Category Archives: the brown girl dilemma

Beauty, Good Hair, the brown boy dilemma, the brown girl dilemma

Embracing Wooly Hair: A Celebration of Black Beauty

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.”

Good Hair (we have it.) 

Reference: The Brown Girl Dilemma Book, 2017

Beauty, black history, the brown boy dilemma, the brown girl dilemma

The Power and Beauty of Melanated Skin

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”.

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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

All photographs are the property of their respective owners.

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.



black history, the brown girl dilemma

Black History: Serving our enemies.

Photo by Luis Araujo on Pexels.com

The Forgotten People: Rediscovering the Truth of Our Origins and Identity while serving our enemies.

Throughout history, the descendants of the transatlantic slave trade—commonly referred to today as African Americans, Negroes, or “Black” people—have endured a long legacy of suffering, displacement, and dehumanization. While every nation has a foundational narrative that explains its origins and purpose, the story of our people has been silenced, distorted, and fragmented. Stripped of identity, language, and land, we were scattered across the globe and taught to forget who we truly are.

The historical and spiritual roots of this tragedy trace back not simply to the cruelty of human hands, but to a deeper, biblical truth: our disobedience to the Most High God—the God of Israel. This disobedience led to the fulfillment of the very curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28, where the Most High warned the children of Israel that if they failed to keep His commandments, devastating consequences would follow.

“And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.”
— Deuteronomy 28:68 (KJV)

This verse is a haunting prophecy that aligns chillingly with the Transatlantic Slave Trade, in which millions of Israelites were transported across the seas in slave ships, sold into captivity, and scattered to the four corners of the earth. The word “Egypt” here is symbolic of bondage (see Exodus 20:2)—and just as ancient Egypt represented servitude, so too did the Americas and Europe for our ancestors.

A Disinherited People in a Foreign Land

Through colonization, slavery, and systemic oppression, our names, languages, customs, and heritage were stolen. We were left serving our enemies and adopting their gods, customs, and ideologies. We were taught to worship in ways foreign to our ancestors, celebrate holidays never ordained by Scripture, and see ourselves through the eyes of those who enslaved us.

Society urges us to “move on” from slavery, yet constantly memorializes other atrocities like the Jewish Holocaust—which, while horrific and worthy of remembrance, is not the only genocide history has known. The Transatlantic Slave Trade, beginning in the 1400s and formalized in America in 1619, resulted in the death, rape, and cultural erasure of over 100 million people, making it one of the largest crimes against humanity ever recorded.

The Weight of Bywords and False Labels

Our identities were replaced with bywords—a fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:37:

“And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.”

Words like “nigger,” “black,” “African-American,” “coon,” “darkie,” “mulatto,” and “savage” were never our true names—they were tools of psychological warfare, meant to devalue, dehumanize, and disconnect us from our God-given heritage. Even the term “Black” is rooted in negative symbolism. In color theory, black absorbs all light and reflects none—a metaphor historically used to associate darkness with evil, ignorance, and death.

So how long will we continue to identify with these imposed labels? When will we reclaim our identity as the children of Israel—a royal priesthood, a chosen people, called to walk in covenant with the Most High?

The Relevance of Our Past to Our Future

Understanding our past is essential to understanding our purpose. It was our disobedience—not merely human injustice—that led us into this state. And just as Scripture foretold our fall, it also foretells our awakening:

“And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee… and thou shalt return unto the Lord thy God… then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity…”
— Deuteronomy 30:1–3

We are now in a time of awakening. Across the world, more and more descendants of the diaspora are rediscovering their true heritage, repenting, and returning to the commandments of the Most High. This spiritual reawakening is not about hate, but about healing, identity, and truth.

Conclusion: A Call to Remember and Return

Our story is not one of defeat—it is one of prophecy, endurance, and redemption. As we remember the suffering of our ancestors, we must also embrace the responsibility of returning to the path of righteousness. Our past was painful, but it holds the key to our future.

Let us no longer be defined by the bywords of our captors, but by the Word of our Creator

black history, racism, the brown girl dilemma

Black History: Emmett Louis Till

“Let the world see what they did to my boy.”
— Mamie Till-Mobley, mother of Emmett Till

These photographs are the property of their respective owners.

