For a while now pale skinned people have been tanning and such to get brown. I agree with the others that say that her mom needs to teach her to love the skin that she is in. Just like we should be teaching our kids the same, so they aren’t spending thousands to bleach their skin, or even darken it.
Hmm, not the first of heard. Whites have been tanning for the longest. My husband, who is White, says when he was a little boy he used to pray to turn Black and stayed in the the sun for hours to brown more. Her mom should teach her that yes, Black is beautiful, but to also love herself the way God made her.
I feel this is a refreshing change and an affirmation (not that I need one!) of our beauty. However this isn’t really a first. Alot of white people tan (despite the risks) or spray tan to get the beautiful coloring many of us naturally have all the while secretly (or not so secretly) harboring feelings against us and/or unable to admit they want what we have. But this little girl with that beautiful frankness that children have the gift of is completely transparent about her wish to look brown and her love of the beauty of that and that is what is different. And the fact that her mother seems just fine with that and indulges it is remarkably refreshing in comparison to all those tanners living in denial.
In France, beauty pageants for minors under 16 have been legally forbidden in 2013 on the ground that they promote the idea that women can only succeed on the way they look and that they “hyper-sexualise”(does that word exists en english) little girl ?
Hyper-sexualise means that some adults attributes (generally used for seduction purpose) have been assigned to a child or a teen: heels, makeups, thongs, bikini wax etc. I totally go in the sense of that law…kids should be just kids.
As for this case, I think a toddler should not spray tan. I don’t know what to say other that it’s wrong.
I am glad that being black has gained positivity. A toddler who wants to be black perceives blackness as a beautiful skin color and Beyonce as a role model. This is a good sign that we are seen as something to reach for.
Then on a personal level, of course the woman has to teach that little girl that she is just fine the way she is…and we are all just fine with our skin color and we can appreciate and like our differences without making it a hierarchy.
im appauled and disgusted by some of the comments i have read here. how is this cute or acceptable in anyway? there is nothing positive about this. if this had been about a liitle black girl bleaching people would be all over this! people are so quick to jump at black girls bleaching, wearing coloured contacts, straighting/relaxing their hair? no matter how old they are. but suddenly its cute that a little white girl wants to tan like beyonce?
i thought the whole point of this whole natural movement was to promote embracing who are, no matter your skin colour or your hair type. but it seems no matter what people still have the same biases when it comes to whites and blacks. people would have been so quick to diss a black mother and talk about how shes destroying a young girls life. but no, under these “special” circumstances “aww its so sweet that she wants to emulate black people, so cute that she has brown dolls, she’s getting in touch with her ancient african ancestors, she’ll grow out of it, i dont think its serious, its just cute and funny”. but when its a black person who tries and emulate whites, and play with white barbies or whatever, its bad for our image and its negative for child?
this is cute, but then again if it was a black child wanting to look lets say like taylor swift then there would be a problem. people would think the child is going through self hate. so why should we praise one and say its cute when it can be damaging to that child even though she is uplifting “brown.”
This is so not healthy physically or mentally! It is great that she loves and can appreciate a different complexion other than her own but spray tanning a baby…NOT OK! How have these women not had CPS called on them?
Everyone loves to take it where it needs to be. Clearly we are living in a time whre our own race wont adop little children of our OWN RACE but throw up arms when other races will. We are the first to scream injustice but here’s a little girl being SUPPORTED by her parents for liking another look. sorry ladies but the “black women are bitter” theory always looks more true. Everyday.
Are you a troll or just stupid? Your comment can be interpreted as disjointed from the topic at first by bringing up adoption,you then make a blanket assumption (pushing you more into the stupid side vs the troll side), next you move to the original topic (for the first time) but only to be bitter that other do not see the world the way you do (moving you back to troll land). So are you stupid are a troll?
This is absolutely ridiculous. This mother is being totally irresponsible and not teaching her daughter to love herself the way she was made.
Being of Afrikan descent, our children go through this problem living in a European dominated country but that doesn’t mean that our culture should dominate over theirs either.
