by
Black Girl With Long Hair
I was browsing online when I spotted this article about a Michigan group that is launching National Pretty Brown Girl Day on February 25;
Aubriana Jackson will tell anyone that she’s a pretty brown girl. She even has a T-shirt that says so.
As a Pretty Brown Girl, she’s taken a pledge to “dream big, remember that I am beautiful inside and out, enjoy learning and laughing, always believe in myself and make healthy choices.”
The 16-year-old St. Paul Central High School junior will have plenty of company on Saturday, the first National Pretty Brown Girl Day, when girls and women of all shades of brown are encouraged to embrace the beauty of their skin color.
“I thought the pledge was corny at first,” said Jackson. “But the more they explained it to me and the founders’ inspiration, it became more significant to me.”
The movement was launched two years ago by a Michigan couple concerned about the images their daughters were internalizing about their skin color. The organization offers dolls, T-shirts and other merchandise emblazoned with the Pretty Brown Girl (PBG) slogan. But the key is to help brown girls build confidence and leadership skills.
“Women should be taught to appreciate their skin from birth,” said co-founder Sheri Crawley.
Jackson was introduced to Pretty Brown Girls through her group, Delta GEMS (Growing and Empowering Myself Successfully), a mentoring program run by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. It is the first group locally to use the philosophy to talk about building self-esteem in girls.
“PBG gives them a platform to speak about things they wouldn’t normally with their family and friends,” said program co-chair Carla Hines.
GEMS wore the T-shirts recently and discussed their experiences and the feedback they received.
Jackson said the discussion of skin color in real-life situations has made her and other girls acknowledge the importance of self-worth.
“I really love wearing my T-shirt because it boosts my self-esteem when I’m wearing it, because people don’t normally associate pretty and brown,” Jackson said.
Not that Jackson needs a T-shirt to build her self-esteem. A dynamo in her own right, she is a cheerleader for football and girls’ and boys’ basketball and assistant director for the school’s production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Jackson is already planning to take post-secondary classes in her senior year and is working on a cosmetology license. She also has her eye on attending Spelman College in Atlanta.
Hines says positive self-esteem helps young girls reach their goals. “When we females view ourselves as pretty, we are happy with who we are and can be more productive in other areas of our lives.”
A 2008 University of Wisconsin-Madison study of 98 black adolescent girls found that ethnic identity and perception of skin tone often predicted self-esteem. The study concluded that ethnic identity and skin tone together have a greater impact on self-esteem than either variable alone. With a variety of social, civic and religious organizations nationwide taking the PBG motto to heart, Crawley said she hopes Pretty Brown Girl Day will help people realize that pretty and brown are not separate. “It’s not just an African-American thing. As a nation, we need to pull back and look at the message we’re sending to girls about their beauty inside and out.”
Crawley and her husband, Corey, first did that for their two daughters, whom they often called “pretty brown girls” as a term of endearment. They decided to begin a business with that idea as the theme, and provide products such as dolls, backpacks, wristbands and other accessories.
Crawley is proud that the movement has spread through word of mouth. She gets requests for products and information from around the country. All it takes is a child having her backpack with her or wearing her T-shirt to school, and the message continues to spread, she said. Recently, Miss Black Minnesota pageant contestants were given the shirts.
Crawley said her family will celebrate PBG Day by premiering the doll at the Magic City Black Expo in Birmingham, Ala. While there isn’t specific programming across the country, Crawley encourages community organizations to celebrate in their own way by hosting a Pretty Brown Girl party, taking the self-affirming pledge or finding a girl to mentor — or all three.
Jackson admits that although she didn’t initially take GEMS and the activities seriously, after she started attending, she found it valuable. “I’m very thankful,” Jackson says of her PBG experience. “I will take the pledge with me into my future and use it to build the confidence in those around me.”
It’s true that black girls deal with a lot of overt and subliminal messages about skin color that affect their perception of themselves. In light of that, do you think a ‘Pretty Brown Girl Day’ is necessary?
94 Responses
This picture is of me, idk how but its used on soo many sites my mom must have signed something when i was younger, lol its just surprising when i see it pop up…lol
I.LOVE it! We need the reminder of.how.beautiful we are and to take care of ourselves. It’s LONG over due!
I love this effort!!
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I was thinking that there should be a Pretty Black Girl Day instead too but if they’re trying to include other races of women then I guess. The color complex is a problem that needs to be addressed and corrected within our community before we can expect the media and the rest of the world to get right. Light-skinned black person, dark-skinned black person, and every shade in between of a black person is still a black person in the eyes of others and that’s the way it should be with our own as well. There should be family discussions held regularly around the country; a convention of sorts every year so we can start getting ourselves together so no matter what anybody else has to say about us we got our own backs. United we stand, divided we fall so of course outsiders want us to keep separating ourselves from each other and the media makes money off of “helping” us hate each other. This movement should inspire a movement for us to do some house cleaning and do better.
Okay I’m done preaching. I always do that when it comes to my people but that’s not my intention. Went overboard. Sorry, my sistahs 🙂
I would not oppose Pretty Brown Girl Day, but I think other values should be incorporated. We should be raising our kids to find self esteem within themselves, and encouraging the development of their gifts and talents–not just skin color. In order to rise above racism and prejudice, we need to stop acknowledging it so much. I want my kids to be proud of who they are as PEOPLE, not just “brown people.” We were put on this earth to make it a better place, to reach out to those in need, and to show love to one another. I get the concept of PBGD, but I feel like it needs tweaking.
Is this light-skinned/dark-skinned issue a “black community” thing?
Because I’ve lived my entire life in mostly-white suburbs, and have never had issues with my dark skin color. Nor has anyone ever suggested that because I was dark, I was less pretty. The biggest problem for me, growing up, was being stereotyped by people who didn’t know me, or even having some people get upset because I “acted white.”
Not to say that I wasn’t aware that mixed girls were considered prettier, but I assumed that it had more to do with them tending to have smaller lips, noses, straighter hair, etc., not the color of their skin.
