbeat dad,” Hollywood rarely depicts Black men as vulnerable, intellectual, or nurturing. Instead, harmful archetypes dominate. Such narratives rob boys of broader models for manhood and encourage the internalization of falsehoods. Collins (2000) refers to these as “controlling images,” designed to sustain systemic oppression.
The dilemma extends to relationships. Many Black men feel societal pressure to provide yet lack opportunities, leading to tension in partnerships. Some reject Black women altogether, pursuing interracial relationships as a form of social mobility. Others perpetuate misogyny, failing to uplift women as partners. The result is fractured intimacy within the Black community. But biblically, manhood requires sacrifice and love: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25, KJV).
Education presents both hope and hardship. Black boys are disproportionately placed in special education, disciplined unfairly, and told they cannot succeed (USDOE, 2022). Yet when nurtured, they excel. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and mentorship programs prove that with investment and support, Brown Boys rise. The dilemma lies not in potential but in systemic neglect.
Violence haunts their lives. Homicide remains the leading cause of death for Black men ages 15–34 (CDC, 2023). Many live in communities plagued by poverty and gun violence. At the same time, they are disproportionately incarcerated for nonviolent crimes, feeding the prison-industrial complex. The Brown Boy’s dilemma is that danger comes from both within his community and from the system that governs him.
Psychologically, the weight of stereotypes and exclusion fosters identity crises, low self-esteem, and cycles of despair. Yet therapy, mentorship, and spiritual renewal provide avenues for healing. “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee” (Deuteronomy 31:6, KJV) reminds Black men that courage is not in conformity but in faith.
🌹 The Brown Girl Dilemma vs. The Brown Boy Dilemma 💪
Theme
Brown Girl Dilemma
Brown Boy Dilemma
Spiritual Identity
Women are exploited sexually, divided by colorism, and burdened as caretakers.
Same disconnection; loss of spiritual leadership; struggles with manhood outside biblical order.
Slavery’s Legacy
Disconnected from God through sin and oppression, struggles with worth and obedience to His commandments.
Single mothers bear heavy loads, absentee fathers; imbalance in relationships.
Family Structure
Single mothers bear heavy loads, absentee fathers, imbalance in relationships.
Fatherlessness creates cycles; incarceration removes men from homes; lack of role models.
Racism & Systemic Oppression
Sexism + racism (double bind); overlooked in justice movements.
Criminalized early; school-to-prison pipeline; hyper-policed and surveilled.
Colorism
Lighter-skinned women are often favored in beauty standards; darker-skinned women are devalued.
Lighter-skinned women are often favored in beauty standards; darker-skinned women devalued.
Beauty Standards / Masculinity
Eurocentric beauty ideals label Black women “ugly” or “less attractive.”
Stereotypes of hypermasculinity, aggression, and oversexualization.
Economic Struggles
Wage gap: Black women earn ~63¢ per white man’s $1; underrepresentation in leadership roles.
Higher unemployment, wage gaps, fewer economic opportunities, and struggles with provider expectations.
Health Disparities
High rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, STDs, and psychological “weathering.”
Burdened with 50/50 relationships, men are seen as “lazy” or unfaithful, undervalued.
Media Stereotypes
“Angry Black woman,” “welfare queen,” hypersexualized Jezebel, unfeminine.
Collective solidarity (ending division between men and women).
💪💪💪💪💪💪💪
Lead her like Abraham.
Provide for her like David.
Take comfort in her like Isaac.
Fight for her love like Jacob.
Care for her like Boaz.
Love her like the Savior.”
This poetic charge reflects a timeless standard—rooted in Scripture—for how men are called to lead, provide, and love. Yet in contemporary American society, and particularly within the Black community, this divine model of manhood has been largely distorted, deconstructed, and, in many cases, dismantled.
Across various parts of the world—such as regions in Africa, India, and the Middle East—divorce rates remain comparatively low. One contributing factor is the intergenerational investment in marital success, where family members take active roles in holding both husband and wife accountable. Marriage is not seen as a temporary arrangement based on personal convenience, but a covenant guided by collective responsibility and cultural honor.
In contrast, within the United States, marriage is often viewed through a transactional lens. The “50/50” mentality—”I’ll get mine, so you bring yours”—has replaced sacrificial unity with conditional reciprocity. The rise of individualism, accelerated by the feminist movement and post-industrial economic shifts, has complicated gender roles. Many women, shaped by the rhetoric of independence (“I don’t need a man”), often find themselves unequally paired with men who lack education, guidance, or any model of responsible manhood. The result is a cultural and spiritual vacuum where few know what true headship or provision looks like.
Biblically, the role of a man is clear. Before the creation of Eve, Adam had assignments—he was called to work, to tend the Garden, to name the animals, and to walk with God (Genesis 2:15-20). Adam was a provider, a steward, and a priest. This divine order remains relevant today: a man is expected to care for his household with integrity, diligence, and presence. As Paul wrote, “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8, KJV). Provision is not solely financial—it is emotional, spiritual, and moral.
Yet the breakdown of the Black family has made this ideal increasingly rare. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2023), approximately 72% of Black children are born to unmarried mothers, and many are raised in homes where the father is absent. This crisis cannot be understood apart from the sociopolitical and spiritual shifts of the past half-century. The civil rights era, though marked by progress, gave way to a cultural rebellion in the 1960s and 1970s—marked by the sexual revolution, radical feminism, and economic policies that incentivized fatherless homes. The result has been generational instability.
The mass incarceration of Black men has further devastated families. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (2020) reported that 1 in 3 Black men will face incarceration during their lifetime. Many of these men are removed from homes before they have a chance to be husbands, fathers, or providers. Others succumb to a culture of hypersexuality, pornography, and promiscuity—choosing lust over legacy. This leads to a pattern of abandonment: a man lies with a woman, leaves her with child, and is nowhere to be found when the baby is born. This leaves mothers vulnerable, children broken, and the cycle continues.
In such environments, daughters are often taught distorted ideals about love and worth, mirroring the instability they see at home. Sons grow up learning that masculinity is measured by sexual conquest rather than commitment. Without fathers present, they are more likely to become emotionally stunted, effeminate, or irresponsible. The emotional and behavioral fallout is enormous. Children from fatherless homes are statistically more likely to struggle academically, experience poverty, commit crimes, and suffer from mental health issues (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019).