On another level, is spraying a chemical into your daughter’s face and body healthy? This is materialism and vanity at its worst.
if i did not need another reason to dislike this show…That ‘mother’ needs to teach her daughter self love, that she is pretty too and that she should love herself but NO! Mom thinks it is cute for her daughter wants to alter herself before she has a real sense of self. I guess this is what i should expect from a woman who gets validation of her own looks through her daughter, a daughter who identify more with dolls and TV stars that what she sees in the mirror. Disgusting! This is not cute this little girl wants to change her skin color! If she was black, brown, yellow or red people would be all sorts of peeved! Duplicity is hypocrisy in a dress!
I saw the show and I thought it was cute. I don’t mind children “experimenting” with other cultures. I thought it was great that her parents allowed her to embrace her “brown desires.”
Okay. The Toddlers in Tiaras thing is twisted. And I don’t think we should read too much into this ‘role reversal’ thing. But this makes me remember something that happened to me. I was on a business trip in Utah. I stopped for a late lunch at an Asian restaurant. A White woman and her young daughter came in a little bit after me. The little girl (maybe 4 years old) kept turning around at her booth to look at me (I’m Ghanaian, and West-African dark,dark-skinned). Suddenly she said to her mother, ‘Mommy, she’s brown. I want to be brown too.’ It was so innocent and so sweet. I just told her that I thought she was a very pretty color too. Kids are precious. They just don’t have our hang-ups.
I’d never thought I’d see this coming…but she probably would change her mind once high school starts.
I remember having a friend in HS who was asian and she was so fascinated with black people and their culture. But once she got to college, she changed and said it was just a fad. That kinda hurt me because I thought for once someone wanted to be like “me”, but at the same time I shouldn’t have taken it personally.
For this young girl, as many of you mentioned already, the mom should encourage her to lover herself and the skin God blessed her with (cuz she’ll definitely get a job! LOL just kidding! ^_^) Lemme stop, but seriously, that whole pageant show itself is just sad and I don’t like how its based on physical appearance.
This little girl is from my hometwn, Longview, TX, which is located in East Texas. Let’s just say that it is not the most welcoming area for any person who is not blonde haired and blue eyed. It was surprising for me to see her mother encouraging her daughter to idolize a black woman. Especially since I’ve grown up here, and have witnessed racial discrimination first hand. It was truly a breath of fresh air! 🙂
it’s cute but scary! It’s only adorable now because she’s so small and the way she started singing at the end was adorable, but if she was 15 and said that it wouldn’t be cute it would seem a bit shallow. I think that her mother should nip this in the bud before he daughter grows up with low self esteem
But in the end, this just shows people always want what they don’t have…
i just hate that skin matters so much in our society period im not saying ignore the issues that come with race….but geez.. it shouldnt matter as much as it does wwhere ppl feel the need to get in arguments abt it especially blck ppl with each other nd on topic i found it alittle funny but wierd since i had never seen this befor but that little girl is beautiful peachy just the way she is and was meant to be lol
That was creepy as well. I think this child tends to look at a lot of magazines of bridal gown, since she was referring to the wear then actually getting married with a guy and having babies. :/
Black people come in all shades,and in thinking that they don’t is sad on your part. She wants to have tan skin that is for sure maybe she doesn’t want to be Black, but she is appreciating the skin tone of Black people.
Ok…that’s not my point. My point is a child perception of race is far less developed than an adult’s. ?Thinking that black people don’t come in many shades” is sad on my part? Oh..ok.thanks for “schooling me” because I’m just finding out this fact.