The only time I’ve ever personally heard the light-skin/dark-skin thing brought up was with ghetto people, and that was only a handful of times.
Anyhow, I’m rather uncomfortable with this “National Pretty Brown Girl Day,” because it sounds artificial, and might actually damage the progress America is already making.
Perhaps it’s because I’m super logical, but I’ve never been convinced when people just come up and say stuff to me. I want to see it before I believe it. I also tend to assume that the opposite is true, or that whoever is declaring whatever fact secretly thinks the opposite, but is trying to fight their own perception. For example:
“Big girls are just as beautiful as skinny girls.”
Telling people that convinces nobody. Just show me gorgeous big girls, and NORMALIZE it. Show handsome guys with big girls on their arm, and make it look like nothing, not like this guy is a freak, or really open-minded.
That’s the other problem, here. Like with the “black is beautiful” declarations, asserting that brown is beautiful makes it seem like it’s unnatural to think so, like you’re in the minority if you already believed that. You’re some kind of weirdo.
Whether you like it or not, people care about what other people think, and most guys (and lesbians, I would assume) want their mates to be considered attractive to other people. They want to be proud of their mates’ looks. When you parade around screaming, “brown girls are beautiful!” it just makes people feel like they’re really not, but you’re trying to convince them otherwise.
Obviously, a lot of people will look past brown skin color, regardless of whether or not people make it seem weird to like it, but why scare people away?
It’s okay to mentor girls who do struggle with their skin color, or do this in communities that do have very prevalent colorism, but I think that showing will always be better than telling.
Push for more dark girls in feminine, desirable roles in the media and in advertisements. Heck, create your own media. Let’s be more subtle than “black is beautiful.”
+1 on this.
I think this is a good idea especially if the founder keeps the concepts beyond identity politics. I’vr read the arguments from both sides and many are validate. I wonder why there are so many critiques. If some one believes that a “light-skin” group is needed form it. If some one believes that an a” inclusive girl of color group is needed form it. If someone believes that it is better too simply not address the issue- stop talking. One group cannot meet the needs of every person. There is not one solution; there a simply solutions. We have to be change agents instead of waiting for the right group, time, person etc.
A “Pretty Brown Girl Day” is necessary. I’m not of the same opinion as some of the post racial commentators on this post that thinks it isn’t. At first it was admirable in the past, but now it has become silly to be so inclusive for others when whites and other minorities don’t give a second thought to include us in things they do to uplift themselves.
I agree with many of the above who stated that it starts at home, but I think negative feelings about your own skin color are derivative of deeper issues that won’t be fixed with a “pretty brown girl day.”
& while I understand the concept, I have a problem with focusing on physical beauty as a source of self-confidence in young women. I don’t have children, but if I had a daughter, while I would certainly want her to feel good about her appearance, I wouldn’t want to make it a source of value. I think the deeper issue is that black women, and women of every race, place too much emphasis on the physical. That fades. Should she lose her self-confidence and feel less of a person if gets some skin disease or physical deformity? Regardless of what the majority of society or the media preaches, beauty doesn’t make you any better than the next woman. With all the rich history and culture and accomplishments made of black women of all shades, there are many more lasting sources of confidence that we should be trying to instill in our children.
Mina, I hear you and I agree with your sentiment. But I disagree with this statement: “I think the deeper issue is that Black women, and women of every race, place too much emphasis on the physical”.
Nope. I would say that it is society that does this, not just women. It is a societal problem. Some people believe that it is rooted in biology. I’m not sure about that. Everyone is judged according to the way they look, although some are judged more harshly. Beauty is considered to be a powerful tool for many women…it has been this way for centuries. While I agree that other attributes are more important, such as inner beauty, women will always be judged primarily by what is on the outside. Many people are superficial and this can definitely have an effect on the way some people feel about themselves.
Taller men are said to earn more money than short guys. Conventionally pretty women are more likely to receive help from strangers than women who are considered less attractive. A person wearing a stylish outfit is more likely to be treated better than a person who isn’t as well dressed.
It’s not right, but that’s the way it is. My mother placed a lot of emphasis on inner beauty and being smart, but once I went out into the real world, I encountered people who generally cared more about my looks than what was in my mind or my heart.
It seems idealistic to focus on the concept that beauty comes from within, while disregarding the reality that many people struggle in a society that emphasizes physical beauty above all else. Yes, it is important to be kind and intelligent…but many girls and women receive the message that we are only worthy if we fit some ridiculous notion of beauty. I would prefer to have an honest conversation with my daughter about what beauty is and how she personally defines beauty, as opposed to not talking about it.
THE LITTLE GIRL IN THE PHOTO IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. I MEAN SHE IS REALLY STUNNING. I LOVE SEEING THIS BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE FORGET HOW BEAUTIFUL BROWN SKIN GIRLS REALLY ARE. I HOPE TO HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE HER!
To Gentry: Our graphic team found it on tumblr. It’s a beautiful picture. We will, however, remove it at your request.
Please do! Thank you!
Hi Mrs. Brooks. We have removed the picture from every site we have access to. We do not, however, have access to the BGLH website. We did not ask for them to use the picture. The picture most likely was used because of your daughter’s hair and the color scheme that coincides with that of the website. As far as we know, this is the only article that both references Pretty Brown Girl and uses your daughter’s picture. We wish you the best in your endeavors and we thank you for having shared such a beautiful picture with the world.
Pretty Brown Girl day sounds wonderful. My question is where are the coloring pages that feature Pretty Brown Girls? I wanted some coloring pages for students after a standardized test so they would have something mindless and relaxing to do. Kids love to color. All I could find were pictures of little white girls. Yes, they could be colored brown, but the features and hair was still white. There were plenty of “Black History” pages, but where are the mindless fun pages?
Look for the coloring book ‘Color My Fro’ from Amazon
This is my daughter’s picture that is posted. I would like to know where you got this picture from.
Well even if she takes it off of here, sorry to say you or someone posted this picture directly on blackgirlsrock site 2/10/12, and it has over 408 hits. So people have already reblogged and liked that picture already sorry.
