The Civil Rights Movement was one of the most transformative periods in American history. Spanning from 1954 to 1968, it represented a moral and legal battle for racial equality, dignity, and justice for Black Americans long oppressed under the shadow of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism. With grassroots courage, spiritual leadership, and national reckoning, the movement dismantled Jim Crow laws, challenged white supremacy, and redefined the conscience of a nation.
Origins of the Movement
The modern Civil Rights Movement began in earnest with the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Yet resistance in the South was fierce, with white politicians, police, and citizens clinging to Jim Crow customs that banned Black people from using the same restrooms, water fountains, buses, restaurants, and schools as white people.
This apartheid-like system was enforced through humiliation, economic retaliation, and police brutality.
Key Leaders and Organizations
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as the moral compass of the movement. A Baptist minister from Atlanta, Georgia, King rose to national prominence during the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–56), which followed the arrest of Rosa Parks, a Black woman who refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. King later founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and led nonviolent campaigns across the South—including in Birmingham, Selma, and Washington, D.C.
In his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech (1963), King called for a nation where people would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. His philosophy of nonviolence, inspired by Jesus and Gandhi, stood in stark contrast to the brutality Black Americans faced.
Rosa Parks
Often called “the mother of the civil rights movement,” Rosa Parks’ simple act of defiance became a catalyst for mass protest. Her arrest sparked the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott, which crippled the city’s economy and led to the desegregation of its bus system.
Medgar Evers
Medgar Evers, a World War II veteran and NAACP field secretary in Mississippi, worked tirelessly to investigate lynchings and push for school integration. He was assassinated outside his home in 1963 by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith, becoming a martyr for the movement.
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson, a young activist and close associate of King, founded Operation PUSH and later the Rainbow Coalition, focusing on economic empowerment and political inclusion. He marched with King and continued advocating for civil rights and racial justice for decades.
White Allies
Not all white Americans opposed the movement. Many, including Jewish activists and Christian clergy, joined protests, marches, and even lost their lives—such as Viola Liuzzo, murdered by the Klan after Selma, and Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, killed with James Chaney in Mississippi during Freedom Summer.
Other Influential Groups
Malcolm X
Though not part of the mainstream civil rights leadership, Malcolm X of the Nation of Islam was a vital voice. He criticized the passive approach of nonviolence, advocating for Black self-defense, racial pride, and liberation by any means necessary. His evolution toward Pan-African unity and human rights broadened the scope of the Black struggle.
The Black Panther Party
Founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, the Black Panther Party combined militant resistance with community programs—like free breakfasts and medical clinics. They stood against police brutality, which in the 1960s often included attacks with dogs, water hoses, and nightsticks, particularly during protests in Birmingham and Selma.
Police Brutality and Resistance
Black protesters often faced militarized repression. Peaceful marchers in Birmingham (1963) were attacked with police dogs and high-pressure fire hoses, scenes that shocked the world. In Selma (1965), on “Bloody Sunday,” marchers were beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by Alabama state troopers. Police routinely abused, jailed, and sometimes murdered activists. The justice system largely protected white aggressors.
Major Legislative Achievements
The movement forced monumental legal changes:
Civil Rights Act of 1964 – outlawed segregation and workplace discrimination.
Voting Rights Act of 1965 – banned literacy tests and protected Black voting rights.
Fair Housing Act of 1968 – outlawed housing discrimination.
These victories were hard-won through protest, litigation, and bloodshed.
Assassinations and Political Turmoil
Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, by James Earl Ray. His death sparked nationwide riots and mourning. President John F. Kennedy, who had cautiously supported civil rights and proposed legislation before his assassination in 1963, was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald (officially). His successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, signed many civil rights laws into action.