While self acceptance, and encouraging that in your children, is obviously important, I couldn’t help but like this video. alot. This little girl was tooo cute, with both her peach and more brown tones lol. And honestly this really can’t just be made into a linear comparison to when little black girls talk about wanting to be white. In most of those cases, there is at least the possibility that the desire stems from racism and the historical denigration of Blackness. In the case of this little girl in the video, that history isn’t there, she’s not feeling that way because she’s been outrightly taught, or received messages from the media, society, the govt, etc, that her race is less beautiful, smart, worthy etc. Her desire for darker skin, as presented in this video, comes simply from seeing it on a person she really admires haha, and in that way its untainted by the things that the desire in black children for lighter skin is. With all that said i’m not a fan of spray tanning your children : but…she was too cute when she looked at her new brown skin and started singing “put a ring on it.” haha. 🙂
I saw this episode. I thought the little girl was beautiful in her peach skin and brown ringlets! I also think- as someone else mentioned earlier-that the mother sees her daughter immolating her favorite pop star. Clearly she is not learning prejudice at home which I am proud of the mother for doing. Although I am not a mother, I imagine it is a hard job instilling in your daughter that she is beautiful when there are billion dollar industries that profit on keeping her self-consciousness and self-absorbed. Is a beauty pageant the way to go? IMO, no, but the daughter appears to be enjoying it which is what matters in the end.
It’s common knowledge that all human beings, regardless of race, struggle with body image. But this one off incident is not the same as what Black people have to face with being constantly bombarded with the Eurocentric ideal of beauty, and the whole complicated history that entails with that; and were still struggling from the repercussion of it because not only does it still exist, but we still haven’t gotten over past wounds from it. And I’m side-eying anyone who tries to say that it is the same as white folks spray tanning. Spray tanning is a white standard of beauty, historically derived from rich white people in the early 20th century going to the beach and getting a nice “glow” while white poor folks, who didn’t have the money, didn’t go to the beach and stayed pale. It’s wrapped up in a big bow of classism. It has nothing to do with white people wanting to be black. This child, and her wanting to be like Beyonce, is an anomaly not the standard. And I completely disagree with people trying to say Black people’s hang-up on their body image, which is historically wrapped up in racism, is the same as white people who want a spray tan, don’t like their nose, etc.
Keeping in mind this is Toddlers and Tiaras, which means we’re dealing with a very special (and thankfully very SMALL) subset of parents and children:
As much as some of us want to pretend it doesn’t exist, white privilege is real and most white folks know it. As someone else posted above, most white kids figure it out by puberty and socialize accordingly. For that reason I’m willing to give the mother a small amount of credit for not freaking the eff out about her daughter’s desire for black/brown dolls. Let’s see how she feels in 12 years if her daughter starts dating black boys…
All of this said, I agree with the majority who say that the girl should learn to appreciate her peach skin. You can be pro-peach without being anti-chocolate… 😉
Well, it’s clear to me that her mom has taught her to refer to black people as “brown” and white people as “peach”, so the little girl saying that she wants to be brown shows that she wants to look like a black person. I think the actual shade of blackness does not have much to do with anything. Case in point, she has black dolls that are not “light” like Beyonce.
Also, I don’t think the fact that she wants to be “brown” holds the same weight as a little black girl who wants to be white, both of which are occurring in a Eurocentric society that places a high value on white skin. All little girls are going to be bombarded with messages that fair skin is the most attractive. Not sure why this little girl believes the opposite, but that message is not being shoved down her throat from every angle. So in my opinion it is not the same thing
That being said, I think her mom should work a little harder on getting her to love her “peach” skin because it is her skin and she should love it no matter what shade it is, as all mothers should.
I don’t think white people think of skin/body image issues as much as blacks do. I’m willing to bet that all her momma saw, was her baby imagining/pretending she was her favorite pop singer. (Like most young girls do) No harm, no foul. That singer, just happens to be black. If it would’ve been Brittney, Hannah Montanna, Salena Gomez etc, she STILL would’ve been spray tanned.
White ppl have skin/body issues as much as anyone else, because they’re human.
However, I agree with what u said abt her mother just seeing her daughter as pretending to be her fave singer. I didn’t see the video, but was trying to make that point. Everything is not a color issue, but because we are hurt, scarred and face discrimination, some of us can’t look at situations for what they are. I completely understand this, but at times it’s annoying like now because it stops us from growing (seeing everyone is not racist) and just enjoying a situation (seeing someone admiring another’s beauty, and an adult who is not telling her daughter negative things about Black people). We already know when many ppl see us they c color. Why become as ignorant as them EVERY second of the day. Even with this site, some will see a Black woman with an afro and/or curly hair and question if it’s her hair, because she’s Black, or if they see a Black and White person who are friends they make assumptions of how they met, everything is not a color issue, somethings just are.