The Face of Deception: Revisiting the Lynching of Emmett Till and the Lie That Cost a Life

In one of the most chilling and defining moments of the American civil rights movement, 14-year-old Emmett Louis Till became a symbol of racial injustice, brutality, and the deadly consequences of false accusations. In 1955, a white woman, Carolyn Bryant Donham, falsely accused the teenager of making inappropriate advances toward her—a lie that ultimately led to his abduction, torture, and lynching at the hands of her husband and his half-brother.

The truth behind that lie would not fully surface for more than six decades.

A Lie That Cost a Life

In the summer of 1955, Emmett Till traveled from his hometown of Chicago, Illinois to Money, Mississippi, to visit relatives. While there, he entered Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, where he encountered Carolyn Bryant, a 21-year-old white woman and the wife of store owner Roy Bryant.

What happened next has been the subject of myth, outrage, and decades of distortion. Carolyn Bryant initially claimed that Till had made lewd remarks, grabbed her hand, and whistled at her—an unthinkable offense in the Jim Crow South, where racial segregation and white supremacy ruled.

Three nights later, Roy Bryant and his half-brother, J.W. Milam, forcibly entered the home of Till’s great-uncle, Mose Wright, and abducted Emmett at gunpoint. Till was brutally beaten, tortured, shot in the head, and his mutilated body was tied with barbed wire to a 75-pound cotton gin fan and dumped in the Tallahatchie River. His corpse was discovered three days later.

When Emmett’s body was returned to Chicago, his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, made the courageous decision to hold an open-casket funeral, stating, “I wanted the world to see what they did to my boy.”

Photos of Till’s disfigured face, published in Jet Magazine, shocked the nation and galvanized the growing civil rights movement.

Decades Later: The Confession of a Lie

In 2007, author Timothy B. Tyson, while researching for his book The Blood of Emmett Till (Simon & Schuster, 2017), interviewed Carolyn Bryant Donham, who for the first time admitted that parts of her original story were untrue. She confessed that Emmett Till never physically touched or threatened her. Tyson wrote:

“She said, ‘Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.’“

This admission came more than 50 years too late. Neither Roy Bryant nor J.W. Milam ever faced justice; in fact, they openly confessed to the murder in a paid interview with Look Magazine in 1956, after being acquitted by an all-white jury. Double jeopardy laws protected them from being retried.

Donham’s late-life admission confirms what Black Americans had long known—that a white woman’s false testimony could mean a Black boy’s death, with impunity. The tragic irony is that justice was not delayed—it was denied.

A Pattern Still Seen Today

While Emmett Till’s story occurred nearly 70 years ago, it echoes in the modern era. The pattern of young Black men being killed due to suspicion, fear, or false accusation remains tragically relevant. From Trayvon Martin to Ahmaud Arbery, the legacy of racialized violence continues.

False accusations from white women have had lasting, deadly consequences—not just in the 20th century, but throughout American history. The archetype of the “dangerous Black man” and the “damsel in distress” has been weaponized to justify lynchings, wrongful imprisonments, and systemic injustice.

Even today, we are reminded that accountability for racial violence is rare, and white supremacy often wears a deceptively polite face.

The Historical Significance

The murder of Emmett Till became a catalyst for the civil rights movement. Just 100 days after his death, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, later saying:

“I thought of Emmett Till, and I couldn’t go back.”

His story is not just a tale of brutality; it is a reminder of the importance of truth, memory, and resistance. Carolyn Bryant Donham died in 2023, never having faced charges, but the truth she tried to suppress lives on—and so does the movement Emmett inspired.

Conclusion: A Legacy That Demands Remembrance

To forget Emmett Till is to repeat the sins of the past. His death was not merely a result of racism, but of a deliberate lie—a lie told by a woman whose conscience may have long been seared by guilt, yet who lived free while his mother buried her only son.

As Mamie Till-Mobley urged, “Let the world see.” We must continue to see, to remember, and to demand justice not only for Emmett, but for every victim of racial injustice past and present.

References:

  • Tyson, Timothy B. The Blood of Emmett Till. Simon & Schuster, 2017.
  • Devery S. Anderson. Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement. University Press of Mississippi, 2015.
  • Jet Magazine, Sept. 15, 1955 – Funeral photos.
  • Look Magazine, January 1956 – Interview with Milam and Bryant.
  • Vanity Fair. “The Woman Who Killed Emmett Till.” Jan 26, 2017.

Carolyn Donham accused Emmet Till of flirting with her in 1955 revealing for the first time that those claims were fabricated.  