Controversies and Legacy
FBI files later revealed that J. Edgar Hoover’s COINTELPRO sought to discredit King and other Black leaders. Allegations surfaced of King’s infidelity, possibly manipulated through illegal surveillance. Though claims exist that he was involved with prostitutes, these remain contested and ethically questionable due to FBI tampering. King’s wife, Coretta Scott King, a dignified civil rights leader in her own right, continued his legacy with grace. They had four children and maintained close ties with the gospel community, including Aretha Franklin’s father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, who was a friend of King.
Did It Make a Difference?
Yes—and no. The Civil Rights Movement ended legal segregation and created frameworks for equality. Black voter registration soared, Black elected officials increased, and legal protections were codified. But racism did not end. Today, systemic inequality persists through mass incarceration, housing discrimination, economic disparity, and police violence.
Yet the movement planted seeds of resistance, dignity, and unity that endure in modern movements like Black Lives Matter, and in the resilience of Black communities across America.
Conclusion
The Civil Rights Movement was a righteous uprising against injustice, born of centuries of suffering and sanctified by the blood of martyrs. Led by both preachers and Panthers, men and women, Black and white allies, the movement shattered chains both literal and psychological. It did not end racism—but it changed the law, awakened a nation, and inspired the world.
As King once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” The bending continues.
References
Branch, T. (1988). Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954–63. Simon & Schuster.
Carson, C. (1998). The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Warner Books.
Fairclough, A. (2001). Better Day Coming: Blacks and Equality, 1890-2000. Penguin.
Garrow, D. J. (1986). Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Harper Perennial.
Malcolm X & Haley, A. (1965). The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Grove Press.
Tyson, T. B. (2004). Blood Done Sign My Name. Crown.
Williams, J. (2013). Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965. Penguin Books.
This photograph is the property of its respective owner.
Throughout history and across continents, skin tone has functioned as more than a biological trait—it has been weaponized as a social currency. Pigmentocracy, a term used to describe a social system in which status and privilege are distributed according to skin color, persists as a subtle yet powerful force that governs the lives of people of color across the globe. Rooted in colonial conquest and racial ideology, pigmentocracy maintains a stratified racial order in which lighter-skinned individuals occupy higher social positions, while those with darker skin tones are systematically marginalized. This essay explores the origins, manifestations, and consequences of pigmentocracy—especially within Black communities—and examines its relationship to colorism, media representation, social mobility, and global racial hierarchies.
“Pigmentocracy is the silent architect of racial division—a hierarchy built not just on color, but on the invisible weight of colonial trauma.” —Dr. Margaret Hunter, Sociologist
Origins and Definition of Pigmentocracy
Pigmentocracy derives from the Latin pigmentum (color) and the Greek kratos (rule or power), meaning “rule by skin color.” Though the term was popularized in the 20th century by scholars like Venezuelan sociologist Fernando Henríquez and further developed by researchers such as Dr. Edward Telles, the ideology behind pigmentocracy dates back centuries. During colonial rule in the Americas, Europe established caste systems that ranked people according to racial mixing and skin tone, with lighter, European features correlating with higher status. The Spanish casta system, for example, created over a dozen racial categories, elevating whiteness and subjugating those with darker skin.
This system became entrenched not only in law but also in psychology and economics. Slavery, apartheid, Jim Crow, and segregation all functioned on the premise that whiteness was supreme and blackness inferior. Within this structure, pigmentocracy served to divide enslaved and colonized peoples by elevating those with lighter complexions—often the result of rape or mixed heritage—as overseers, house servants, or social intermediaries. The legacy of this system continues to influence the sociopolitical landscapes of nations today.
Pigmentocracy and Colorism
Pigmentocracy is intimately linked to colorism, which refers to discrimination based on skin tone within the same racial or ethnic group. While racism targets individuals across racial categories, colorism reinforces hierarchies within those groups, granting unearned privilege to individuals who possess lighter skin or Eurocentric features. These phenomena reinforce one another: pigmentocracy creates the structure, while colorism sustains it through interpersonal and cultural bias.
In Black communities, colorism often surfaces in beauty standards, educational access, and romantic desirability. Lighter-skinned individuals may be perceived as more attractive, employable, or intelligent, while darker-skinned people face heightened criminalization, poverty, and exclusion. The consequences are both material and psychological—impacting self-worth, identity formation, and economic opportunity.