Ma’am, I don’t know you. If I was the one to post it I wouldn’t have asked. And yes it may be reblogged or whatever, but its up to me if I want it on or not! Thank you!
No need to get nasty with me about the picture seeing as how the pic of her is reblogged with other sites having her photos. So I guess you plan on going through all 400 plus of those that have her on their page as well to get rid of her. If you don’t want people to copy your child’s photo then you need to watermark it, or get copy infringment protection on your page to prevent this from happening again in the near future. Either way she is a pretty child as I stated earlier and looks like a kid model.
Like I said, I don’t know you. And you didn’t know whether I wanted off or not! You volunteered your information. And when I find her pic I will ask for it to be taken off. However I handle is not your business anyway. Unless you are the one that has access to take it off, then I wasn’t talking to you. So it’s on you if you took offense to a simple question! And I’m sure other people don’t want to hear about anything but what the article is talking about. So, when her pic is taken off! I’m done. And, like I said, if you don’t have access to remove it from this article, then I’m done talking to you!
It doesn’t bother me at all, since the picture is still on here and others. I could care less, and I have nothing to do with prettybrowngirlteam nor the other sites. I just voiced my opinion and found the info that you asked the other person on here. At the end of the day folks, anytime a photo is put on the internet it gets circulated to over a lot of people to see. If you don’t want a photo to be seen don’t put in on here yourself, or family or friends. Because it will bite you in the arse and I’ll leave it at that and you have a good day.
should have been called jet black girl day –
pass the chocolate bar test girl day –
the true color of vanilla girls day –
lmao.
That little girl on the main picture is so pretty.
Very true! She’s a doll! And she will still be pretty on February the 26th…
I’m wondering if everyone that is claiming that “Light Skin Day” is everyday, is not “light skin.”
At the end of the day, the overwhelming response to the Pretty Brown Girl brand has been positive. It has caused quite a few emotional breakthroughs in all who are involved. That includes the improvement of the self esteem of the CEO’s daughters. It includes how this brand has caused me to take a deeper look at the messages I was sent as a light skinned child. Why am I being fed that I am prettier? It has been said that those of us who are light and white don’t tend to see the light and white privilege that we are given. So, it makes sense why some don’t see this as necessary. But the fact remains that the majority’s response is that it is relevant and helpful. There will be some holes and opinions that cannot be avoided in getting our mission and message out. We know that we cannot please everyone in our efforts. The Pretty Brown Girl brand is taking a stand against and shedding light on a serious problem. It is not called “Prettier Brown Girl”. It is in no way saying that white is not beautiful. It doesn’t specify a shade of brown because that is not what this is about. Overall, there are more people (of ALL skin tones) that have expressed seeing the value in the brand and the problem that is addressing, than there have been that over-analyze it and turn our intentions into something sinister. Again, this is coming from a very light-skinned black woman.
I am glad that the response was positive. Perhaps it will encoruage more families to express how beautiful your skin is regardless of the color and not place so much emphasis on what they think is being represented in the society.
I’m wondering why light-skinned people don’t like to recognize light-skinned privilege. I guess it’s the same reason why white people don’t like to recognize white privilege. It really bothers me when light-skinned women try to ignore or minimize the issues that dark-skinned black women face by saying “get over it and love the skin you’re in” or “I struggle with issues too.” Oh, and I am not dark-skinned. But if you can’t see that Beyonce is praised over India Arie, you are lost beyond all comprehension. If you don’t know or recognize by now that we live in a society that emphasizes eurocentric standards of beauty, and if you don’t see the parallels between white and “light” skin and how that has affected the black community…sigh…I guess all I can say is please study the teachings of Marcus Mosiah Garvey.
I respect your opinion, AuNaturale82, but I have some thoughts I’d like to share.
First, you might want to be careful about making generalizations. Not all light-skinned people have privilege. Racism also affects light-skinned Black women and women of mixed race. And we also deal with issues concerning beauty, body image, and self-esteem contrary to popular belief. That is not minimizing the struggles of others…it is the truth. I’m as light as can be and I’ve struggled with low self-esteem all my life. There have been times when I’ve looked at a pretty girl with dark brown skin and felt envious of her. I’ve never been comfortable in my own skin. I worry about my kinky hair, my nose, my thick thighs and small breasts.
It might be better to rephrase that statement as SOME light-skinned people deny that they have privilege. I agree with that. I also agree when you say that no one should tell dark-skinned women to “get over it” because that is very insensitive.
I believe that some light-skinned women respond in that way either because they are truly clueless and don’t understand, or they honestly don’t care anymore because they have their own problems in life. I can only speak from my perspective, which is that of a light-skinned woman who is of mixed race. I have a lot of empathy for my darker sistas who have been told that they aren’t pretty enough or that there is something inherently wrong with their beautiful chocolate skin. I know what it is like to be told that I’m ugly and defective.
I don’t know what it is like to live as a dark-skinned woman, so I can’t speak on that experience. But I will say that it frustrates me sometimes when people act as if all light-skinned women have or do the following…a superiority complex, men falling at their feet, and a whole bunch of other supposed “benefits”. I am just one individual and I have experienced none of these privileges, whether in or out of the Black community. Sometimes it just feels like light-skinned women are all lumped together and blamed for a system that we had no hand in creating.
I totally agree with the fact that Eurocentric beauty standards influence many attitudes and beliefs in this society. Many beautiful dark-skinned women are overlooked and this needs to change. But I believe some people spend a lot of time blaming or attacking light-skinned women instead of focusing on more positive ways to promote Black beauty. To anyone who is not Black, we are ALL considered Black, no matter how light we may be. I have experienced my share of racism from white people and Latinos. My skin is as light as theirs but that doesn’t stop them from looking at me like just another you-know-what.