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black history, the brown girl dilemma

Malcolm X delivers…

Excerpt from a speech given by Malcolm X at the University of Ghana, 13 May 1964.

“I don’t feel that I am a visitor in Ghana or in any part of Africa. I feel that I am at home. I’ve been away for four hundred years, [Laughter] but not of my own volition, not of my own will. Our people didn’t go to America on the Queen Mary, we didn’t go by Pan American, and we didn’t go to America on the Mayflower. We went in slave ships, we went in chains. We weren’t immigrants to America, we were cargo for purposes of a system that was bent upon making a profit. So this is the category or level of which I speak. I may not speak it in the language many of you would use, but I think you will understand the meaning of my terms.

When I was in Ibadan [in Nigeria] at the University of Ibadan last Friday night, the students there gave me a new name, which I go for—meaning I like it. [Laughter] Omowale, which they say means in Yoruba—if I am pronouncing that correctly, and if I am not pronouncing it correctly it’s because I haven’t had a chance to pronounce it for four hundred years [Laughter]—which means in that dialect, The child has returned. It was an honor for me to be referred to as a child who had sense enough to return to the land of his forefathers—to his fatherland and to his motherland. Not sent back here by the State Department, [Laughter] but come back here of my own free will.” [Applause]

— Malcolm X

colorism, skin lightening, the brown girl dilemma

Fair Is Lovely — The Color Complex and the Global Obsession with Light Skin.

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“My teenage years were plagued by the idea that light skin was better skin. There were adverts on TV … I felt that I was not considered beautiful because of my complexion. My self-worth was deeply compromised in those years.” –– Lupita Nyong’o

Throughout history, beauty has not merely been an aesthetic pursuit but a reflection of power, status, and identity. The modern obsession with light skin, despite its dangers and toxic implications, is one of the most telling examples of how deeply colonialism has shaped global perceptions of worth. Even in the face of severe health risks from mercury-based skin-whitening creams, millions continue to use them, driven by an invisible yet powerful ideology: that lighter is better.

To understand this fixation, one must first look to history. The global conquest of Europe during the colonial era redefined the hierarchy of human value. Through political domination, missionary education, and cultural imperialism, whiteness was not only privileged but sanctified. From Africa to Asia, and the Caribbean to Latin America, colonized people internalized the myth that white skin was the mark of civility, intelligence, and beauty (Hunter, 2007).

During the Renaissance period, this idealization of whiteness was reinforced through art, literature, and religion. White women were portrayed in paintings as divine, ethereal, and pure. Pale skin became a symbol of wealth and class, as only those who did not labor under the sun could afford to be fair. This visual narrative of “fairness equals virtue” became embedded in the social consciousness of the Western world (Glenn, 2008).

As colonialism expanded, these Eurocentric ideals traveled globally, becoming the beauty gospel imposed upon darker nations. Fair skin became not just a preference but a social passport. In many societies, lighter complexions opened doors to better marriage prospects, employment opportunities, and higher social standing. This stratification birthed what sociologists call colorism—a system of discrimination based on skin tone within one’s own race (Russell, Wilson & Hall, 2013).

In Asia, the legacy of colonialism and caste further reinforced this mindset. Skin-lightening creams became billion-dollar industries in countries like India, South Korea, and the Philippines. Advertisements depicted fair-skinned women as more successful, desirable, and confident, cementing the false equation between fairness and happiness. The slogan “Fair is Lovely,” once used by a leading Indian brand, became both a marketing triumph and a cultural tragedy.

Africa, too, bears the scars of this color complex. The introduction of European beauty standards during colonial occupation devalued the natural features of Black people. From hair texture to skin tone, everything dark was labeled “undesirable.” As a result, some individuals began using harmful bleaching agents to emulate European features, unaware that they were absorbing toxins and erasing the beauty of their own heritage (Charles, 2009).

In the Americas, the legacy of slavery compounded these issues. Enslaved Africans with lighter skin were often given preferential treatment, allowed to work in the master’s house rather than in the fields. This created divisions within the Black community that persist today, where lighter skin is often perceived as more acceptable or beautiful, echoing the “house slave versus field slave” dichotomy (Keith & Herring, 1991).