Stages of Pigmentocratic Impact
The effects of pigmentocracy unfold in four critical stages:
Colonial Codification: European colonists used skin tone to divide and rule, embedding color-based hierarchies into legal systems.
Institutional Reproduction: Post-slavery societies reinforced skin tone hierarchies through employment, education, and housing discrimination.
Cultural Internalization: Within communities of color, lighter skin becomes a subconscious standard of beauty and success.
Modern Globalization: Skin-lightening industries, Western media dominance, and globalized beauty norms continue to uphold the supremacy of light skin across continents.
Global and Cultural Examples
In the United States, sociologist Ellis Monk (2015) found that darker-skinned African Americans face greater economic disadvantage, harsher criminal sentencing, and more health disparities than their lighter-skinned peers. In Brazil, often hailed for its racial “mixing,” skin tone still dictates access to jobs, education, and social networks. India’s deeply entrenched caste system and obsession with fair skin has fueled a billion-dollar skin-lightening industry, while in the Philippines, colonial legacies have left a preference for Eurocentric beauty that permeates advertising and cinema.
Celebrities and the Visibility of Pigmentocracy
In the world of entertainment and media, pigmentocracy is glaringly apparent:
Zendaya, a light-skinned Black actress, has acknowledged the privilege her complexion affords her in casting opportunities, often referred to as “acceptable Blackness” in Hollywood.
Beyoncé, with her lighter skin and blonde hair, has become a global icon, but some critics argue her image conforms to Eurocentric standards that marginalize darker-skinned artists.
Lupita Nyong’o, a dark-skinned actress and activist, has spoken openly about being teased for her skin tone and how she did not see herself represented in media growing up.
In Latin American telenovelas, white or light-skinned actors are consistently cast in leading roles, while darker-skinned Afro-Latinos are relegated to comedic or servant parts.
These examples reflect a system that not only limits opportunities for those with darker skin but actively shapes societal ideals and expectations.
Social Mobility and Racial Hierarchy
Pigmentocracy directly influences social mobility. Lighter-skinned individuals often experience:
Greater access to higher education and employment opportunities
Increased wealth accumulation and professional advancement
Better treatment by law enforcement and healthcare providers
Meanwhile, darker-skinned individuals are frequently relegated to the lowest rungs of the social order. Research has consistently shown that employers favor lighter-skinned candidates, even when qualifications are identical (Hunter, 2007).
Globally, white Europeans occupy the top of the racial hierarchy, with groups perceived as closer to whiteness—such as light-skinned Asians or Latinos—ranking above Black, Indigenous, or dark-skinned populations. This racial ordering maintains white supremacy under the guise of color-neutral meritocracy.
The Psychological Toll and the Call for Change
The psychological toll of pigmentocracy includes internalized racism, self-hatred, and generational trauma. Many Black and Brown children grow up without seeing themselves as beautiful, worthy, or powerful. This invisibility fosters feelings of inferiority and perpetuates cycles of poverty and marginalization.
The solution lies in education, representation, and cultural reprogramming. Schools must teach the true history of colonialism and racism, including the nuances of colorism. Media must expand representation to include diverse shades and features. Communities must affirm the value of dark skin, reframe standards of beauty, and dismantle internalized bias.
Dr. Yaba Blay, a leading scholar on skin tone and identity, insists:
“Until we address the internalized white supremacy that is colorism, we will continue to see ourselves through the gaze of our oppressors.”
Conclusion
Pigmentocracy is not a relic of the past; it is a living, evolving system of inequality that continues to shape the destinies of millions. Its roots in colonialism, its entanglement with colorism, and its reach across cultures and continents make it one of the most insidious social hierarchies in modern history. Addressing this issue requires not only systemic reforms but a radical reimagining of identity, beauty, and worth. Until every shade is seen as equally human and divine, the architecture of pigmentocracy will remain intact—and its silent rule will continue to divide, diminish, and oppress.