As to Beyonce vs. India Arie…while I’m sure that the difference in skin tone has played a role in Beyonce’s success, I also think that sex sells in this country. Beyonce has always maintained a very sexy image in the public eye, not only because of her lighter hue, but because of her curvy figure and clothes and the way she dances. She is more of a bombshell, while India Arie is more of an earthy bohemian type. India is gorgeous and she is truly talented but she lacks the sex appeal that is partly responsible for Beyonce’s popularity. She is more talented than Beyonce, but doesn’t fit the current vision of a diva. She is more like a modern-day Nina Simone. Beyonce is flashy and glamorous, which goes a long way to impressing shallow people. I still love them both, though.
I agree with you :). Not all light skinned women are clueless, we do empathize, nor do well all believe we are superior.
I have to jump on the reverse side of this idea. I see it as unprogressive as it clearly states that women of color need a day or holiday to tell them that they are beautiful. I don’t see why we have to do all that just to say that we are different, but beautiful, too. This colorism issue, I feel, starts in the home. If (a big IF)a young ‘brown’ girl is fed images of brown beauty and shown that she is beautiful by her community, then she will grow to have the confidence to step out into the diverse world we are in and sucker-punch those images that would tell her otherwise. But a special day, I feel, is just making an announcement to the world imo: Hey people, brown girls suffer from a lack of confidence, over here. They are incapable of accepting themselves. Check it out!
I think you explained that quite well. Kudos. I’d pass on supporting it. Be happy in the skin you’re in. Period.
FIRST OF ALL YES, CONFIDENCE STARTS AT HOME BUT CHANGES WHEN A CHILD IS UNLEASHED INTO SOCIETY. STOP ACTING LIKE BROWN SKIN GIRLS DONT GET THEIR CONFIDENCE FROM HOME, BECAUSE THEY DO. WE ALL KNOW IT STARTS FROM HOME BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOCIETY MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE OF A DARKER SHADE. I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE JUST JEALOUS OF BEAUTIFUL DARK SKIN. SO THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH A PRETTY BROWN DAY! WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE IT BECAUSE IT IS BEAUTIFUL. JUST LIKE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE NATURAL HAIR VERSUS RELAXED HAIR.
@ Connie: I’m not sure if I understand your definition of confidence when you say ‘CONFIDENCE STARTS AT HOME BUT CHANGES WHEN….’
I believe that what Connie is trying to say is that a child might receive positive reinforcement at home, but society takes it to a whole new level.
A little Black girl (I am talking about girls of ALL shades, not just dark-skinned or “brown” girls) can have her beauty affirmed at home, but what about when she is at school? Or walking down the street? Or when a thoughtless relative says something negative about her appearance?
I am not dark-skinned by any means, so I can’t presume to know what darker ladies experience. But I will say that I support this Pretty Brown Girl movement because I believe that all little girls deserve to feel pretty, whether light or dark or somewhere in the middle.
I’m not saying I would rock a t-shirt or anything, I simply see it as a positive tool to enhance the self-esteem of girls who are otherwise made to feel ugly or invisible.
If it was called “Be Happy in the Skin Your in Day” , would your opinion differ?
I agree with you completely. I have self-esteem issues like every other girl. However, it has never been about my skin because my mother and my family made sure their positive influence about being black overshadowed the media and the negative people I’ve met, and never let me think it was okay to look down on someone because they were a shade darker or lighter. A day isn’t going to make a difference to a girl who thinks she’s ugly every other day of the year. Raise confident and open-minded women of ALL races!
Well, the bottom line imho is that many brown girls do, in fact, suffer from a lack of confidence. And they do indeed have a hard time accepting themselves. And this problem didn’t develop in a vacuum and isn’t intrinsic to being brown, but rather it’s a byproduct of living in a culture that has been so poisoned with the vicious lies of white supremacy that black people (pardon me, “brown people”) do indeed struggle to look in the mirror and love the image they see staring back at them. Instead, they celebrate how much of a colonizing power’s descendants bloods courses through their veins. They sometimes can’t trace their family back more than a couple generations, but are thoroughly convinced that they have “Indian in their family.” They have raised an entire generation of men who won’t date women who look their own mothers. I could go on, but suffice it to say that the dirty laundry has already been aired. I see this Day as an attempt to combat the problem that clearly exists.
We can disagree over whether the Day is in fact a good thing. So I’m not trying to change your POV. I just think that the lack of confidence is already on display. And I think what’s unprogressive is these unhealthy acceptance messages that many brown girls adopt — like “I’m thick” or all kinds of euphemisms for what borders on morbid obesity. This I have a problem with. National Pretty Brown Girl Day, not so much…
This day will do nothing to change the minds of those women. It will either make them overcompensate and ‘fake’ their pride or will make no difference. They need to be told everyday, otherwise they will continue to notice that they only get one day to celebrate their shade while light/White women get to celebrate every day (apparently).
The way to overcome the shade issue isn’t by making beauty in the less popular shade special, it’s by making beauty in the less popular shade normal. IMO.
Yes it will, it’s called baby steps. To say otherwise is to pretend that this website has not helped bolster the self esteem of women who would have otherwise abandoned their natural hair journey. Every little bit helps, and if someone fakes it till they make it, then……so what?
I’d support it if included all brown girls of varying ethnic backgrounds since this is a global issue. But, the photo implies it’s just for black girls, so I’d pass. We need to stop segregating ourselves if we ever expect to move forward.
I absolutely LOVE the idea of this day!! I’m looking for a website now to grab a shirt, lol! I can appreciate the view that it’s a bit exclusive, that’s definitely something to think about, but I feel like when others wanted to have something for themselves, they weren’t always worried about trying to include us. I think it’s only fair to be able to have a positive day/event for us and not worry about being “exclusive”.
I’m really sorry if that came out wrong! I tried to make it as polite as possible!
I’m taking the term “brown” to mean any girls of color, but specifically, those that are denigrated for their “browner” skin. If I had a daughter, no matter what her shade would be, this is definitely something I would attend/support. Oddly enough, I have been blessed with 3 beautiful brown boys, but I sometimes secretly wished for a beautiful, chocolatey daughter!!