The psychological damage of colorism runs deep. It fosters self-hatred, envy, and a lifelong pursuit of unattainable beauty standards. The constant bombardment of light-skinned models in magazines, movies, and advertisements perpetuates the illusion that dark skin is something to overcome rather than embrace. The media, acting as the modern missionary, continues to preach the gospel of whiteness through filters, Photoshop, and casting decisions.

Yet, this obsession is not born of vanity alone—it is a byproduct of systemic conditioning. Generations have been raised to equate whiteness with success and darkness with deficiency. This internalized racism manifests as economic behavior: billions spent annually on skin-lightening products, surgeries, and treatments, often marketed as “brightening” or “toning” to disguise their true purpose (Glenn, 2008).

Spiritually, this phenomenon mirrors the biblical warning against conforming to worldly standards. Romans 12:2 (KJV) reminds believers: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The obsession with lightness is a form of conformity—a submission to a false idol of beauty that profits from insecurity.

Psychologically, the pursuit of lighter skin reflects an inferiority complex rooted in generational trauma. When an entire race has been told for centuries that they are less than human, the desire to approximate the oppressor’s image becomes a coping mechanism, albeit a destructive one. This cycle of psychological bondage mirrors the words of Proverbs 23:7 (KJV): “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Health-wise, the implications are severe. Mercury, hydroquinone, and corticosteroids—common in bleaching products—cause skin thinning, kidney failure, neurological damage, and in extreme cases, death. What begins as a quest for beauty often ends in tragedy, revealing the literal toxicity of self-rejection.

However, a global awakening is underway. Movements such as “Dark Is Beautiful” in India and “Melanin Poppin’” in the United States are reclaiming the beauty of darker tones. Black and brown creators are challenging the dominance of Eurocentric beauty on social media, promoting self-love, and redefining what it means to be beautiful.

The conversation around skin color is not merely cosmetic—it is cultural, political, and spiritual. To embrace one’s melanin is to resist centuries of indoctrination and to honor the divine craftsmanship of creation. Genesis 1:27 (KJV) declares, “So God created man in his own image.” If all shades come from God, then no shade is superior.

Media responsibility also plays a crucial role in dismantling this narrative. Representation matters. When darker-skinned women are seen as heroines, scholars, and leaders, they challenge the subconscious biases formed through decades of white-centered beauty imagery. Change in perception begins with visibility.

Economically, promoting natural beauty empowers local industries and rejects exploitative global beauty chains that profit from colonial residue. Supporting melanin-positive brands is an act of resistance—a declaration that beauty no longer bows to a Eurocentric ideal.

In conclusion, the obsession with fair skin is neither new nor benign. It is the residue of colonization, perpetuated through art, religion, and commerce. The solution lies in education, representation, and spiritual renewal. To reclaim beauty in all its shades is to reclaim one’s identity, worth, and freedom from psychological slavery.

When people learn to see themselves as God created them—fearfully and wonderfully made—the market for inferiority collapses. The true revolution begins not with lighter skin, but with enlightened minds.

References (APA 7th Edition)

Charles, C. A. D. (2009). Skin bleaching, self-hate, and black identity in Jamaica. Journal of Black Studies, 40(2), 153–170. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934708315587

Glenn, E. N. (2008). Yearning for lightness: Transnational circuits in the marketing and consumption of skin lighteners. Gender & Society, 22(3), 281–302. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243208316089

Hunter, M. (2007). The persistent problem of colorism: Skin tone, status, and inequality. Sociology Compass, 1(1), 237–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9020.2007.00006.x

Keith, V. M., & Herring, C. (1991). Skin tone and stratification in the Black community. American Journal of Sociology, 97(3), 760–778. https://doi.org/10.1086/229819

Russell, K., Wilson, M., & Hall, R. (2013). The Color Complex (Revised): The Politics of Skin Color Among African Americans. Anchor Books.

The Holy Bible, King James Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com

the brown girl dilemma

Who Do They Say We Are?

And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee. Deuteronomy 28:37

NIGGERS * SPICS *COONS * DARKIES * BLACK * UGLY * MULATTOS *FEEBLE MINDED * UNFIT * IMBECILES * IMMORAL * CRIMINAL * CATTLE * SLAVES
NEGROES * AFRO THIS OR THAT *MONKIES *  SAVAGES * COLORED *JUNGLE BUNNIES * DIRT *JIGABOOS * ANIMALS *WET BACKS * SPOOKS *SAMBOO * ASIATIC BLACK
MIXED * BIRACIAL* MULTIRACIAL * BURNT And so forth… Code words used to establish slavery.