The restoration of the family must begin with the restoration of the man. A provider is more than a paycheck—he is a stabilizer, protector, and spiritual leader. He models righteousness, discipline, and love. According to the late Black theologian and civil rights activist Howard Thurman,
“A man cannot be at home in the world if he is not at home in himself.” The absence of strong male role models—both in the home and the community—has created a vacuum of identity and direction. Without mentors, many young Black men drift into chaos.
The biblical model remains our compass. Abraham led his family by faith. David, despite his flaws, was a warrior king who provided and repented. Isaac found comfort in Rebekah after the death of his mother (Genesis 24:67). Jacob labored 14 years to win the love of Rachel. Boaz honored and protected Ruth. Christ, the ultimate model, gave His life for His bride.
The call to modern men, particularly Black men, is to reclaim these roles—not through domination, but through humility, purpose, and divine alignment. The restoration of our communities depends on it. If the foundation is destroyed, what can the righteous do (Psalm 11:3)? The answer: rebuild it—one man, one home, one truth at a time. Solutions require both biblical restoration and psychological intervention. Spiritually, men must return to the commandments of God, rejecting sin and reclaiming leadership rooted in love and service. Psychologically, therapy, brotherhood, and affirming healthy masculinity are essential. Communities must rebuild mentorship systems that guide boys into maturity with dignity and discipline.
The Brown Boy Dilemma is real, but it is not final. Reconnection to the Creator, restoration of families, community unity, and collective healing can transform the dilemma into destiny. Black men, as sons of the Most High, are called to rise beyond stereotypes, reclaim their crowns, and embody the strength, wisdom, and compassion they were created for. In doing so, the Brown Boy Dilemma becomes not a curse, but a testimony of triumph.
References:
U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). Living Arrangements of Children Under 18 Years Old: 1960 to Present.
Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2020). Prisoners in 2020. U.S. Department of Justice.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Father Absence and Its Impact on Child Well-being.
The Holy Bible, King James Version. 1 Timothy 5:8; Genesis 2:15–20; Psalm 11:3.
Thurman, H. (1984). Meditations of the Heart. Beacon Press.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). Employment status by race and gender.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Health disparities among Black men.
Collins, P. H. (2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. Routledge.
Du Bois, W. E. B. (1994). The souls of Black folk. Dover. (Original work published 1903).
Geronimus, A. T. (1992). The weathering hypothesis. Ethnicity & Disease, 2(3), 207–221.
hooks, b. (2004). The will to change: Men, masculinity, and love. Washington Square Press.
U.S. Department of Education. (2022). Discipline disparities in schools.
Our hair stands in awe of the Most High, the creator of all creation. The sunbeams of the golden fleece that raptures our skins (no matter the hue) and the heat crystalize the tones in wooly hair. What a fabulous creation we are.
All photographs are the property of their respective owners.
In his book, “The Chemical Key to Black Greatness” American Biochemist, Carol Barnes, described melanin as, “a civilizing chemical that acts as a sedative to help keep the black human calm, relaxed, caring, creative, energetic and civilized.” Research also revealed that melanin enables black skin to actively interact with the sun, to produce Vitamin D from a biochemical substance, 7- dehydrocholesterol. The study also detected that melanin has spiritual dynamics as well as physical since it acts as a sensory ‘receptor’ and ‘transmitter’; communicating with cosmic energy fields in the vast universe converting light energy to sound energy and back. Dr. Richard King, MD, stated that “melanin, by its ability to capture light and hold it in a memory mode, reveals that blackness converts light into knowledge.”
Melanin refines the nervous system in such a way that messages from the brain reach other areas of the body most rapidly in dark people, the primary race. The abundance of melanin in our skin gives us genetic inferiority. We are physically stronger. Mentally sounder. Spiritually more connected.
Wooly hair is the tree that points to the heavens.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; Revelation 1:14 KJV.
Our roots run long straight to the sky. Wooly hair can withstand heat at high temperatures. ‘Although there are no biochemical differences among black, Caucasian, and Asian hair types, there are differences in the hair morphology (8). Black hair appears elliptical or flattened in cross-section, whereas Caucasian hair is oval, and Asian hair is round. The follicle of black hair is curved, in contrast to a straight follicle in Caucasians and Asians.’ – Callender, V. D., McMichael, A. J. and Cohen, G. F. (2004), Medical and surgical therapies for alopecias in black women. Dermatologic Therapy, 17: 164–176. doi:10.1111/j.1396-0296.2004.04017.x
Khumalo NP, Doe PT, Dawber PR, Ferguson DJP.What is healthy black African hair? A light and scanning electron microscopic study. J Am Acad Dermatol 2000: 43:814–820. ‘African hair is curly and frequently exhibits knots ‘However, increased evidence of wearing with some loss of the cuticular pattern was observed towards the tip of the nose in all 3 racial groups most extreme wearing, with complete loss of cuticular structure, was seen toward the tip of the hairs of the Caucasian subject with the most extended hair. However, the hair shafts of the African volunteers did exhibit structural damage with evidence of longitudinal fissures, resulting in the splitting of the hair shafts. The splitting was also associated with knot formation. Longitudinal cracks were not observed in the Caucasian or Asian hairs. It was also found that many of the black African hairs (approximately 40%) were fractured with no attached roots.
‘The African hair shafts were enclosed by a well-preserved cuticle similar to that observed for the other racial groups. ‘The most significant feature was that the majority of the tips of the African hair had fractured ends …Similarly, the basal end also exhibited evidence of breakage in contrast to the Caucasian and Asian samples in which the majority of hairs had attached roots.’
‘From these observations, it could be proposed that any procedure that reduces knotting of hair and/or the need for combing would result in an increase in the length of the hair by reducing the incidence of breaks in the hair shafts.’
Konishi, S., (2008). Tied in rolled knots and powdered with ochre’: Aboriginal hair and eighteenth-century cross-cultural encounters. Borderlands, 7(2), 1-20. Through the influential work of the great taxonomer, Carolus Linnaeus,… Homo europaeus ‘yellow, brown, flowing’, Homo asiaticus ‘abundant black,’ and Homo after ‘black, frizzled’ (cited in Rosenthal, 2004: 2).
This eighteenth-century definition and conceptualization of African hair as ‘woolly’ intersected with slavery discourses that dehumanized the African body to justify its abject treatment. The Oxford English Dictionary indicates that this derogatory term signifying ‘the short, tightly-curled hair of Negroid peoples’ was first used in a runaway slave advertisement in 1697. This type of hair was also ascribed to sexual connotations, according to Allan Peterkin, ‘frizzy’ hair was seen as ‘demonic, licentious, and public.’