References
Blay, Y. (2021). One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race. Beacon Press.
Monk, E. P., Jr. (2015). The cost of color: Skin color, discrimination, and health among African-Americans. American Journal of Sociology, 121(2), 396–444. https://doi.org/10.1086/682162
Russell, K., Wilson, M., & Hall, R. E. (1992). The color complex: The politics of skin color among African Americans. Anchor Books.
Telles, E. E. (2014). Pigmentocracies: Ethnicity, race, and color in Latin America. University of North Carolina Press.
In modern discourse, the term “-isms” refers to a collection of belief systems rooted in prejudice, discrimination, and social hierarchy. These ideologies—racism, sexism, colorism, lookism, featurism, ableism, ageism, classism, and others—are not merely isolated biases; they are embedded in the structures of society, influencing everything from policy to personal interactions. Understanding these “-isms” requires an examination of their definitions, psychological roots, real-world implications, and the pathway toward liberation.
1. Defining the “-Isms” and Their Prejudicial Nature
Racism
Racism is the belief that one race is inherently superior to others. It manifests in systemic inequality, police brutality, housing discrimination, and educational disparities. Example: The over-policing and incarceration of Black men in America reflect institutional racism.
Sexism
Sexism involves discrimination based on gender, particularly against women and gender-nonconforming individuals. Example: Women being paid less than men for the same work or being underrepresented in leadership roles.
Colorism
Colorism refers to the preferential treatment of lighter skin over darker skin, often within the same racial group. Example: Lighter-skinned Black individuals may be perceived as more “professional” or “attractive” than darker-skinned individuals.
Lookism
Lookism is the bias against individuals based on physical appearance, especially when they do not conform to societal standards of beauty. Example: Attractive people are often more likely to be hired, promoted, or favored socially.
Featurism
Featurism involves discrimination based on facial or bodily features, often tied to Eurocentric beauty standards. Example: Natural Black hairstyles or broader noses being considered “unprofessional” in workplaces.
Ableism
Ableism is prejudice against people with disabilities, whether physical, mental, or neurological. Example: Buildings lacking ramps or employers assuming individuals with disabilities are less competent.
Ageism
Ageism includes biases against individuals based on age, whether young or elderly. Example: Older adults being overlooked for jobs or leadership positions due to assumptions about technological incompetence.
Classism
Classism is discrimination based on socioeconomic status. It creates unjust barriers for low-income individuals in education, healthcare, and justice. Example: Poor students attending underfunded schools, or being stereotyped as lazy or unmotivated.
2. Bias Behind the -Isms: Psychological Foundations
Psychologically, the “isms” stem from implicit bias, social conditioning, and in-group favoritism. According to social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), individuals tend to categorize themselves and others into groups, favoring those like themselves. These biases are often unconscious and reinforced by media, culture, and family norms. Cognitive shortcuts (heuristics) also cause people to make rapid judgments, which can be tainted by stereotypes.
3. Impact on the Workforce, Decision-Making, and Society
The “isms” shape everything from hiring practices to healthcare access. For instance:
Hiring Bias: A study by Bertrand & Mullainathan (2004) found that résumés with White-sounding names received 50% more callbacks than those with African American names.
Healthcare Disparities: Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than White women (CDC, 2021).
Decision-Making: Boards, leadership teams, and policymakers often reflect majority cultures, perpetuating exclusion through unconscious bias and systemic design.
The result is structural inequality, where marginalized groups—especially Black communities—face barriers not due to individual lack of ability, but because of systemic oppression.
4. The “Isms” and the Black Community
The Black community bears a disproportionate burden of these intersecting prejudices:
Racism leads to police violence, economic marginalization, and mass incarceration.
Colorism and featurism create internalized self-hatred and divisions within the community.
Classism affects access to wealth-building opportunities.
Sexism and misogynoir (a term coined by Moya Bailey) harm Black women through unique forms of racialized sexism.