Even though I definitely see why this group would start Pretty Brown Girl Day and love the concept of instilling confidence in girls from an early age, I feel like making it an event for only a certain group is a step backward. I don’t want ANY girl (Asian, white, Latina, etc) feeling like they are some perpetuation of an ideal they probably don’t even understand yet. Whenever you create these separations (no matter how good the intentions), the repercussions can be really damaging. Maybe the focus should be put on beauty being about the inside of a girl. Celebrating her intelligence, generosity and talents instead of her skin color or hair texture. As a light skinned girl, sometimes in school I was made to feel like I MUST have thought I was better than black girls of different complexions even though color was NEVER the first thing I saw. I just don’t want to create that, or any other, complex in girls. I definitely understand what they’re trying to do and I’m not trying to throw shade in any way but I just feel like sometimes people try to undo prejudices by unknowingly creating new ones.
I agree. Even though it “in theory” is supposed to include all minorites, it is still excluding others. Why can’t it just be instilling confidence period and encouraging everyone to love the skin that they are in? Everyone is struggling with something, “my skin is too dark/light, my hair is too short/long my nose is too small/big” etc.
I’m very fair. I’m not brown, even though I know the National prety brown girl day includes me, If I created a “National Pretty White/Light Girl Day” and made sure to reference that it includes all people of color with white/light skin tones, I’m pretty sure the response would not be as receptive and positive as what some of the ladies are commenting.
Sweetie it’s white/light girl day everyday, so you don’t need to point it out to us, we are well aware of it.
Sweetie, it’s not white/light girl day everyday. What’s the problem in also creating a Pretty White Girl/ Pretty Light Girl Day and creating a Pretty Brown Girl Day, if Pretty White Girl/ Pretty Light Girl Day is including all people color? Wouldn’t we just be making sure that all people that aren’t’ considered “brown” but light or close to white keep their confidence up too and making sure that they are including just as Pretty Brown Girl day is doing?
Yes it is sweetie. I’d continue this conversation with you but you sound just like racist whites who want to know why there is no black entertainment television. So play your mind games with someone else.
I thought this was an environment to where everyone’s opinion’s could be expressed and or debated without being crucified. I was trying to understand your point of view. I was not trying to play a mind game. I’d be interested in reading more about your opinion whenever you’re ready.
@Goldeelocks…from one very fair-skinned sister to another, I see your point. While it does feel a bit exclusionary in some sense, I believe that this is generally a movement with positive intent. It isn’t meant to be offensive to those of us with lighter skin. It is meant to uplift girls and women of a darker hue. This isn’t being done at the expense of lighter women, although the title implies that it is just for “brown” girls.
I don’t consider myself to be white, although I have white skin and one white parent and three white grandparents. I am a woman of mixed race who also embraces a Black identity. It would be ridiculous to create a day for celebrating white women, because they are generally celebrated in mainstream society. Now a “Pretty Light Girl Day”? Cool, I can dig that…although you are correct that it might be hurtful to some darker ladies.
I’m definitely not all Team Lightskin but I don’t feel like my beauty is acknowledged either. However, I don’t think we should complain if some darker sisters want to have a day where they can be reaffirmed.
@Cinnamondiva Nicely put. I see your point.
They don’t need to change anything. Asian/white/latina women are not vilified the way that dark skin women are. It’s disingenuous to try to pretend otherwise. When scientist start writing articles about how those women are the least attractive of all women of all races, then I’ll show some conern. Until then, go pretty brown girl day!!
I love this! I see nothing wrong with a brown girl day. Black people are brown some of us are darker, lighter or in bewtween so I don’t get how people can say this excludes people? Brown people even Includes Asian, Indians, Arabs and Latinas, My best friend is from Sri Lanka and calls her self a brown girl. We have pretty white girl everyday just turn on the tv or look at the magazines I dont get why when it comes to celebrating black or brown beauty its a big problem.
I agree. There IS a pretty white girl day every single day. Also, I went to the blog, and I think I even saw pictures of a couple of girls who were brown, but not black. Yes, even lighter-toned black girls are still brown. Light brown, dark brown, medium brown. Brown.
ITA!
It is pretty white girl day everyday.
It’s funny how black people never want to exclude other races but other races have no problems excluding black people. smh
I wish it would have been called Pretty Black Girl Day…some black people probably would have died.lol
You hit the nail on the head. It always boggle my mind how black people take such pride in being approved by non-blacks. It’s white/light skin girl all day every day but you have some people here who are concerned about those being excluded. Who gives a hoot. You think the women on the vogue website are going ‘gee there are only white women featured on this blog/magazine? Didn’t whites say they will only support shows that feature them and them only? Sheesh.
I’ve given up hope that black people will one day stop looking for approval outside of their community.
I going to post a link in regards to Jezebels article about this:
http://jezebel.com/5886568/saturday-is-national-pretty-brown-girl-day
there is a video on the page about a movie trailer about dark skin, explaining how some have to grow this problem.
Take from it what you will.
what could also be addressed are those who are putting these thoughts in folks head. This is an issue of all ethnicities. I can recall a conversation between two white females… one saying how she needed a tan, the other replying be happy with the color of YOUR white skin, love you! (literally, her skin was white as snow and she felt the need to be darker… lets say the new trend of tanning, darker being prettier had plenty to do with it… others go through it too). Folks (adults, children and those inbetween) teasing and making fun of others is a topic that needs to be brought up, that’s the issue.
The medias images of beauty is another. but the main should be that everyone’s beautiful, love you!
I absolutely love this idea!! I wish they had that here in Milwaukee, WI where I am from. Right now, I am in pregnant with a baby girl. One of the things I think about from time to time is how we are going to protect her from living a life similar to mine. I think from the time I was in the fifth grade (or maybe earlier)there was always a thought in the brain of why I didn’t look “good enough”. Why was my hair growing like this? Why was I darker? And on top of that what did she do to deserve light eyes, long hair and a thinner waist? These thoughts drove me crazy thinking I wasn’t good enough, that “she” was better and I wanted to be like “her”. It also made me dislike “her” for no apparent reason other than the way God made “her”. I DO NOT want my daughter to ever feel this way or to have resentment toward another “lighter” or “different” woman because of outside appearances. Truth be told…both are GREAT, because GOD made them that way! And if events like this help advocate that message…I am all for it 😉
Very well said, Kay! I like your style.
