This is a big win
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But the truth is that when beauty is constantly viewed from the lens of a predominantly white and Western gaze, and for so long shaped by and held to Eurocentric standards, the concept of beauty becomes dangerously distorted.
On December 8, 2019, history was made as Miss South Africa, Zozibini Tunzi, won the 68th Miss Universe competition—the first Black woman to win the renowned pageant since Leila Lopes in 2011. More noticeably however, she was the first dark-skinned Black woman to wear the crown with short, natural and unprocessed hair. Then came another first: taking a stand against prejudiced beauty standards for Black women.
One week later, Miss Jamaica, Toni-Ann Singh, couldn’t have lost the Miss World competition if she tried. She simply stood out from start to finish. She exuded poise, grace, and charisma.Black girls seeing themselves up on that stage I was 10 years old the first time I entered a beauty pageant, and I came in second place.
I asked a former schoolmate, Rochelle, if she remembered the game. She tells me “I was terrified of that game. I remember[ed] how I feared the descriptors.”Black girls and women taking up space It is fitting that when asked what was important to teach girls today, Tunzi answered “[…] we should be teaching young girls to take up space.”
Beauty in predominantly Black countries remains notoriously political, and perhaps the climax of beauty politics in these countries is the selection of who is selected to represent the country on the world stage at an international pageant like Miss World or Miss Universe. Criticism is usually rife when the winner is another “light-skinned or mixed race” girl. Many Jamaicans proudly quote the national motto, “Out of many, one people” at assertions that a winner does not look “Jamaican enough.
But Black beauty is rising Even against rigid confines, Black beauty has flourished. In the last decade, and with the rise of social media, a new generation of pro-Black proponents are embracing their Blackness and, consequently pushing back against oppressive beauty ideals. One microcosm of the current era of pro-Blackness is a growing natural hair movement.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Inside Swarovski Crystal Worlds, a tourist attraction in Austria - Business InsiderInside Swarovski Crystal Worlds, a dreamlike attraction nestled among the Austrian mountains that features a carousel made of 15 million Swarovski crystals
Read more »
'The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2' recap: All the biggest drama from the reunionLast week, The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2 delivered karmic justice when Paulie and Cara's handpicked Team U.S. was defeated…
Read more »
For the First Time Ever, Five Black Women Hold Crowns in the Five Major Beauty PageantsFive black women currently hold titles in major beauty pageants.
Read more »
The Best Nordstrom GiftsShop ET Style's top picks from the department store's vast selection of fashion and beauty gifts.
Read more »
Mama Cax, The Trailblazing Model Who Strutted Runways With Her Prosthetic Leg, Has DiedShe pushed fashion forward by challenging the industry's narrow scope of beauty.
Read more »
This Trick Will Change the Way You Apply EyelinerMove over cat-eye, it's time to define your eyes without all of that tricky work. Enter: invisible eyeliner.
Read more »