Is The Black Standard of Beauty Giving You Low Self-Esteem?
Folks may not recognize it but there is a certain aesthetic, which is more pronounced with the Black community. Generally speaking, women with big breasts, small waist, big hips, thighs and of course behinds are revered. There are biological theories for the Black standard of beauty including the belief that because of environmental considerations (i.e. being originally from dry, hot climates) black women naturally have formed a “c” shaped skeletal structure, caused by a more elevated thorax cavity (chest bones), which has caused the column vertebraes to ‘curve’ in such a way that all the adipose tissue accumulates in the buttock region. Thus creating the butt so big and shapely enough to steady a drink on.
However our “appreciation” of our own aesthetic is a fairly new phenomenon, which has been heightened with the further alienation of black beauty from mainstream culture and the introduction of R&B and Hip-Hop songs and videos, which sought to usher in a new sexual gratification for the Black female form. This newfound fetishization of the Black female body may have effected how we internalize beauty.
According to one study, Black women tend to favor having heavier and hippier bodies most resembling Beyoncé Knowles. As such, we tend to aspire for that standard of beauty than the mainstream standard of beauty, which is presented in your typical magazine. Yet as we embraced this unique style of beauty, we have also introduce a new way to segment us intraracially by devaluing those Black women who can’t quite reach the Beyoncé Knowles standard. It’s no wonder why we are now seeing a rise in the number of women doing back alley butt enhancement surgeries.
Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with being blessed with booty. Obliviously, the genetic wheel has been very kind to you so be proud of it. But at the end of the day, we all want to be appreciated for our physical form just as much as what is underneath it. And there is no pleasure in being christened as a woman with “Nassitall,” also known as the Black girl who is not shaped like a real Black woman.