Well said Kay! I’m from Milwaukee too, and you can definitely see divisions within the Black community and ignorant or self-deprecating attitudes from light and dark-skinned people!
Kay, thank you for keeping it real. I have had every last one of those thoughts growing up as well. I wish you and your daughter well. Just know that affirming that she is beautiful and smart everyday of her life will help her to dispel the ideologies placed on us by the society that we live in.
I would support- how do I financially? Can I have a shirt? *And from GEM TO GEM- shout out to Delta G.E.M.S. (growing and empowering myself successfully!!!)
I understand the concept and grasp the message as they clearly had good intentions, but I think it could have been carried out in a better way. Even though the phrase “pretty brown girl” is inclusive of all “shades,” it’s still going to exclude people, yet we’re still wondering why there are “light” and “dark” skin complexes… hence the documentary “Dark Girls.” If there was a day created called Pretty Light Girl, Pretty White Girl day, etc there would be an outrage, even if it did state that it included other shades or races etc.
All in all, the positive images and self esteem starts at home regardless of if a day is created or not.
There’s no need to create a ‘day’ for pretty light/white skin women, it’s celebrated year round.
Could you please expound on how pretty light/white skin women are celebrated year round? Im not seeing how it is any different from the creation of Pretty Brown Girl Day.
It’s pretty clear what she means, and I totally agree. Here’s an apt analogy —
White friend: “I don’t see why there needs to be a Black History Month. You don’t see us having a White History Month.”
Me: “There’s no need to have a White History Month. White history is celebrated all year around.”
White friend: “Can you please expound on how white history is being celebrated all year round? I’m not seeing how it is any different from the creation of Black History month.”
Me: Where do I even begin? ::sigh::
P.S. I hope this post is read in sincerity, as I’m not trying to insert any snark or passive-aggressiveness in it. I’m just trying to point out something that anybody who is (a) born and bred in the USA and (b) on the darker end of our color spectrum knows is true — that lighter-skinned black women are, have been, and will always be celebrated year-round, both in our own community and in whatever “mainstream” channels give a fleeting thought to black women. We might disagree on whether a “Pretty Brown Girl Day” is an appropriate response to this sad reality, but I can’t see how anyone can honestly deny the existence of said reality itself. What’s more, not having to see it or recognize it is, in fact, a luxury that darker-skinned women simply don’t have. From the first day you learn that you are in fact “dark” as opposed to “light” — much like the day you learn that you are “black” as opposed to “white” — it shapes a large part of your self-concept and self-consciousness. The extent to which it does so may differ from person to person, but the fact that it does so is simply undeniable, imho.
Hope that’s helpful.
It’s a friendly debate. You certainly did not come across as snark, passive, or agressive at all.
“The white history month” was a good analogy. lol.
I understand what you’re saying, I just feel like we’re not progressing when we continue to revisit this light/dark issue. I still the creator had positive intentions in addressing the issue, but Dark girls have self esteem issues and so do light girls. Self esteem is an issue regardless of what color you are. Why do we need a day to point that out and draw attention to ourselves? I, personally, have never felt like lighter skinned women (and/or people for that matter) have been “celebrated” within our commnity nor within the “mainstream” channels more than those on the “darker end of the color spectrum.” I still think, loving the skin that you’re in starts at home. But, That’s just my opinion.
goldeelocks, we’re not progressing when light skinned people refuse to acknowledge the struggles of those who are on the darker end of the spectrum.
it’s bizarre that you can’t see that light skin is upheld as the ideal within the black community and without. really, it’s jaw-dropping…almost.
Hi Merry, I understand that it happens, and I don’t think that the “struggles” of anyone should be ignored or go unacknowledged, it just seems like something that’s being revisited over and over and over again. Do we just hold onto this issue forever? obviously this day is a part of “correcting the problem. “If this day that’s created is going to help the “struggles” that I’m clearly unaware, I hope it goes off very well and sparks lots of positive things in the future.
As far as me not seeing that light skin is being upheld as “better” in our community; I’ve never felt like I received any privileges because of how light my skin was or that lighter skinned girls were being “celebrated” everyday etc. Where I grew up and how I was raised was very interracial and the whole light skin dark skin thing just wasn’t addressed the way it is now. Now, of course, just because I personally haven’t experienced these things in the black community, doesn’t mean it should be dismissed, I just didn’t see it as much of a big deal as I am seeing that it is on this thread.
I do appreciate you explaining your point of view.
As a “light-skinned” girl, and an Afro-Latina, I can definitely appreciate the need for a Pretty Brown girl day. Whether you are blind to it or not, it is indeed a fact that within any community of Dark skinned peoples (Latinos, Indians, Blacks), light skin is preferential and widely acknowledged as more beautiful. It is a fact that whites are more comfortable around light skinned people than dark. I’ve had several instances where white folks have told me outright racist things that they would NEVER say in front of darker people (like it’s ok to say them to me).
Also, having traveled widely in the Caribbean, you can see colorism easily and people will tell you light skin is more beautiful. In the US, many men will say horrible things about dark skinned women being less desirable. My younger brother is dark skinned and tells me he struggles with girls because of his skin color (even though he has type 3 hair and is gorgeous!). I’ve especially noticed that white people are more friendly/relaxed around lighter skinned people than my darker skinned friends. Or they’ve heard’ “you are really pretty for a dark-skinned girl.” You are extremely lucky if you live in a world where you have not noticed that.
The very fact that whitening creams are still sold in numerous quantities should also show this internalized hatred.
i agree with black onyx03’s comment 100%.
^^^^^^THIS
I agree w/ “caramel girl”… I have dark skin, my family is all shades… hmmm I’ve been teased by family members, mainly older cousins, for being too dark to be their cousin. So really it happens in both directions on the color spectrum. I think this is more of a minority image focused event and it is the first time ever so yes i would support it and see how it goes.