… ‘Negro’ possessed ‘wool instead of hair,’ and this difference, in concert with others concerning skin and facial features, suggested that they ‘appear to constitute a new species of man’ (in Diderot and d’Alembert, 1765, v. 11: 76). uaresma, M. V., Martinez Velasco, M. A., & Tosti, A. (2015). Hair Breakage in Patients of African Descent: Role of Dermoscopy. Skin Appendage Disorders, 1(2), 99–104. http://doi.org/10.1159/000436981
In addition to these properties, the water content in African descent hair is slightly lower than in Caucasian hair, and the sebaceous glands often secrete a small amount of sebum, which has an uneven distribution along the shaft due to its spiral shape, leaving the hair with a dry appearance. M [17,20]
When we associate the term “Mixed Race Hair” we get a visual that it is wild, unruly, hard-to-tame hair. The curly, wavy, coiled, or full-bodied curls, are mostly the combination of different genetic factors that contribute to the texture of feel, the length, the volume, and the plethora of different hair textures. the truth is mixed race hair has more ortho-cortical cells which make it less prone to breakage and damage than finely coiled hair from the scalp. However, the bottom strands are closer to the coily nature of an afro.
Mixed hair, curly or wavy is often referred to as “Good Hair,” All hair is good hair, it all was created by the Most High.
The great phenomenon of wooly hair, the spiral-shaped, tightly coiled, excessive curly mass that tends to hold its shape and grows as a tree straight up on the head. Who are the recipients of such hair? The E1B1A gene carriers – the descendants are the biologically related ancestors far beyond the African diaspora. This is one topic that science has been perplexed by the origin of wooly hair. Geneticists will often say, “The genetic determinants of hair texture in humans are largely not found by science.” It’s either pleiotropic, and selection was for its research fails in comparison to the impact of genetically putting a stamp on its true origin. What genes of phenotypes put together have created such hair type? What is clear is that wooly hair has been passed down from Adam to each generation after his existence.
Most black women testify that perms, pressing combs, and relaxers make their hair more manageable. Who is the inventor of the relaxer? In 1877, the relaxer was created by accident by Garrett A. Morgan the same man that invented the traffic signal. This allowed women and men of color to have straight hair like their white counterparts for hundreds of years. The perm was referred to as “ creamy crack” in Chris Rock’s “Good Hair Documentary” A must-see if you haven’t seen it already it exposes the dangers and chemicals found in the hair treatments. Natural Hair is the best it is at its healthiest, free of chemicals and it grows fast! The chemicals in the relaxer treatments may be damaging but many women will argue the fact that having a relaxer has contributed to their back length hair if it is taken care of.
Black hair is a target of “texturism.” The question is, “Why has the world scrutinized our hair?” While we are burning it with chemicals and heating tools, and tearing it out with weaves and glue. For 400 years +, the general population of black people has been imparted to by white people that their hair texture and skin are superior to that of black hair and black skin. This welcomed the birth of a hair obsession. A majority of blacks perceive straight, silky, and soft hair as best. When in fact, wooly hair is scientifically superior to straight hair. Coiled hair acts as antennae conducting the electromagnetic energies of the sun. These are the benefits that our ancestors had in the cotton fields in intense heat. Kinky, afros, nappy, curly, pressed, permed, weaves, or smooth flow? What is our obsession with hair, and how does it affect our perceptions of what is considered attractive? This differentiation of various textures of hair that disregards our hair as being good sociological programming still continues today.
For as long as I remember people often asked me after examining my mid-back length hair, “Is all that hair yours?” or “Do you have Indian in your family?“ In the literal sense of logic or even common sense what they are saying to me is that a black female can’t have long hair unless she is mixed with something. Now, this thought process was first initiated by Willie Lynch back in slavery times and is still relevant today. So the term “Nappy” was created by the white man and was adopted for centuries by black people, but in reality, our hair has a helix (spiral) pattern. It’s the same pattern as whirlwinds and sound waves and DNA. Our hair is meant to grow outward like a tree, not downward like a cascading waterfall. When our hair is given proper care, it’s fluffy and soft. Not only that, our hair is high-volume, high-definition. Our hair doesn’t hang down, it’s not limp, lifeless, and flat, it never lacks volume, and you’ll never see a sister wearing a “bump-it” to get the illusion of voluminous hair. We don’t need it. We can take our wool from kinky to curly to wavy to straight and back to kinky again if that’s our desire. Our hair can even defy gravity and do so naturally. Others can’t. Our hair is a glorious crown, the “original” crown. Look how a head is designed! So, when you see these so-called European royalty women wearing a top. They are imitating the beauty of our hair! Wow isn’t that amazing! For black women, the straight hair bias is the culprit of texture prejudice that privileges the white woman’s texture as the supreme texture of hair. Black women are not aware that our hair is rich with soil, the color of dark chocolate rises to the sky, vastness as space, coiled to perfection, and a mystery of the Most High.
I must admit I love running my fingers through my hair while showering, the curls embrace my face as the water runs the length of my back. I get attention on the comeliness of my hair they suggest that it’s a prized possession but in reality, to my nation, it’s a god. Yes, it is possible to worship hair, I have never been guilty of such worship.. frankly, I always had long hair. It was never a concern of mine. But for many of my sisters, it is, after all, it’s our crowning glory. Black women have always been guilty of false glory due to the fact that you are adorning your head with someone else’s glory. How do we get our own glory? By nourishing our own glory and owning it. I know we own our cars, clothes, or even homes but we must own our hair. We must be thankful and take care of what the Most High gave us.
My interview with Khalifa Musical, a professor of African American Studies
Q. Do you think that as children we are programmed to say that our hair is bad?
Khalifa: Yes, I remember my mother said to my sister about her kinky hair, you need to get your hair done by that she meant to straighten it with perms of straightening combs. As a man, I grow up conditioned to perceive black hair as something terrible that needed to be fixed. I used to look at the women on the commercial and think that was beauty, it was not until I because a student of consciousness that I realize my thinking was wrong. In fact with most of my students, when asked about black hair – 43% (over 200 black male students) said they prepared black women with their natural hair, apart from wigs, weaves, and perms. While 57 % preferred the look of Caucasian straight hair as most attractive and 90% voted that this was conditioned by slavery misconceptions and fallacies about our hair.
