Re: "Beauty Standards" for Women, an African American male perspective

1994 - with Dr. Mae Jemison at UMass-Amherst

2007 - w/sister Tia (MD/PhD candidate) on right









2011
2009




Dr. Namandje Ne'fertiti Bumpus
2007
"...especially females of African descent whether in the Americas, or on the great continent of Africa, need to appreciate their hair length and its texture, along with their complexions and bodies of whatever size, of whom those skin colors just mentioned have the honor of representing."

Dear friends,

From wanting their hair “long”, as opposed to short, to their dress and pants sizes, using terms like “petite” on one end, but “plus-size” and “full-figured” on the other, at least to me, these terms that most females use are done so in order for them to be a part of the “personality market” that is so ubiquitous in this market-driven, possession-oriented society. Additionally, I never hear males use the above-mentioned terms for self-description. 

Yet, it's not just the snickering at females, because of  their looks, that is most harmful. Rather, the rejection also trivializes women and girls to being mere "objects" of desire. Oddly enough, the objectification of females also is directly responsible for the murder and rape of women and girls, and has far more to do with devastating the confidence of female individuals than issues of vanity do. To be sure, confidence provides the soil from which self-esteem grows. Consequently, a woman or girl's inner beauty, that is, obviously, based upon her (or anyone's) having a genuine "sense of self", is compromised, if not totally damaged, .

Still, many African- and Asian-print designs, from body wraps (outfits) to hairdos, are gorgeous, if not stunning. And so the issue goes deeper than fashion. Does it not? It is about far too many people accepting what purports to be “European” beauty standards. The real laugh about all of this is: starting back as long as several millennia ago, all the way to the present, African and Asian women, particularly, knew and have known about everything from hygiene to dress, long before European females or their male mates knew much about anything other than how to make a heap of garbage. That is correct. We are talking about a stolen legacy. Please refer to the literature!

In any case, especially females of African descent whether in the Americas, or on the great continent of Africa, need to appreciate their hair length and its texture, along with their complexions and bodies of whatever size, of whom those skin colors just mentioned have the honor of representing. Besides, as it has been said, "You cannot control what others think of you; rather, only YOU can control what you think of you."

Finally, in my opinion, any male who really loves females should appreciate any female within the context of her distinct aura of femaleness - physically, intellectually, and spiritually, regardless of her hair length, skin complexion, or body size. For, at least to me, it is only then that males are able to appreciate females as equals. Otherwise, if a male is unable to appreciate females as such, then he really has issues about his own lacking of a "sense of self - and being". In other words, why would a male who actually has both dignity and self-respect need to find his self-worth at the expense of someone else? Ya dig? Peace.

G. Djata Bumpus