Anyhow, I think more focus such as these should be placed on our young men as well. I really don’t know exactly why, but we are losing them and it is devastating in my opinion and I think it needs to be addressed. As a community I think we are making great strides with our women and girls, look at the amount of black girls in college (in comparison to men) and professional women. I know there is more work to do with women as well… but I do think for some reason black women are more resilient in loving ourselves and our community. Yet our boys don’t seem to get that, and I think it’s because our focus is a little bias…
Girls identify themselves with beauty which equates to image. We are fed image everywhere, typically white ideal images… we combat that and say, “no we are beautiful brown/black women.”
Boys don’t necessarily go through this same issue that for many of us (especially those who read this website) have gone through that and it has honestly built great self-esteem within our community as black women…it has built a love that comes from inside and we have self-worth whether the majority likes what they see or not… there are articles everywhere saying black women have higher self-esteem than most other ethnicities… we have a can’t stop us attitude and somehow I don’t see that in our men and boys….
But I digress… Let’s keep doing what we are doing and more for our girls … but I think boys should be put on the table in this light as well..
Follow-up comment: I just checked out their site and facebook page. I think its a darling concept and I’m all for it! I feel like buying my little yellow nieces some PBG products! Adorable dolls and t-shirts! Here’s a quote from their announcement about the event, “February 25, 2012 is National Pretty Brown Girl Day! We are calling for all girls and women across the globe to celebrate themselves, families and friends. This is a great way for brown girls of all ages, cultures and ethnicities to empower themselves and boost their self-confidence.
We encourage families, youth mentoring groups, civic organizations and churches locally and nationally to embrace the differences among their youth. It is important for girls to understand that no matter what their skin tone they are beautiful inside and out.”
This put it in a better light for me. I think anyone who would attend who was in support of their cause would be accepted. I mean yes it’d be weird for a little blond haired white girl to wear one of the t-shirts, so perhaps they could have some that say my friend is a Pretty Brown Girl lol… I think it’s a cute and relevant concept. Hopefully it will catch on and their message will get out!
Will you habs chitlins ats da after party?
I am all for building self esteem in young girls… and in young african american girls… my concern regarding this event is is it inclusive? Can yellow girls, white girls and light skinned african american girls attend? In my extended family there are many shades of brown but most of us (myself, my siblings and my nieces and nephews) are the very light brown. I live in MI as I was reading I wondered if I could or should bring my young nieces to this event (ages 2 and 6) I wouldn’t want anyone to look at us like we have no business being there… like we are not brown enough. Also I live in a suburb that is very mixed. My son goes to school with children who are asian, white, latino, black and some arab and indian. I like that he is growing up with such diverse associations. I like to promote equality and acceptance regardless of racial background or ethnicity.
I understand some or even many darker toned women have been discriminated against and not considered pretty by mainstream standards. This is a shame and is wrong. But I have also experienced some prejudice from within our community where people have teased me calling me yellow or asking what am I mixed with or the worst saying nobody told you to mix your race (which wth is that really? I cannot control who my grandparents chose to mate with!)
I just hope this event doesn’t shun anyone who would support it who are technically not brown.
This is my concern too. Are we creating reverse racism and prejudice. why is it that brown women do not think they are beautiful. who told you this? and why is this such an issue that you have to wear t shirts and dolls to bring forth the image that you are what you already were, beautiful. beauty comes in all shades, sizes, ethnicities and features. lets just embrace beauty and not colorism.
I love this my stepchildren struggle with this. My stepson even says he is white because of his fair skin and big green eyes. I have always called my son my chocolate boy, and explained to him that everyone loves chocolate. He is one of the only blacks in his school and by far one of the darkest and he proudly says I am a chocolate boy…. Everyone loves chocolate anytime someone says something not so nice. My stepdaughter is also a beautiful latte color with hazel eyes and loves being my caramel latte girl. I have experienced the color bias that exists in the black culture. I am “pretty to be dark” or whatever the heck that means lol. As I have grown older people have tried to give me to another culture, I am exotic now or Somalian. With hair nearing the middle of my back I have to be “something” else because surely it isn’t beautiful to just be a pretty brown girl. Whenever these questions are asked, I smile and say nope I am just black with a grin. I am thrilled by the pretty brown girl day and wish they had it when I was a little girl struggling to be more than just “pretty to be so dark.”
I understand both your concerns and share them to some extent. However, I don’t call it racism. In modern society it is still accpeted that the lighter your skin is the more beautiful you are. Many dark skinned young girls grow up KNOWING that they are not as beautiful as their fairer skinned counterparts.
I think a movement like this is aimed at dispelling that belief…that dark skinned girls are beuatiful also. Its not more beautiful but “beautiful as well” or “Just as beautiful”. Frankly, I am a little peeved that whenever we try to assert our beauty (whether dark skinned or light skinned) we are accused of racism. Its racial pride. You should never feel shunned or left out of a positive assertion of beauty. however, the truth is we aren’t all touched to the same level.
I think we should go and feel proud of our race. We are finally embracing and asserting our beauty and I whole heartedly support it.
I am a very dark skinned young lady and I completely understand the need for positive reassurance.
I totally agree!
agreed. Everyday is light skin appreciation day.
The articles says that one intent of the day is that “. . . girls and women of all shades of brown are encouraged to embrace the beauty of their skin color.” Nothing is said about any shade of brown being left out. Nothing is said about anyone of any color being shunned. Celebrating something (all shades of brown skin, in this case) doesn’t require the shunning or rejecting of something else that is different from the cause of the celebration.
And the Day is called Pretty Brown Girl Day. Not Pretty Brown Latina Day, not Pretty Brown Indian Day, not Pretty Brown African/African Descendent Day. I read that to mean that if you think you’re a shade of brown, then race is irrelevant.
Having no melanin, I’m whiter-skinned than most white people. However, I’m the biological child of brown parents, so if I felt so inclined, I’d certainly celebrate and dare anybody to tell me I couldn’t!