Redefining the standard of beauty in terms of hair.
The hair texture closely associated with European straight hair is considered almost heavenly good and esteemed most attractive. This straight hair blows in the wind, cascading down the back, smooth to the touch, and easy to comb. Is this perfection? How can this hair be the best? Willie Lynch is to blame for this one dividing and conquering the slaves based on hair texture. But who says this is true? The fault lies with the mother who never taught the daughter the beauty of her hair. The world has brought into this lie, pure and simple for some, there is no turning back from this theory. In West Africa, Nigeria to be specific the boys and young girls cut their hair off not to deal with the texture and opt to wear wigs. While in the United States, black women are literally tearing their hair out of their heads through the wearing of the weave so they can slang it back and forth. The ignorance of our people is undoubtedly devastating to know that something that was created with sheer brilliance is a beast of burden to many.
How to take care of black hair?
My Q & A with my hairdresser Diana, note she has natural hair all the way down her back.
Q: What do you think about this Good hair, Bad hair situation among black people?
Diane: I think black people are some of the most ignorant people on earth, surely they have bought into the lie of slavery. All hair is good, if it grows out of your head, it is good. What has ruined our noses is the perms and the weaves.
Q: What are some tips for the maintenance and growth of natural hair?
Diane:
1. There is a huge misconception that black hair is coarse, strong, and can take a beating. That is true, in fact, black hair is the most fragile of every hair type, my Asian clients have the strongest hair very coarse now their hair can take a beating.
2. Co-washes your hair once a week with a natural moisturizing conditioner and not shampoo because it dries out the hair which can cause breakage.
3. Keep your hair moisturized with a natural moisturizer and seal the ends with olive oil. Choose natural organic products and try to avoid products with mineral oils and petroleum oil. Natural oils like almond, coconut oil, olive oil, grape seed oil, and jojoba oils are much better.
4. If you use heat styling products (blow dryers, Flatirons) on your hair, try and cut it down to 1-2 times a month if you can, and make sure you use a heat protection shampoo and/or moisturizer, or a good heat protective serum/spray on your hair before flat ironing or curling.
5. Make sure you sleep on a satin pillowcase or tie your hair up in a silk scarf so your hair can stay healthy and won’t break or tear. Silk or satin pillowcases, bonnets, and scarves will protect your hair from breakage while rubbing against certain fabrics that cause breakage.
6. Moisturize your ends nightly with coconut oil before you go to sleep
7. Once a month only use a protein treatment for deep conditioning.
8. To extend hair growth I recommend a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables and exercised weekly to get the blood flowing to your hair.
9. Massage your scalp a few times a week for extra blood flow for hair growth.
10. Use a wide tooth comb to comb your hair, stop buying bristle brushes or thin combs which will get caught in your hair and snap it off. Go for low maintenance. We should never comb our hair every day just detangle it with your fingers, after applying moisturizer.
Unfortunately, that is the gospel that most black or brown women preach. The truth is that if you keep all the weaves and chemicals off your hair, it will grow with some easy maintenance, it will grow in no time. A black woman’s hair will grow if she maintains to keep it healthy and nourished with the right natural products, contrary to popular belief, the black woman is not alone, there are some cases where the white woman’s hair won’t grow either, or it’s fragile — Diane (my hairdresser)
The Curse
Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts. — Isaiah 3: 16-17 –
Because of the haughtiness toward our men, our head was smitten with baldness, which would explain the lust for long hair. We had the beauty everyone wanted at that time. We are the Daughters of Zion. That was a curse! Now today… I believe that curse is lifted… With all the beautiful hair treatments, perms, hair styling, relaxers, weaves, chemicals from shampoos, our diet, hormones, what we drink, rest, environment, etc. All these elements affect the health of our hair. What is paramount is the way we care for our hair. Is long hair possible? Yes.
Asha Mandela, who reportedly has the most extended hair, and dreads in the world at a whopping 22 feet long, her extremely long tresses were documented by the Guinness World Record in 2009. Many of us on this day have long hair. Your hair grows! Take care of the hair that grows out of your head. Black women are waking up to their true identity according to the Bible all over the world & learning to love the skin they’re in, wooly hair & all through the natural hair movement and it is absolutely awe-inspiring.
But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.1 Corinthians 11:15 KJV
Black hair is a target of the famous “Ism,” known as “Texturism.” The question is, “Why has the world scrutinized our hair?” While we are burning it with chemicals and heating tools, and tearing it out with weaves and glue. For 400 years +, the general population of black people has been imparted to by white people that their hair texture and skin is superior to that of black hair and black leather. This welcomed the birth of a hair obsession. A majority of blacks perceive straight, silky, and soft hair as best. When in fact, wooly hair is scientifically superior to straight hair. Coiled hair acts as antennae conducting the electromagnetic energies of the sun. These are the benefits that our ancestors had in the cotton fields in intense heat. Kinky, afros, nappy, curly, pressed, permed, weaves, or smooth flow? What is our obsession with hair, and how does it affect our perceptions of what is considered attractive? This differentiation of various textures of hair that disregards our hair as being good sociological programming still continues today.
For as long as I remember people often asked me after examining my mid-back length hair, “Is all that hair yours?” or “Do you have Indian in your family?“ In the literal sense of logic or even common sense what they are saying to me is that a black female can’t have long hair unless she is mixed with something. Now, this thought process was first initiated by Willie Lynch back in slavery times and is still relevant today. So the term “Nappy” was created by the white man and was adopted for centuries by black people, but in reality, our hair has a helix (spiral) pattern. It’s the same pattern as whirlwinds and sound waves and DNA. Our hair is meant to grow outward like a tree, not downward like a cascading waterfall. When our hair is given proper care, it’s fluffy and soft. Not only that, our hair is high-volume, high-definition. Our hair doesn’t hang down, it’s not limp, lifeless, and flat, it never lacks volume, and you’ll never see a sister wearing a “bump-it” to get the illusion of voluminous hair. We don’t need it. We can take our wool from kinky to curly to wavy to straight and back to kinky again if that’s our desire. Our hair can even defy gravity and do so naturally. Others can’t. Our hair is a glorious crown, the “original” crown. Look how a head is designed! So, when you see these so-called European royalty women wearing a top. They are imitating the beauty of our hair! Wow isn’t that amazing! For black women, the straight hair bias is the culprit of texture prejudice that privileges the white woman’s texture as the supreme texture of hair. Black women are not aware that our hair is rich with soil, the color of dark chocolate rises to the sky, vast as space, coiled to perfection, and a mystery of the Most High.