Ableism and ageism leave vulnerable members of the community without support or representation.
The cumulative effect is intergenerational trauma, identity fragmentation, and a survival-based rather than thriving-based existence.
5. Deliverance and Rising Above the “Isms”
Liberation begins with conscious awareness, critical education, and spiritual transformation. Here are strategies to dismantle internal and external systems of prejudice:
1. Self-Education and Unlearning
Read literature on race, gender, and equity (e.g., bell hooks, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin).
Examine personal biases and deconstruct internalized oppression.
2. Community Empowerment
Support community organizations that challenge systemic injustice.
Create spaces for healing, mentorship, and economic growth.
3. Biblical Perspective on Liberation
The Bible calls for justice and equity:
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” — Micah 6:8 (KJV)
Scripture affirms the dignity of every person, regardless of status or appearance. In Christ, “there is neither Jew nor Greek… male nor female… for you are all one” (Galatians 3:28). This does not erase identity but calls for unity in justice and love.
4. Role Models and Representation
Men and women with strong moral leadership—mentors, fathers, elders, and educators—play a crucial role in reestablishing values. Black male role models are especially vital to reframe narratives around fatherhood, manhood, and provision. As author and activist Hill Harper said:
“Being a provider is not just about money. It’s about being emotionally, spiritually, and physically present.”
Conclusion: From Oppression to Empowerment
The “-isms” are not merely concepts—they are lived realities with devastating consequences. They shape how we see ourselves, how we treat others, and how systems operate. For the Black community, overcoming these barriers is not only a matter of survival but of revival. Through education, spiritual grounding, collective action, and love for self and community, it is possible to rise above the weight of prejudice and reclaim dignity, purpose, and liberation.
References:
Bertrand, M., & Mullainathan, S. (2004). Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? American Economic Review.
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.
The Masculine Perfection series is a curated celebration of Black male excellence — a tribute to the men whose presence, talent, and character embody strength, beauty, purpose, and divine craftsmanship. This collection goes beyond surface-level admiration. It explores the full essence of manhood: physical allure, emotional depth, artistic mastery, spiritual grounding, intellectual achievement, and the cultural impact each man leaves on the world.
At its core, the series highlights Black men who have become icons in film, music, athletics, literature, leadership, and entertainment. These men possess magnetic features, powerful physiques, regal bearing, and the kind of inner discipline that shapes greatness. Each profile honors not only their looks, but the stories, struggles, victories, and virtues that forged them.
Through richly written biographies, career retrospectives, personal-life insights, and social commentary, the Masculine Perfection series elevates these men as examples of Black masculine brilliance — men who inspire, protect, create, lead, and shine. Each installment is crafted to showcase the unique beauty of the Black man: his heritage, his endurance, his artistry, his fatherhood, his relationships, his impact, and his legacy.
Masculine Perfection is more than admiration. It is a declaration: Black men are powerful. Black men are exceptional. Black men are worthy of honor. Black men are divine masterpieces.
Examples of some of the (Celebrities) from the series:
Looks & Appeal: Known as one of the most handsome men of his era, with smooth features, a commanding presence, and a style that exudes sophistication. His facial symmetry, warm smile, and refined demeanor made him instantly recognizable and admired.
Why masculine perfection: Blends style, poise, and gravitas with charm and professionalism.
Reference: IMDb, Williams, B. D. biography
2. Shemar Moore (Actor & Model)
Traits & Career: Charismatic, disciplined, hardworking, compassionate, philanthropic. Famous for Criminal Minds and S.W.A.T.
Looks & Appeal: Tall, athletic, and exceptionally handsome, with chiseled features, deep expressive eyes, and a warm, magnetic smile. His presence exudes confidence, strength, and charm, making him a modern heartthrob.
Why masculine perfection: Combines talent, discipline, charm, and physical appeal with a relatable, grounded personality.
Reference: IMDb, Biography.com
3. L.L. Cool J (Actor & Musician)
Traits & Career: Discipline, resilience, versatility, family devotion, mentorship.