We exist under the myriad complexities of slavery even today

1619-1834 Slaves
1834-1892 Coons/Colored
1892-1934 Niggers/Niggas
1934-1970 Boy/Africans
1970-1983 Afro Americans
1983-2002 Black Americans
2002-2016 African Americans 

The answer: Romans 12:1

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Beauty, modesty, the brown girl dilemma

Dilemma: Modesty

Photo by Speak Media Uganda on Pexels.com

Modest dressing refers to clothing choices that express dignity, humility, and self-respect, avoiding overly revealing or provocative attire. It is a conscious effort to present oneself in a way that does not draw sexual attention or objectify the body, but instead honors one’s character, values, and spiritual identity.

From a biblical and moral standpoint, modesty is not merely about how much skin is covered—it is about intention, discretion, and the desire to reflect inner virtue. Modesty embodies a heart posture of reverence, especially before God.

“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.”
— 1 Timothy 2:9–10, KJV

Cultural Application & a Modern Example

In the age of hypersexualized media, modesty can feel countercultural. Yet, some women in the public eye maintain elegance and dignity through modest fashion.

One example is Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex (especially during her early royal years). She is often praised for wearing sophisticated, understated outfits—dresses with high necklines, long sleeves, and below-the-knee lengths—demonstrating that class and beauty are not mutually exclusive. Another consistent example is Lupita Nyong’o, whose red carpet appearances often exude grace, simplicity, and cultural pride while honoring her body and heritage.

Other notable figures include:

  • Kate Middleton (Princess of Wales)
  • Yuna (Malaysian singer) – who wears a hijab and stylish, full-coverage outfits
  • Tabitha Brown – actress and influencer known for combining spirituality, kindness, and a modest appearance

These women illustrate that fashion can be beautiful and bold without being revealing.

The Power of Modesty: Respect from Men

When a woman dresses modestly, she often commands a different kind of attention—not one based on lust or fantasy, but on admiration, respect, and curiosity about her mind, values, and personality.

Modest clothing sends a message: “I am not for consumption—I am for covenant.”
It distinguishes a woman not by how much she reveals, but by what she reserves for the sacred.

“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.”
— Proverbs 4:25–26, KJV

A God-fearing man—one with integrity and vision—will be drawn to a woman’s discretion, not her display. He values character, not curves alone. When a woman covers her body, it invites honorable conversation, deeper connection, and reinforces self-worth.

The Apocrypha echoes this ideal:

“A modest wife adds charm to charm, and no balance can weigh the value of a chaste soul.”
— Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 26:15, RSVCE / Similar in KJV Apocrypha

In an era where minimal clothing is often mistaken for confidence and empowerment, I find myself drawn to a different standard—one rooted in elegance, restraint, and self-respect. As Ayesha Curry once remarked, “Everyone’s into barely wearing clothes these days, huh? Not my style. I like to keep the good stuff covered up for the one who matters.” Her words echo a truth rarely celebrated in modern culture: modesty is not repression—it is discernment.

The classy woman still exists, even in the age of social media where visibility is often equated with value, and the exposure of skin is seen as a currency for attention. While such displays may attract fleeting admiration or superficial engagement, one must ask: how many of these individuals embody the qualities that build lasting relationships, emotional depth, or covenant-level commitment?

Rather than allowing Hollywood or popular culture to define femininity, I look to women like Audrey Hepburn, whose timeless style and modest sophistication continue to inspire across generations. I first encountered Hepburn in the late 1990s, unaware of her legacy, but her grace, poise, and understated beauty captivated me. She exemplifies a kind of feminine dignity that transcends trends—a quiet power rooted not in exposure, but in character.

 

 

In today’s culture, women are often encouraged to equate their value with physical beauty, sensuality, and the strategic display of their bodies. Society subtly—and at times overtly—suggests that a woman’s influence lies in the sway of her hips, the exposure of her curves, and the ability to captivate a man’s attention with a single provocative glance. Even more troubling, this narrative is sometimes perpetuated by other women—even mothers—who advise young women to dress seductively as a means of gaining male validation.