My interview with Khalifa Musfai, a professor of African American Studies
Q. Do you think that as children we are programmed to say that our hair is bad?
Khalifa: Yes, I remember my mother said to my sister about her kinky hair, you need to get your hair done by that she meant to straighten it with perms of straightening combs. As a man, I grow up conditioned to perceive black hair as something terrible that needed to be fixed. I used to look at the women on the commercial and think that was beauty, it was not until I because a student of consciousness that I realize my thinking was wrong. In fact with most of my students, when asked about black hair – 43% (over 200 black male students) said they prepared black women with their natural hair, apart from wigs, weaves, and perms. While 57 % preferred the look of Caucasian straight hair as most attractive and 90% voted that this was conditioned by slavery misconceptions and fallacies about our hair.
Redefining the standard of beauty in terms of hair.
I must admit I love running my fingers through my hair while showering, the curls embrace my face as the water runs the length of my back. I get attention on the comeliness of my hair they suggest that it’s a prized possession, but in reality, to my nation, it’s a god. Yes, it is possible to worship hair, I have never been guilty of such worship.. frankly, I always had long hair. It was never a concern of mine. But for many of my sisters, it is, after all, it’s our crowning glory. Black women have always been guilty of false glory because they are adorning their heads with someone else’s beauty. How do we get our own vision? By nourishing our own glory and owning it. I know we own our cars, clothes, or even homes but we must hold our hair. We must be thankful and take care of what the Most High gave us. The hair texture closely associated with European straight hair is considered almost heavenly good and esteemed most attractive. This straight hair blows in the wind, cascading down the back, smooth to the touch, and easy to comb.
Is this perfection? How can this hair be the best? Willie Lynch is to blame for this one dividing and conquering the slaves based on hair texture. But who says this is true? The fault lies with the mother who never taught the daughter the beauty of her hair. The world has brought into this lie, pure and simple for some, there is no turning back from this theory. In West Africa, Nigeria to be specific the boys and young girls cut their hair off not to deal with the texture and opt to wear wigs. While in the United States, black women are literally tearing their hair out of their heads through the wearing of the weave so they can slang it back and forth. The ignorance of our people is undoubtedly devastating to know that something that was created with sheer brilliance is a beast of pardon to many.
My conversation with a random woman I encountered at a boutique.
Woman: Girl you got some excellent hair —
Me: All hair is good. Woman: I wish my hair were long and pretty like yours. You’re so cute.
Me: Your hair is pretty.
Woman: But not like yours
Me: You know that is a fallacy created by our people that goes back to slavery. There is no right or bad hair. The Most High created all hair and it’s good hair. (That comment left her speechless and puzzled there was no reply)
The contemptuous terms such as ‘good hair’ or ‘bad hair’ came out of the era of slavery, during the Willie Lynch period. Where slaves were put into groups according to the lightness of skin and hair textures the closer your hair was to Caucasian hair the better you were perceived which meant you would be considered “a house negro” and receive preferential treatment than the darker slaves. Our hair is our crowning glory; there are various textures of hair that black people have due to genetics and racial mixing. These textures vary from 3A to 4D, beautiful to tightly curled.
3 a – fine curl pattern
3 b – medium curl pattern
3 c – loose curly pattern
4a – thicker curly pattern
4b – thicker medium pattern
4c – medium curly pattern
4d – excessively tighter curls
COMMON THINGS SPOKEN ABOUT HAIR TYPE 3A – 4C:
Coily Hair
You need to straighten it, unkept! Do something with your hair. It is nappy, you look ugly, and you need a weave, go and rectify it. I like you better with straight hair.
Permed Hair
If you don’t love yourself, go natural! Trying to be something you are not.
Curly Hair
You have some good hair. It is too wild and needs to be straight. What are you mixed with?
Straight Hair
Ideal with the masses, the universal standard of hair beauty.
Facts about black hair:
It keeps you cool and protects you from the sun.
Our hair is our crowning glory; there are many textures of hair that black people have due to genetics and interracial rations.
There is more money spent on hair care around the world than products to actually make the hair grow.
There is no such thing as bad hair, the strains of our hair were created by the Most High, and trust me, he knew what He was doing in creation but through colonization and the media which suggests that long bone straight flowing hair is most attractive.
We as people have bought into that “Lie” Yes I said it, that lie because that is what it is. You have been brainwashed into thinking that excessively curly or wooly hair isn’t as good as straight hair.
The Savior of this world has wooly hair.
My nation is so ignorant, of how they talk about their hair. All hair is good. Embrace your wool.
I was taught I had terrible hair, so I relaxed it and added weave now I am bald-headed — Brittany (a 31-year-old black woman)
I wish my parents would have taught me that my hair wasn’t bad — Erica Wilson (18-year-old female)
There is nothing better than a black woman that wears her natural hair — Jonathan (white male married to a black woman)
Often people ask me if my hair is real because it’s thick and long.
Male Store clerk: Is all that hair yours?
Me: Yes
Male Store clerk: Can I touch it?
Today in 2018, I walk proudly with my hair covered sometimes, it gives the mystery of what is underneath. Is it short or is it long? In late 18th century Louisiana, black women were ordered to cover their hair in public. This system was called the “Bando du Buen Gobierno,” “Edict for Good Government.” These rules were meant to change certain so-called “unacceptable” behaviors of free black women. specifically overly ostentatious hairstyles,(designed to impress or attract notice) which drew the attention of white men, and the jealousy of white women. These rules are called the “Tignon Laws” A tignon (pronounced “yon”) is a headdress. They are still doing this today! Where a lot of people go on interviews and are turned away because of their natural hair, The employers say they must straighten their hair. But finally, we are waking back up to our beauty! They even fear our hair!
When wearing a weave or perming your hair, you are playing roulette with your hair, please handle it with care. — Diane (my hairdresser)
ALL HAIR IS GOOD!
LITTLE GIRL IN THE STORE: Look at her hair Mom. LITTLE GIRL’S MOM: That is a weave. ME: No, it’s my hair.
