BEAUTY AND SELFWORTH

IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY

ROXANNE HIMES
ETHS 2410
FALL 2015

IS THE SELF
ESTEEM OF BLACK
MEN AND WOMEN
IN THE U.S.
AFFECTED BY
OUTSIDE
INFLUENCES?
Black women have been assaulted
physically and psychologicallyfor centuries
since we were involuntarily brought to the
colonies as enslaved labor (Blackmon, 2009).
Whereas Whites were glorified (Fairchild,
1988), portrayals of Black women (and men)
were vicious. We were cast as morally and
intellectually inferior to White men and
women, sexually perverse, and spiritually
bankrupt (cf. Fairchild, 1995). Viewed as subhuman, we were victims of physical and
sexual abuse, social discrimination, and
psychological tyranny.

the capture of the mind and body both

is a slavery far more lasting, far more
severe than conquest of bodies alone

WHAT STRUGGLES DO MEN AND WOMEN OF

COLOR FACE DUE TO THE WORLD WIDE PROBLEM
OF COLORISM AND RACISM?
The answer to the question on the last slide would be yes. Here
is why :
Colorism is skin color stratification (Okazawa Rey, Robinson, &
Ward, 1987). It is a form of oppression that is expressed
through the differential treatment of individuals and groups
based on skin color. Typically, favoritism is demonstrated
toward those of lighter complexions while those of darker
complexions experience rejection and mistreatment.
(Jackson-Lowman, 2013)

Colorism is one expression of internalized racism. After

hearing racist stereotypes and attitudes, a time comes when
these are adopted as truthinternalizedand believed by
those on the receiving end of the lie. A heavy price is paid by
all members of the Black community.
Colorism, or skin color stratification, is a process that privileges
light-skinned people of color over dark in areas such as income,
education, housing, and the marriage market. Colorism is
directly related to the larger system of racism in the USA and
around the world. The color complex is also exported around
the globe, in part through US media images, and helps to
sustain the multibilliondollar skin bleaching and cosmetic
surgery industries. (Hunter, 2007, p.237

SELF ESTEEM ISSUES DUE TO COLORISM

Colorism can affect how you see and feel about yourself, how
you treat yourself, and your actual behaviors in various situations.
Skin color is associated with self-esteem for some, where having
a darker skin tone is associated with lower self-worth Sadly, this
occurs in both adults and youth.
This has everything to do with outside sources. When people first
come in to the world, there is nothing separating them from anyone
else. Children have no boundaries. It is the people and the life that is
already here. The world has built in racism to many aspects of life,
and it has repercussions that will take a very long time to separate
ourselves from.

BECAUSE APPEARANCE IS OFTEN CENTRAL IN THE EVALUATION OF

WOMEN, THE EFFECT OF COLORISM ON SELF-ESTEEM AND WELL-BEING
IS STRONGER FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRLS AND WOMEN COMPARED
TO MALES (THOMPSON & KEITH, 2001). ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND WOMEN
ARE AT GREATER RISK OF SELF-OBJECTIFICATION REINFORCED
THROUGH CONSTANT SOCIETAL MESSAGES AND MEDIA IMAGES
EMPHASIZING THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF WOMEN AND GIRLS

Continual exposure to stereotypes can result in self-stereotyping

(Sinclair, Hardin and Lowery, 2006). Essentially a person begins
to behave in ways consistent with various stereotypes. Since the
identity of African American girls may be influenced by the
volume of negative media depictions of African American women,
their identity may include remnants of negative stereotypes
which can devalue their sense of their beauty and damage their
selfesteem (Stephens & Phillips, 2003).

IS AN INTERVENTION POSSIBLE?
Racism has been in existence for an
uncountable amount of years. In the
U.S. alone there has only been
improvements made in the last 50
years or so, and these improvements
have been slow, unsteady, and
sometimes reversed. We need
constant equality, how can the
people, and community, provide every
one of every color a constant support?

As an intervention, I would like to create mandatory courses and

workshops, that teach the ins and outs of beauty in different
cultures, for anyone who is going to work in the cosmetic
industry, hair industry, or fashion industry.
In each course, and each workshop, create a consistent
atmosphere that is an example of diversity, culture, and equality

COST - INVOLVEMENT - LOCATION - TIME

This would cost an estimated amount of $300,000 a year at first. We
would need the money to pay and recruit teachers from around the
country to come and teach workshops in Utah.
Tuition costs would cover a good amount of this cost, it would be
included in every students required courses.
We could have a course that is eventually taught by professionals in
Utah, but we would start out with summer courses, or long workshops
that taught students how to do a true variety of different hair and skin
types.

WHAT TYPE OF IMPACT DO I HOPE THIS

MAKES?
After students graduate from this
course, they would be able to work
with potentially any hair type and
skin type.
This would create a consistent
atmosphere in the beauty industry
that makes people of any age,
gender, and color feel comfortable,
important, respected, and confident
in a way that is left in their control.

http://static.oprah.com/pdf/dark-girls.pdf
http://
www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-light-girls-bill-duke20150117-story.html
(Jackson-Lowman, 2013)
(Thompson, 2001)
(Stephens & Phillips, 2003)
(cf. Fairchild, 1995).