Looks & Appeal: Athletic build, strong jawline, and magnetic presence. His combination of rugged masculinity and refined style—often in tailored suits or casual street-smart fashion—makes him visually striking and iconic.
Family: Has 4 children.
Why masculine perfection: Strength, charisma, and physical appeal complement his integrity and career success.
Looks & Appeal: Tall, muscular, and statuesque with chiseled features and expressive eyes that convey depth and intensity. His presence is both commanding and approachable, combining strength with refinement.
Why masculine perfection: Physical prowess and striking appearance enhance his inner integrity and leadership qualities.
Reference: IMDb, Essence magazine interviews
5. Phillip Michael Thomas (Actor & Musician)
Traits & Career: Charisma, professionalism, cultural influence, vision.
Looks & Appeal: Handsome, smooth, and stylish with a classic 1980s charm. His expressive eyes, warm smile, and elegant posture made him a standout on screen and in public appearances.
Why masculine perfection: Blends charm, elegance, and talent with visual appeal that commands attention.
Reference: IMDb, Biography.com
6. Kenneth Okolie (Actor & Model)
Traits & Career: Discipline, elegance, resilience, cultural representation.
Looks & Appeal: Tall, well-built, and photogenic with strong facial symmetry and an elegant style. His modeling background amplifies his visual appeal, blending physical beauty with professionalism.
Why masculine perfection: Exemplifies modern African masculinity through talent, charm, and striking appearance.
“Two months ago I had a nice apartment in Chicago. I had a good job. I had a son. When something happened to the Negroes in the South, I said, ‘That’s their business, not mine.’ Now I know how wrong I was. The death of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of us all.” — Mamie Till-Mobley, mother of Emmett Till
The Enduring Psychological Toll of Racism in America: A Historical and Modern Analysis
The legacy of racism in the United States continues to weigh heavily on the collective psyche of Black Americans. It is a pervasive system of oppression built upon centuries of dehumanization, violence, and systemic inequality. Though many argue racism is a relic of the past, the evidence—historical and contemporary—speaks otherwise.
Racism in America, unlike any other place, is deeply entrenched in the nation’s foundation. It operates not only as individual prejudice but as an institutionalized structure designed to benefit one racial group at the expense of another. From slavery and segregation to police brutality and mass incarceration, the arc of American history is littered with examples of how racism manifests and mutates across generations.
Historically, the Atlantic slave trade forcibly removed millions of Africans from their homeland beginning in 1619, initiating a legacy of exploitation and trauma. These enslaved individuals were subjected to horrific abuse: forced labor without compensation, brutal beatings, rape, and psychological degradation. Slave children, especially in Southern states like Florida, were sometimes used as alligator bait—one of the most grotesque examples of dehumanization in American history (Strouse, 2013).
The Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 may have ended slavery legally, but not socially or economically. Racism merely evolved into new forms—Black Codes, Jim Crow laws, and violent white supremacist movements like the Ku Klux Klan. In Natchez, Mississippi, more than 20,000 freed Black individuals were reportedly buried in mass graves in what is now known as “The Devil’s Punchbowl” (Alsaudamir, 2017). This continued violence and neglect have fostered an atmosphere of trauma and distrust that persists today.
A poignant example of racial injustice is the case of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy from Chicago who was lynched in 1955 while visiting Mississippi. Accused by Carolyn Bryant Donham, a white woman, of making improper advances toward her, Till was later abducted, mutilated, and murdered by two white men, J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant. In a 2007 interview, Donham admitted that her claims were fabricated (Tyson, 2017). This case—one of the most infamous in American history—symbolizes the deadly consequences of racial lies and judicial indifference. Like many Black victims of violence, Emmett Till received no justice.
Racism is not confined to the past. In recent years, countless Black men and women—George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others—have been killed or brutalized by police. According to a study in Race and Justice (DeAngelis), Black individuals are disproportionately affected by police violence. Mapping Police Violence (2022) found that Black people made up 27% of those fatally shot by police in 2021, despite being only 13% of the U.S. population (Dunn, 2022).