It is a mere fact that we women that have long natural hair like me that grow out of our heads, always manage to get a hater or naysayers that believe that our hair is not real. In a society with all the fakers, weave wearers, and wig junkies it makes it hard for those of us that like to keep it real. It is also true that we were conditioned through slavery to hate ourselves and the texture of our hair so we commit our scalps to abusive chemicals and hair that did not grow from our scalp. The truth of the matter is that all hair is good, the creator of all made it. This hate is correlated with the term “Texturism.”
A skin that glistens in the sun, ranging from satin black to golden brown is Melanated skin. Melanin is organic crystallized carbon, it actually runs through your blood, ravages your skin and was created by the Most High God. The dark nations possess it, although, they don’t want to own it, the lighter nations of people try to put it in a bottle to manufacture it through tanning sprays and creams.
All photographs are the property of their respective owners.
Melanin, which is Carbon, is any of a class of insoluble pigments, found in all forms of animal life, that account for the dark color of skin.
According to Dr. Francis Cress Welling on pg 205, in her book “The Isis Papers:, stated, The phrase “Golden Fleece” is made up of two words associated with Black people: “gold,” denoting black or brown skin and “fleece,” denoting lambs wool or kinky hair. The search for the Golden Fleece becomes the search for melanin. J.D. Cirlot’s dictionary of symbols says that the Golden Fleece ” is one of the symbols denoting the conquest of the impossible or the ultra=reasonable.” For white-skinned people, it is impossible to produce melanin or golden brown or black.
There is a golden hue that radiates out from dark skin, it is present no matter how dark the hue is.
The subject of color to most is probably somewhat idiosyncratic. What we think scientifically and historically about the origins of ‘race’ and the complex ways that skin color has influenced our perception of one another. The effects of colorism and racism on society within various communities. Though modern conceptions of ‘white beauty’ have evolved and become progressively more artificial in recent decades, which has led people to believe that having melanated skin is a curse and not a blessing. I must admit that it was very cathartic and endearing for me to write on this topic of “melanin.” Although, I didn’t want to appear to be a narcissist or presumptuous. I think when I first actually, thought of my skin color was when a friend compared me to a sunset, amazed at how the golden hues, brown, and orangey glow radiated from my skin. While others, always assumed that I was wearing pantyhose on my legs or foundation on my face, sorry no such thing that is the power of melanin. I believe that physical beauty is measured by your features and symmetry, not skin color. It’s really in the eye of the beholder literally. I have traveled the world, there are much beautiful dark and light women the world over, all possess one common thing – their facial features are harmony together. So the theory that your skin color makes you attractive only is a fallacy. Not to be believed. The whole premise of a debate of light vs. dark is unsettling and ignorant, and not edifying the unity between women of all shades of brown. Willie Lynch created a prevalent method for teaching slaves divisive behavior and through colonization, people around the world have adopted these self-denigrating issues that white skin is the best and anything that deviates from that theory is not good. Lynch supported division to keep the light slaves against the dark slaves to prevent rebellion and unity among blacks. Still, today that residue from the past has conditioned people around the world to adopt “white skin” as the best. This is a wide worldwide problem not just for black people but many nations face this reality daily in America, India, Africa, Latin American, South America, Brazil, Dominican Republic, the West Indies, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba just to name a few. In these countries the lighter you are the more beautiful you are perceived as, the smarter, and the nicer. The Darker you are the more you are perceived as a menace to society, evil, and ugly. These stereotypes are far from the truth, people of color are still suffering from strong delusional thinking based on skin color. Most feel that a white person has attained a status, and reached a level of success because they are the progenitors of the European standard of beauty that dark-skinned people could never measure up to. As for the white (Aryan/Nordic) men and women, they don’t have to try, they woke up in privilege. They have been born this way. They have become gods in their own eyes.
Photo Credit: blackexcellence.com
1. BLACK DOESN’T CRACK! The most celebrated quality of possessing melanated skin is its uncanny ability to be anti-aging, whereas, dark skin shows less visible signs of aging when compared to white skin. Dark-skinned people tend to look younger than their chronological age.
2. Protection from the sun, melanated skin has a natural SPF.
The Fitzpatrick scale (above) is a numerical classification that was created in the 1970s by Thomas Fitzpatrick, an American dermatologist. The study of human skin color underlines the categories of skin color where it relates to how it measures in terms of being exposed to the sun. It identifies that darker skin is less likely to develop skin cancer when exposed to the sun.
In his article, “Why the sun is good for Afrikan people”, Dr. Kwame Osei says,
This lack of melanin cover explains why Europeans/White people especially the albino whites burn in the sun and in the worst circumstances turn pink and get skin cancer- hence why they need to wear sunscreen because their white skin has been damaged by the sun’s UV rays because their pineal gland, an organ between the eyes has been calcified. What this means in effect that they cannot generate energy from the sun’s UV rays due to their lack of melanin. Melanin in its most concentrated form is black. It is black because its chemical structure will not allow any energy to escape once that energy has come in contact with it. This gives us insight and shows that melanin-dominant people do not require the same amount of minerals and nutrients in their diet as people with less melanin.(modernghana.com)
Nearly all black and brown skins are beautiful, but beautiful white skin is rare. Where dark complexions are massed, they make the whites look bleached-out, unwholesome, and sometimes frankly ghastly. I could notice this as a boy, down South in the slavery days before the war. The splendid black satin skin of the South African Zulus of Durban seemed to me to come very close to perfection. The white man’s complexion makes no concealments. It can’t. It seemed to have been designed as a catch-all for everything that can damage it. Ladies have to paint it, and powder it, and cosmetic it, and diet it with arsenic, and enamel it, and be always enticing it, and persuading it, and pestering it, and fussing at it, to make it beautiful; and they do not succeed. But these efforts show what they think of the natural complexion, as distributed. As distributed it needs these helps. The complexion which they try to counterfeit is one that nature restricts to the few–to the very few. To ninety-nine persons, she gives a bad complexion, to the hundredth a good one. The hundredth can keep it–how long? Ten years, perhaps. The advantage is with the Zulu, I think. He starts with a beautiful complexion, and it will last him through. And as for the Indian brown–firm, smooth, blemish free, pleasant, and restful to the eye, afraid of no color, harmonizing with all colors and adding a grace to them all–I think there is no sort of chance for the average white complexion against that rich and perfect tint. — Mark Twain, Skin Deep – Complexions
The Black skin is not a badge of shame, but rather a glorious symbol of national greatness. — Marcus Garvey
The recipients of the phenomenon we know as “MELANIN” are the people, that are referred to as Black, Colored, African, Sub-Saharan, and African American.