Yet, there is something deeply admirable, even revolutionary, about a woman who chooses to present herself with humility, modesty, and reverence in a world obsessed with external appearance. To maintain dignity amid the noise of a culture that tells you to perform as if you have no Creator, no compass, and no soul—that is the mark of a rare and radiant spirit. Such a woman is a light in darkness, a witness to something greater than herself. Though she may be few in number, she exists—I am living proof.

To the woman who finds no shame in exposing her body through tight, revealing garments that draw attention to her chest, thighs, or even her intimate anatomy—please take a moment to reflect. Ask yourself honestly: What spirit is motivating these choices? Our actions, attire, and attitudes not only reflect our inner condition, but they influence others—especially the younger, more impressionable women and girls who look up to us, even if silently. Every young sister should be viewed as a daughter whose soul is worth protecting.

There is no virtue in flaunting what is common to all women. Breasts, thighs, and curves are not unique—what distinguishes you is not the physical, but the quality of your character. A man can find physical appeal anywhere, but what he cannot easily find is a woman who embodies both strength and virtue—a woman whose life reflects the attributes of the Most High. As the Scripture says:

“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”
— Proverbs 31:30, KJV

Character will sustain a relationship where physical attraction alone cannot. If you observe closely, many women who project overt sensuality often lack stability in their relationships and homes. By contrast, a woman clothed in wisdom and modesty not only honors herself but fosters spiritual order and generational influence.

Clothing that leaves nothing to the imagination—tight jeans, leggings, short dresses—does not empower. Rather, it reduces a woman to mere visual consumption. This kind of gratuitous exposure is the fashion equivalent of oversharing, and while it may attract attention, it rarely commands respect. We must recognize this: you know what you are doing, and so does the Most High, who sees the heart and will judge accordingly.

“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety…”
— 1 Timothy 2:9, KJV

Fashion, while often defended as self-expression, can be an outward manifestation of inner brokenness or rebellion. When our clothing choices are designed to provoke lust or manipulate attention, they reveal not freedom, but a spiritual disorder—a departure from our original, sacred design.

Let us then return to modesty, not as repression, but as a form of worship, a testimony of self-respect, and a reflection of the image of the Most High within us. May our beauty be inward, incorruptible, and timeless.

 
To be treated like a lady you must dress like a lady. Mothers teach your daughters to be respectful ladies to cover their bodies which is pleasing in the eyes of the Most High. This photograph is the property of its respective owners.
 
 

A Hidden Wisdom: Virtue Above Vanity

Let me unveil a timeless yet often unspoken truth: the superficial admiration of men—whether in social media comments or passing glances—does not equate to genuine respect. A multitude of likes from lustful men, mesmerized by curves, painted faces, and exposed thighs, does not signify honor. In reality, such attention frequently degrades rather than uplifts; in their carnal minds, the woman becomes not a cherished vessel of virtue, but an object for consumption—a “whore,” a “thot,” or a fleeting fantasy in the thoughts of whoremongers.

“Give not thy mind over to harlots, that thou lose not thine inheritance.”
— Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 9:6, KJV Apocrypha

Many women today desire to feel beautiful and admired—it is natural. But the pursuit of respect, dignity, and lasting love must surpass the fleeting thrill of sexual validation. Beauty, in its most noble and sacred form, is found in modesty. A righteous man, one who fears the Most High, will never truly love a woman whose value is solely rooted in physical display. For a man who honors God seeks not the body alone, but the mind, the soul, and the spirit of a woman.

“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”
— Proverbs 31:30, KJV

Let this be known: true power is not found in the revealing of one’s body, but in the concealing of one’s worth for one deserving. A woman does not need to parade her flesh to prove her femininity. She need not sleep with a man to earn affection, nor should she raise her voice to be heard, nor lower a man to feel elevated. She does not need to argue to demonstrate intelligence, nor seduce to gain appreciation. Her worth is affirmed in silence, in virtue, and in her pursuit of righteousness.

“There is a shame which bringeth sin; and there is a shame which is glory and grace.”
— Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 4:21, KJV Apocrypha

The woman of virtue is not moved by temporary admiration but is rooted in sacred discipline. She treasures chastity, guards her body, and seeks wisdom as her adornment.

“As the sun when it ariseth in the high heaven; so is the beauty of a good wife in the ordering of her house.”
— Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 26:16, KJV Apocrypha

Dear sister, understand this: a man of God—a true king—does not chase sensual images. He is drawn to the woman who knows her worth and walks in the commandments of the Most High. He seeks a helpmeet, not a harlot; a Proverbs 31 woman, not an Instagram model.