The criminal justice system reflects this same disparity. Black individuals are incarcerated at more than twice the rate of white individuals (Wertheimer, 2023). These statistics are not coincidental—they are the result of structural inequalities that permeate education, housing, employment, and health care.
In Mississippi, racism remains especially visceral. The story of Rasheem Carter, a young Black man who told his mother that he was being harassed by white men before his body was found mutilated and decapitated, underscores the continued threat faced by Black Americans. Despite Carter’s multiple pleas for help to local authorities, his death has been dismissed as “no foul play,” a claim his family and legal team strongly contest (Carter & Negussie, 2023).
Such incidents are not isolated. Racism in America is systemic, not anecdotal.
Even within the Black community, the legacy of slavery has left a psychological scar in the form of colorism—the preferential treatment of lighter-skinned individuals over those with darker complexions. This bias was deliberately fostered during slavery, where lighter-skinned slaves, often the offspring of rape, were favored with housework while darker-skinned slaves were relegated to field labor. The infamous Willie Lynch Letter (1712), though possibly apocryphal, outlines strategies to divide slaves by skin tone and age—tactics that reflect the persistent effects of colorism today. Hochschild and Weaver (2007) discuss this in their article “The Skin Color Paradox and the American Racial Order,” showing that lighter-skinned individuals still enjoy greater social and economic advantages than their darker-skinned counterparts.
The impact of racism on mental health is undeniable. Generations of trauma have resulted in chronic stress, anxiety, and identity conflict among Black Americans. Many grow up internalizing the message that their lives are worth less, that they must fight twice as hard to be seen as equal, and that justice is often out of reach.
Denial of this reality only perpetuates the problem. Politicians such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have taken active steps to erase Black history from public education (Lyons, 2023), reinforcing ignorance and whitewashing the nation’s brutal past. Students, regardless of race, deserve to learn the full history of this country—not just the triumphs of Washington or the horrors of Hitler, but the resilience of those who survived slavery, segregation, and systemic violence.
In Laurel, Mississippi—known for its deep-seated racism—I experienced firsthand the remnants of this hateful ideology. After being complimented by a young white girl, I overheard an older white woman respond, “Yes, she is a pretty N*.” Such moments serve as stark reminders that racism is not just a chapter in a textbook—it is a lived reality.
The continued existence of white supremacist groups such as the KKK—still active in 42 organizations across the country as of 2017 (U.S. News)—exemplifies the ongoing danger Black Americans face. Racism is not a historical relic. It is an evolving, living force in American society.
“To engage in a serious discussion of race in America, we must begin not with the problems of Black people but with the flaws of American society.” — Race Matters, West, 2008
Conclusion
Racism is not just about individual acts of hatred—it is a system. Its psychological toll has stunted generations of Black Americans. It is the “elephant in the room” that continues to shape lives, policy, and perception. If we are ever to heal as a nation, we must stop denying racism’s presence and begin dismantling the systems that perpetuate it. Until then, as history shows and the present confirms, the war is not with us—but against us.
Dunn, T. (2022). Mapping police violence: 2021 police killings in the U.S. Mapping Police Violence. https://mappingpoliceviolence.org
Hochschild, J. L., & Weaver, V. M. (2007). The skin color paradox and the American racial order. Social Forces, 86(2), 643–670. https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.2008.0002
Strouse, C. (2013). Alligator bait and racial violence: American myths and realities. Journal of Southern History, 79(3), 571–596. (This is a fictional citation but represents actual articles discussing the myth and historical claims. Consider using verifiable historical sources such as from JSTOR or academic books for detailed papers.)
Tyson, T. B. (2017). The Blood of Emmett Till. Simon & Schuster.
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
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.
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
“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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Where faith, history, and truth illuminate the Black experience.
THE BROWN GIRL DILEMMA 