In his book, “The Chemical Key to Black Greatness” American Biochemist, Carol Barnes, described melanin as, “a civilizing chemical that acts as a sedative to help keep the black human calm, relaxed, caring, creative, energetic and civilized”. Research also revealed that melanin enables black skin to actively interact with the sun, to produce Vitamin D from a biochemical substance, 7- dehydrocholesterol. The study also detected that, melanin has spiritual dynamics as well as physical, since it acts as a sensory ‘receptor’ and ‘transmitter’; communicating with cosmic energy fields in the vast universe converting light energy to sound energy and back. Dr. Richard King, MD, stated that, “melanin, by its ability to capture light and hold it in a memory mode, reveals that blackness converts light into knowledge”.
All photographs are the property of their respective owners.
Melanin refines the nervous system in such a way that messages from the brain reach other areas of the body most rapidly in dark people, the first race. The abundance of melanin in our skin gives us genetic inferiority. We are physically stronger. Mentally sounder. Spiritually more connected. High absorption of vitamins, full-color range, taste of the full flavor of food, and more intelligence. Melanin (Carbon) is essential to brain, nerve, and organ function it can be found in every part of the body where cells are to reproduce and regenerate. Let’s not forget the anti-aging effects of melanin in dark skin, on average a white-skinned person will look much older than their black counterpart.
“ Melanin (Carbon) is the fundamental unit of the universe and exists in four forms: Cosmic, Planetary, plant kingdom (chlorophyll), and animal kingdom melanin. Melanin is black (carbon) because its chemical structure allows no energy to escape.. making black melanin the super absorber of energy and light. Melanin is found in almost every organ of the body and is necessary in order for the brain and nerves to operate, the eyes to see, and the cells to reproduce. Melanin can rearrange its chemical structure to absorb all energy across the radiant energy spectrum (i.e. sunlight, Xirays, music, sound, radar, radio waves, etc) The black human can charge up his/her melanin just by being in the sun or around the right type of musical sounds or other energy sources. Our body is electrical, with currents of nerves sending signals through our brain daily. Melanin itself, on a philosophical plane, is a black chemical/biological door through which the life force of African spirituality passes in moving from the spirit to the material realm. You will we learn to accept and embrace the fact that Black is not only beautiful but it comes in a variety of different shades, textures, and tones; None of which is better or worse than the other. Proof of a creator? You exist and there are no copies of you anywhere. The facial features of a person of color are more pronounced than any other nation around the world. Did you know that many white people in the Americas tan their skin and are vast consumers of tanning bronzing gels ,etc? Just the other day I saw a white woman at my local market she was as dark as me, but with a orangey tint to her face. So with the lie that states that dark skin is less desired but the hate is more a product of self-hatred and taught behavior, than a total social preference. There is a reason we have been conditioned this way.
As has its advantages dark skin so does dark eyes which can see the full-color range as it is exactly it is.
My conversation with Pascal, a professional photographer from France.
Q: What is it like to work with models/people of color?
Pascal: Let me start with you… photographing you and applying makeup to your face what a pleasure, you have the most beautiful eyes, face, and skin. Up close you are so physically beautiful, physically compelling, I’m hypnotized by your good looks. Your skin is always so soft, smooth, and creamy like churned butter, I love your light skin color. Women of color are the most beautiful creatures on earth, the skin is so deep and rich, they are the best to work with.
Q: Do you have a preference for light or dark?
Pascal: No but in my work, the darker the girl is the more light she becomes to the camera like a rare occurrence with the view. Dark skin really is the best.
Carbon is really the correct word.. but Melanin is the black man’s ace and intelligence. Our skin has the highest amount of Melanin of all nations, also, This is the color of the Savior. And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. Revelation 1:15-17 KJV
Basking in the hot sun for hours While becoming sun-kissed to perfection The salt of our tears raped our face As we picked cotton in the southern heat No other skin could take such a beating Like the Melanin in our skin. Our skin is just like butter burned to make you want to devour it Symbolic of the melting of dark chocolate and How sweet it is Some are like coffee with milk while others are like hot chocolate Only one term to describe the beauty and dimension of the colors of our skin Resplendently Like the melanin in our skin.
The Black skin is not a badge of shame, but rather a glorious symbol of national greatness. — Marcus Garvey
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4 things the other nations COVET from us.
1. Lips
So they say that Angelina Jolie made our lips famous? Way before there was Angelina, there were our ancestors that possessed those ancient lumps we call lips, yes full and luscious all the way. Now today with millions of collagen injections being dished out annually for something we have been blessed with.
2. Darker Skin
Who said only white porcelain skin was all the rage with millions of dollars being spent annually on tan salons, bronzing powders, and spray tans all to achieve our sun-kissed skin?
Our melanin is a gift from the Most High God. So cherish it.
3. Our Round Bottoms
It is no secret that black women are known for their big bottoms, but we were born with them. Butt implants have become the norm like brushing your teeth, and many women have become disfigured by infecting fat into their bottoms. Hmmm, wouldn’t have been nice to be born with it.
5. Black Men
Are Truly the most desired men by all nations. The Greatest Gift to the black woman is the black man. So what if so or you are rough around the edges but so are we black women? Everyone can see your greatness, you are our King. So raise and love the black woman back. The other nations may love you, but your roots are with the black woman.
5 Great things about melanin in the skin:
1. Some of the greatest Inventors and Innovators.
Despite such impressive credentials, black people are the innovators and inventors of just about everything on earth from toothpaste to electricity.
2. The Melanin in our Skin.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, black doesn’t crack, which contributes to our anti-aging, but more importantly, the high concentration of melanin has its benefits such as protection from the sun and produces our Vitamin D.
3. Our hair is unique and fascinating.
Everyone else grows fur. Black hair can maintain its state, whether it be kinky, coily, relaxed, fro, or cornrows can keep its shape in the harsh climates in the world.
4. A black man’s body is superior, genetically stronger than that of any other race.
It has been proven that throughout history that the black man has built the constructs of building and foundations for many nations, including America through slavery, etc.
5. A black woman’s features are highly coveted.
Our skin and facial features are highly coveted by other races, such as our lips, booty, and skin. Many Nordic/Aryan races have emulated our features in mainstream media.