“A silent and loving woman is a gift of the Lord; and there is nothing so much worth as a mind well instructed.”
— Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 26:14, KJV Apocrypha

You do not need to unbutton your blouse to open a man’s heart. You do not need to spread your legs to be cherished. But you must open your Bible and saturate yourself in the Word of Life—for in that discipline, your king will find you.

True queens are not self-proclaimed—they are heaven-ordained.

 

Examples of “Modest Dressing”

 

All photographs are the property of their respective owners.
 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Conclusion

Modesty is not oppression; it is protection, preservation, and proclamation of one’s inner worth. In a world obsessed with exposure, the woman who veils her body unveils her value. She is a beacon of wisdom in a culture of vanity.

the brown girl dilemma, www.thebrowngirldilemma.com

Dilemma: Racism

What do they say we are….

NIGGERS * SPICS *COONS * DARKIES * BLACK * UGLY * MULATTOS *FEEBLE MINDED * UNFIT * IMBECILES * IMMORAL * CRIMINAL * CATTLE * SLAVES NEGROES * AFRO THIS OR THAT *MONKIES * SAVAGES * COLORED *JUNGLE BUNNIES * DIRT *JIGABOOS * ANIMALS *WET BACKS * SPOOKS *SAMBOO * ASIATIC BLACK MIXED * BIRACIAL* MULTIRACIAL * BURNT And so forth… Code words used to establish slavery.

This photograph is the property of its respective owner.

The differentness of races, moreover, is no evidence of superiority or of inferiority. This merely indicates that each race has certain gifts which the others do not possess. — Carter G. Woodson

“Race is not a biological reality but a social concept—a powerful illusion.”
— California Newsreel, “Race: The Power of an Illusion”

The Grand Illusion of Race and the Legacy of Racism

Racism remains the most pervasive and destructive force in modern civilization—a persistent “elephant in the room” that continues to inform systems of oppression, injustice, and inequality. It is the progenitor of slavery, the father of colorism, and the cornerstone of a worldview rooted in false hierarchies of human worth. Racism, in its purest form, is the deeply ingrained belief that racial groups possess inherent differences in qualities or abilities, and that these differences justify unequal treatment or social dominance. This belief system, which asserts the superiority of one race over another, has served as the ideological foundation for centuries of colonization, brutality, and social division.

At the heart of racism lies the construct of race itself, which scholars have long demonstrated is not rooted in biology but in social fabrication. The so-called “races” of humanity are, in fact, an artificial system of classification, developed to rationalize systems of power and privilege. The landmark PBS documentary Race: The Power of an Illusion (2003) explains that human genetic variation is superficial at best—there are no genetic markers exclusive to any one race. Instead, traits such as skin color, facial structure, or hair texture are inherited independently and do not correlate with cognitive or moral capacity (California Newsreel, 2003).

The American institution of chattel slavery was perhaps the most significant catalyst in the global entrenchment of racial ideology. Slavery required the dehumanization of African people—turning them into property—and this was justified by pseudo-scientific claims of racial inferiority. These ideas birthed and fueled colorism, a derivative of racism that privileges lighter skin even within communities of color, reinforcing hierarchies based on proximity to whiteness.

To understand how this illusion persists, we must first expose it. “Race” as a category exists to serve political and economic agendas—not truth. As the anthropologist Audrey Smedley (2007) noted, race is “a folk ideology,” invented in the 17th century to justify the social order of European expansion and the transatlantic slave trade.

This deeply entrenched deception leads to cultural disorientation, especially for historically oppressed peoples. When individuals are disconnected from their origins, their histories, and their spiritual significance, they become vulnerable to narratives imposed upon them by others. The ancient Hebrew text affirms this reality:

“Ye were sold to the nations, not for your destruction: but because ye moved God to wrath, ye were delivered unto the enemies.”
— Baruch 4:6, Apocrypha

This verse speaks to divine consequences but also affirms identity and value—the people were not destroyed, merely displaced.

Today, the ideology of race continues to fuel disparities in education, health, economics, and justice. Its endurance is not due to any empirical truth but because societies have bought into a myth, perpetuated by media, education, and institutions. If race is a lie, racism is a belief in that lie—an attitude born from ignorance and sustained by fear and silence.

Ultimately, liberation begins with truth. Once we dismantle the illusion of race, we create space for healing, equity, and restoration.

