African Beauty Has Become Global Too
Whenever “civilized” Africans speak of world or international standard, you can bet your house it is not about origination out of mother Continent. Like political economy, it has to emulate Europe and lately the Americas.
It strikes like a bunch of needles under your seat when men and women of timber and caliber with their children talk about their “civilized” environment outside ours. They do justify the tag of “jungle” unlike democracy with any fault, is the best.
Luckily, our young people are coming out of this trance, though not fast enough because they revert back to privileged upbringing once in a while. The consequences lead to the rejection of Africa’s natural beauty. In fairness to the western world, they have produced some very dark models with short cut or Afro hair that has become appealing to certain segments of business.
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o, the Kenya that won an Oscar stirred a debate whether she would have been chosen for that role in the first place, if the Director was not a West Indian’s son. Well, if the Director had been African American, African or White we may be looking at someone with a different complexion and straight hair. Every one of them could be forgiven because of their sense of beauty, but how do we explain the choice of Africans’ beauty or political economy?
Lupita was chosen for a role, not as Miss World or Ms. Africa. A lady was chosen recently with almost the same attribute as Lupita Nyong’o. The review from some of her fellow Africans was so crude, if they were white, one would label them racists. There was a study years ago about black and white dolls that was repeated on CNN recently about the preference of dolls by black kids’. Sadly the choice of white dolls has not changed much.
Lola Abeni Adeoye won Miss Nigeria USA 2016/2017 as a proactive pride for motherland beauty. Unfortunately some of her people at home that have been brained washed beyond redemption were surprised that Nigerians in the United States could be so gullible in their choice of beauty. A few of the comments were so pungent; one would think they were coming from gorillas dangling from NPA Building in Marina.
This lady is so natural and beautiful, you would think she was specially made in heaven. It was so refreshing to see a proud, confident dark lady and well-endowed with short hair. Any more descriptive words may be sexist, suffice to say this is a beautiful lady. What these few people with bleached mentality were looking for was different from attributes those that crowned her were looking at. Since it was far away in America, it’s a refreshing choice and display of pride.
Colo-mentality did not start suddenly, it took time. It is very disturbing though that many of our ladies do not feel comfortable with their own hair anymore. A lady told us how she snapped out of nonsense. One weekend she could not get a hairdresser and had a very important occasion the following morning. It was then she realized that her inferiority complex had gone out of whack or mind completely. She was scared and could not go out with her natural hair!
People may be happy with a great deal of support and encouraging environment but the little discouragement or tiny distraction is what we must fight, so that it does not knock us down. There is no reason to be bogged down with snide little remarks out of abundant praises but our minds sometimes fall into that small crack. The fact is, as in this case, it says more about those who reject their own images in front of a mirror than the beauty they were looking at.
While growing up, we used to give equal praises to dark and natural light complexions ladies. Nollywood pioneer, Hubert Ogunde sang praises of the dark and light skin. There were cases where we made fun of Fanta face Coca-Cola body. So were those suspected to come from the union of African mothers and sailors around coastal areas. Fortunately, our African world was advanced enough to realize these were not albinos. Even if they were, albinos were respected equally at home and in schools. There were some innuendos that they were even smarter.
Unfortunately, we have since gone backwards. Most of the high complexion actresses get roles today because some Africans think they were prettier not necessarily for their skills. Mind you, these girls are our own daughters, sisters and wives. Some are products of 80s when beggars from Niger and North Africa flooded Lagos. Their brothers with light skins do not get any special treatment. In no way should the darker ones get special treatment either, with their chosen skills and professions. There is beauty in every color. Ours must not be undermined.
Bleaching and using Brazilian or Indian hair to be beautiful portray a deeper problem that cannot be cured in the short term. It brings long term problems and disappointment when skin cosmetics fade away as we aged. Some of the girls have accepted the long term medical damage it can cost for their short term gains, no matter how little. We do not know which is more embarrassing, recognizing a light skin that used to be dark or reintroducing yourselves.
It is worse for the men pursuing light skin ladies. We do not know which is natural or bleached. By the time you are hooked, most live with it and the babies coming out as dark as the mother’s natural skin color. The joke about those who believe in supernatural when they are jilted by ladies with Brazilian or Indian hair, is to take a piece of the hair to Voodoo man. Those affected or struck down by Voodoo would be running from Indian or Brazil crying for a cure in Africa!
We cannot lay all the blames on fair skin on women because they do it out of demands from men. There are men that are seen frequently in clubs where foreigners patronize. If they cannot marry light skin foreigners, they settle for the next “best” thing: bleached or natural fair skin lady. It shows our obsession and the rejection of self. So when they see a natural beauty in an African lady, they doubt their own image, claiming she not pretty. Pity!
Luckily, most of African populations outside the big cities are still very much into their natural culture and beauty. They retain their festivals, traditional ceremonies and meaningful ways of life in the choice of women and styles that matters. Their hair-styles are still admired and copied. Indeed, the city people still appreciate the tradition wedding ceremonies before their English or American weddings. They are the aberration. African beauty refuses to die!
AFRICAN BEAUTY