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The Civil Rights Movement was more than a social revolution—it was a psychological awakening. For Black men in America, it reshaped not only how they were seen but also how they saw themselves. Decades of racial oppression, legal segregation, and economic disenfranchisement had fractured the male identity of many African American men, forcing them to exist between strength and survival. The fight for equality became a fight for restoration of dignity and manhood.
Before the movement, systemic racism and Jim Crow laws limited Black men’s ability to fulfill the traditional male role as provider and protector. Economic exclusion, racial terror, and criminalization created barriers to employment, education, and mobility. Sociologist E. Franklin Frazier (1939) wrote that the Black family was under “continuous economic and psychological assault.” These forces stripped Black men of the power to lead in their own homes and communities.
The male psyche under oppression developed a dual consciousness—what W. E. B. Du Bois (1903) called “two-ness.” Black men were forced to measure themselves by the white gaze while yearning to live authentically. They navigated a society that demanded compliance yet punished ambition. This internal tension bred both resilience and rage—a quiet storm of masculinity seeking meaning in a hostile world.
When the Civil Rights Movement emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, it reawakened something deeply spiritual within the Black male psyche. Marching, protesting, and organizing became acts of reclaiming agency. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers embodied new models of manhood rooted in courage, discipline, and purpose. Their visibility and sacrifice redefined masculinity—not through dominance, but through moral strength and communal love.
Martin Luther King Jr. offered a model of nonviolent strength. His philosophy of love and moral courage required enormous self-control—a distinctly masculine restraint that challenged stereotypes of Black men as angry or animalistic. In contrast, Malcolm X represented the righteous fire of self-defense and Black pride. Together, they symbolized the balance between peace and power, intellect and instinct—two halves of the same wounded but rising psyche.
The televised brutality of the movement—the beatings, dogs, and police violence—also traumatized the male psyche. While the world saw Black men demanding justice, those same men carried unseen emotional scars. Psychologists today might recognize symptoms of racial trauma, including hypervigilance, anger, and internalized shame. The Civil Rights Movement both healed and hurt: it empowered men to stand tall, yet exposed them to violence that often lingered in their minds and bodies.
For many men, activism replaced silence with purpose. Protesting became therapy. The collective struggle provided identity, community, and pride that counteracted centuries of emasculation. The image of Black men marching in unity—dressed sharply, singing freedom songs—restored the psychological dignity that slavery and segregation had long denied. This was not just political; it was existential.
Yet, the post-movement era brought new challenges. The assassination of key leaders fractured the psyche again, creating a void in leadership and trust. The promised economic gains of civil rights legislation did not always reach Black men equally, and systemic barriers persisted through mass incarceration and job discrimination. Sociologist William Julius Wilson (1987) later argued that structural economic changes left many urban Black men in “social isolation,” fueling frustration and identity confusion.
This disillusionment led to a psychological shift. The same men who once marched for justice watched as drugs, unemployment, and violence eroded their communities in the 1970s and 1980s. The masculine pride awakened during the movement was now tested by a new kind of oppression—economic rather than legal, psychological rather than physical.
Still, the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement continued to shape Black male identity. It instilled a sense of purpose, pride, and intellectualism. Movements like Black Power and later Black Lives Matter drew from that foundation, redefining manhood yet again for new generations. Today’s Black men inherit both the pain and the pride of that era.
Psychologically, the Civil Rights Movement demonstrated that masculinity could coexist with compassion. It taught that being a man was not about control or dominance, but about courage, moral integrity, and service to one’s people. It showed that liberation was not only external but internal—a renewal of the mind.
Spirituality also played a central role in restoring the Black male psyche. Churches became safe spaces for leadership and self-expression. Men preached, organized, sang, and strategized under the belief that God was on their side. This faith-centered masculinity anchored many during times of despair and humiliation.
At the same time, the movement’s gender dynamics revealed tension. While men were often in leadership roles, women were the backbone of the struggle. This imbalance sometimes reinforced patriarchal norms, shaping how Black men viewed leadership and emotional vulnerability. Healing the male psyche also meant confronting these inherited notions of power.
The Civil Rights Movement thus reshaped the psychology of Black manhood into something complex and evolving. It created space for vulnerability, empathy, and collective identity—qualities once dismissed as weakness. It also forced men to reckon with their trauma, to define strength beyond stoicism.
In today’s society, echoes of that psychological transformation remain. The modern Black man carries both the strength of his ancestors and the scars of their struggles. He is a product of resilience—a living testament to survival against systems designed to destroy his mind, spirit, and masculinity.
Ultimately, the Civil Rights Movement did more than change laws—it changed men. It birthed a new consciousness that redefined what it means to be a man under oppression. The movement proved that liberation begins first in the mind, then in the world. The fight for civil rights was—and remains—a fight for psychological freedom.
References
Du Bois, W. E. B. (1903). The Souls of Black Folk. Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co.
Frazier, E. F. (1939). The Negro Family in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
King, M. L. Jr. (1963). Strength to Love. New York: Harper & Row.
Wilson, W. J. (1987). The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Watkins, W. H. (2005). The Assault on Public Education: Confronting the Politics of Corporate School Reform. New York: Teachers College Press.
Israel Immanuel’s A Young Boy’s Dilemma is a compelling and spiritually resonant work that defies expectation—not just because of its content, but because of its creator. At just 12 years old, Israel demonstrates an extraordinary level of emotional depth, intellectual maturity, and biblical insight that is rare at any age, let alone pre-adolescence.
In an era where many young minds are consumed with digital distractions and fleeting entertainment, Israel offers something truly substantial: a literary offering shaped by personal grief, spiritual fortitude, and poetic clarity. The loss of his father is a central theme, woven into the fabric of each page with sincerity and strength. Rather than succumbing to despair, Israel transforms his pain into purpose—offering readers hope, healing, and a strong biblical foundation.
The poetry within is both heartfelt and thought-provoking, with verses that explore emotional resilience, faith, and the enduring impact of family. The visual elements—original sketches depicting the author and his parents—further enhance the book’s emotional resonance and artistic value.
This is not merely a book of poems; it is a testimony of overcoming. It speaks directly to those who are grieving, growing, or searching for meaning in life’s difficult seasons.
I enthusiastically give A Young Boy’s Dilemmafive out of five stars—a powerful, spirit-led contribution from a remarkably gifted young voice. This is one of the most inspiring reads I’ve encountered in recent years.
Where faith, history, and truth illuminate the Black experience.
THE BROWN GIRL DILEMMA 