 

 

“Race” as Illusion, Racism as Truth: A Global History of Black Oppression

 

“We know that ‘race’ is not a biological reality but a social tool—an illusion crafted to categorize, divide, and suppress.”
— Audrey Smedley & Brian Smedley, 2007

1. What Is Racism—and How It Functions

Racism is more than prejudice; it is a structured belief system that posits the existence of distinct human races with inherent differences in worth, ability, and moral standing. At its core is the assertion that one race—typically white—stands superior, legitimizing practices of violence, exclusion, and exclusionary power.

Colorism, an offspring of racism, assigns varied value even within communities of color—privileging lighter skin tones while denigrating darker ones. These systems evolved during American chattel slavery, where light-skinned enslaved people were granted relative privilege, while darker-skinned individuals were relegated to harsher conditions.

2. Slavery: The Global Catalyst of Race-Based Hatred

Slavery in the Americas began in earnest around 1619, when Africans were forcibly brought to the New World, stripped of identity, and dehumanized for economic gain. They endured brutal treatment—beatings, rape, forced labor, and psychological terror—for centuries. Even after the Emancipation Proclamation (1862), the legacy of bondage evolved into Jim Crow, mass lynchings, segregation, and economic subjugation.

In Natchez, Mississippi, a post‑Civil War refugee camp known as the Devil’s Punchbowl housed thousands of freed Black people under horrendous conditions—disease, starvation, and neglect led to thousands of deaths (estimates range from 2,000 to 20,000) TRT WorldWikipedia.

3. Human Zoos, Colonialism, and King Leopold’s Congo

From the 1800s through the mid-20th century, Western “human zoos” exhibited Black and Indigenous people in Europe and America as exotic curiosities—living in fabricated villages, mimicking rituals, and displayed alongside animals in grotesque spectacles DW News+2Deutsche Welle+2The Sun+2.

Most egregiously, under King Leopold II of Belgium, 267 Congolese men, women, and children were exhibited at the Tervuren World’s Fair in 1897, seven of whom died. His regime in the Congo Free State (1885–1908) involved forced labor, systematic brutality, and amputations, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1–13 million people France 24+6Wikipedia+6bdnews24.com+6.

These events normalized the idea of Black people as sub-human, used to justify colonialism, apartheid, and segregation. Pseudo-scientific racial classification and craniometry were often used to reinforce racist hierarchies Deutsche Welle+3France 24+3DW News+3.

4. Colorism and Legacy: Today’s Bywords

Today, Black people are still referred to by degrading terms—n*****r, darkie, coon, mulatto, field slave, savage, and more. Such labels have origins in slavery and reinforce social hierarchy. Even within Black communities, colorism persists—lighter skin often equates to socioeconomic advantages, a phenomenon rooted in slave-era preferential treatment.

5. Modern Persecution: Police Violence and Systemic Inequality

Racism continues under the guise of legal and institutional power. The murder of George Floyd in 2020— asphyxiated by police officer Derek Chauvin—triggered worldwide outrage and calls for justice. Floyd’s death is part of a pattern: in 2021, Black Americans comprised 27% of those fatally shot by police, even though they are just 13% of the U.S. population.

Countless others—Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and more—have experienced brutality and had justice repeatedly denied (e.g., mistrial or acquittal of the officers) .

6. Identity Restoration: The Real Jews and Chosen Lineage

Some scholars and communities argue that Black people, particularly descendants of the enslaved Israelites, are the true heirs of the original Hebrew covenant—the chosen people. This belief includes theological affirmation of identity and the spiritual trauma inflicted by slavery.

7. The Horror of Infant Torture

Among the most horrific records of cruelty are accounts claiming that Black infants were fed to alligators, used as bait in Florida, a practice that symbolizes ultimate dehumanization. While specific documentation is limited, this narrative underscores centuries of systemic brutality and moral reprehension.

Conclusion: From Demonization to Dignity

Racism is not merely ideology—it is the engine of oppression, designed to devalue and destroy. It thrives on illusions of race, hierarchy, and otherness. Its consequences have spanned continents, centuries, and generations—from Congo to the Devil’s Punchbowl, from European human zoos to modern police brutality.

To disrupt it, we must deconstruct its illusions and restore identity: reclaim histories, reject bywords, and affirm the sacred humanity and sovereignty of Black people everywhere.

📚 References