But if you still want to worry about someone being left out, you can go start a Handsome Brown Boy Day. They, after all, are not girls, even if they are pretty, brown, or otherwise.
As I was reading all of the replies previous to yours it kind of hurt my heart to see that their is still some issues between the lattes to the straight-no-cream, skin-tone sisters. I felt the same way that you did, and wanted to re-type the definition of what the intent of PBG is all about. I am happy that you stated the words right. We have bigger issues than light or dark. Allowing our tone of color to be the issue keeps us away from what the real goal of non white people should be, which is teaching our children from the time that they are born to “dream big, remember that I am beautiful/ handsome inside and out, enjoy learning and laughing, always believe in myself and make healthy choices.”
We have come so far. 6 years ago I put a texturizer in my hair because I had been growing it naturally and did not know what to do with my hair. It was so coarse and there were no curly girl hair products readily available. It’s not like I lived in some small mostly non black community either. I was living on the South Side of Chicago, IL. Needless to say I completely messed my hair up. In my quest to make my hair more manageable, I landed someplace between straight and curly. Which left me with frizzy straight hair and natural hair that would not curl no matter how wet it was. I had been natural for about 3 years at the time of my mistep; my hair was long and healthy, so anyone could imagine how upset I was because I had to BC it all over again. All of this due to the fact that back then there was no guidance on how to take care of natural hair. My point is, when I read this article, and often times just about anything that BGLH posts, I am almost at tears, because I am so proud of how far we have come in such a short amount of time. When I began my natural journey there were a handful of people I knew who were not solely rocking relaxers and/or weaves. And even less who loved themselves and did not feed into the ideology of what beauty is or should be (I have actually had a black man tell me that I would be pretty if I would just straighten my hair). Reading articles such as this one, heck the fact that BGLH exists is a pat on the back for all of us. Natural hair has moved from being the thing I was doing with my hair, to a conscious state about my life, my goals, and my ancestry. So it dosn’t matter if you are super light, or super dark, or somewhere in the middle; WE NEED TO LOVE OURSELVES and teach others to do the same. It all begins with our children. I love the fact that my god-daughters are growing up natural and within a household that is aware of the day to day fight that Black parents have with the media; to show our boys and girls that they are amazing. So YES we do have to have days like PBG day, and hopefully, HBB (Handsome Brown Boy) Day, which will open up discussions about day to day life as a person of color.
I recently watched a show entitled,”What Would You Do”. In this show they fake scenario of day to day life to see if people around will help out or speak up. In this particular show. The scenario was a white girl bringing her boyfriend ( who happened to be black) to meet her father for the first time (the young white woman, the young black man, and the father were all actors). So the father acts as though he is angry and upset with his daughter for being with a black man. In one incident a white man comes over and tells the father that he is wrong for being racist and that he needs to open his mind and his heart; great right. 🙂 On another occasion ( they do the scenario over and over to get different reactions) this older white woman sides with the father and states,” It would have been ok if it was a latino man, but not a black man. Black people and white people can be friends but they should not intermix.” This is 2012, and the show was probably shot in 2011, this reactions clearly shows that we need to pull together in all of our ‘Browness’ and love; love hard, love deep. Only we can teach others how to treat us, and if we don’t know how to treat ourselves, then what type of message will we send others.
We need to learn our own history and learn to love ourselves as a whole community, period.
As a Pretty Brown Girl brand team member, I want you to know that yes, it is inclusive. If you visit our website, you will see that the day is to include every shade. It’s about loving your shade of brown and teaching others that each shade is beautiful!
With Love
I’m light skinned and I am the head of Pretty Brown Girl’s social media and design. If you take a look at the facebook and website, it should be very clear that this is inclusive.
NO WHITES SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED. WHY IS IT THAT EVERYTIME CAUCASIONS DO SOMETHING THAT EMBRACES THEIR RACE AND LOOK, ITS OK, BUT WHEN WE DO IT IT’S A PROBLEM. I CANT STAND IT WHEN OUR OWN BLACK PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT REVERSE RACISM. WHAT IS REVERSE RACISM ANYWAY? THERE IS ONLY ONE TYPE OF RACISM AS FAR AS IM CONCERNED. EITHER YOUR RACIST OR NOT. THERE IS NO REVERSE RACISM. IF YOU USE THAT TERM THEN YOU ARE MAKING IT SEEM LIKE WHITES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RACIST AND THEN ITS CALLED JUST PLAIN OLD RACISM. WHEN WE DO IT IT’S CALLED REVERSE? NO! STOP IT! THIS IS MEANT FOR BROWN GIRLS (MEANING BLACKS OF VARIOUS SHADES), TO BE PROUD OF THEIR CULTURE AND NATURAL BEAUTY. WE DONT NEED TO SHARE THAT WITH EVERYONE ELSE BECAUSE ITS NOT FOR THEM. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN THING! STOP TRYING TO ALWAYS TAKE AWAY FROM US!
You beez tellin dem Connie1. Dis beez fo us folks whos not getsin enough! So wuts if we beez habbin foo stams, apermitive actions jobbs, welfare munny dats free, bus passes, skool (free college) and section eights libbin. We deserves MO!
I am just gonna go ahead and say what everyone else who has read your reply thinks. @Qeesha, are you some kind of a joke?! Based off of what you stated and the way that you typed it it is very obvious that you are not brown and that you are trying to be negative towards us and our beliefs. Please find something better to do with your time.
*Stands up and starts clapping*
WOW!! You hit the nail on the head right there. Reverse racism means exactly want you said. It’s like white people are the only people who can be racist. Hell Indian, Hispanic people can be racist too. Sometimes I think we give white people too much power over our minds. And that’s the problem right there. Black people get your mind right. Read and gain knowledge about yourself.
I would Support this day in all ways possible. It is not about seperation or degrading another race. It is about letting our daughters know that it is perfectly great being a Pretty Brown Girl in a world that tells her that it is not ok. My sister is the swweetest color of chocolate I have ever seen in my life and it breaks my heart to hear her say she hates her color and wishes she was white or had lighter skin. Pretty Brown Girls Unite