I was baby-sitting a biracial girl once (her dad was white and not present in her life), and she asked me if she would be brown and beautiful (like her mother) when she grew up. I told her that she would be beautiful no matter what. I caught her praying to God to become brown before she went to sleep. It broke my heart. She’s 14 now (This happened 7 years ago), but I still wonder if she wishes she were brown or if she’s comfortable in her skin.
I thought it was interesting because many black and biracial children fail the doll test and even color themselves white/yellow/peach in drawings.
I always get nervous when I see parents allowing or encouraging their child to change. I’m not trying to see a little white girl right now I just see a child and the little girl is adorable but do not sit there and spray tan a baby! I may be black but I have met white girls/women who will tan themselves until their skin is flaking off and I knew at least one girl who actually did it because she hated being white. I know white people hating being white isn’t common but girls and women with low self-esteems seems to be very common and I’d rather be overly cautious if I ever do have a daughter before I ever unconsciously enforce to my child that she is anything other than beautiful naturally. Certainly there is a difference in the experience of a black and a white woman(I am not downplaying that but that just isn’t my focus for this particular post). But regardless of race women already grow up with a ridiculous pressure to change and make themselves more “beautiful”. I’m not saying I hated the video or something, but ultimately the idea makes me uneasy.
I am not worried about her. I am pretty sure that has she grows up and becomes aware of her white privilege, she wouldn’t want to be black anymore. I guess she disproves the notion that people are attracted to, will listen to, will only have empathy for, or can only identify with people that look like them is biological and evolutionary.
I think it is wonderful she is playing with brown/black dolls, it would be better if she played with brown and black dolls in addition to a wide variety of dolls.
I never said it has deep racial meaning. Just acknowledging that as she grows she will appreciate her whiteness. There are some white people that believe the reason they do not ‘admire a brown aesthetic’ is biological, which as we know is nonsense. Just trying to join two different ideas that came to mind. I am fully aware she is only 4 and not fully aware of her decisions and choices, which makes her desires even more telling.
June and several others have typed with great wisdom behind their words. I have experienced what June is saying from 2 little adorable white children in my life. At her age (child in video), they too wanted to be brown with “big” hair, engaged in play with a diverse set of dolls but played most often with, in their words, “pretty dolls”-those with brown skin. However, as they are growing older and are now being “mis-educated” in the ideology of white superiority, they now ask me: Why don’t I straighten my hair? Why am I not white like EVERYBODY ELSE? Don’t you want blue eyes, my daddy says blue eyes are the best eyes.
This is a drastic change from even a few months ago and a significant change from when they were 2-4 years of age. And as we sit in watch the stupid Barbie cartoons thier into now, my heart weeps. Yes, I want these girls to love who they are, but seeing them change from accepting a diverse idea of beauty (not just Black) to a myopic and rigid version (blonde/blue) so quickly was like a kick in the teeth.
i get what you’re saying, and i agree. it’s like why all the white kids drops their black friends in middle school and only start hanging with each other, socialization sets in ;).
The honesty in children is something to be admired. In her childhood innocence, she is admitting something that many older people in her race will never admit; they too want to be brown. Proof in all of the tanning salons and obsession with tanning. In the words of Paul Mooney ” Eveerybody want to be a N****, but nobody wants to be a N*****:
On another note, this is very saddening to me. She is a beautiful little girl and her mother should be reinforcing this four year olds self esteem in who God made her. There’s nothing wrong with appreciating another culture’s unique beauty, but her mother should build a foundation in which she can see herself as beautiful the way she is and then learn to appreciate the beauty in diversity.
The dolls and the spray tanning is way too much for a four year old. The fact that she ONLY has brown dolls is a problem. It can certainly run deep into this girl’s psyche as she gets older.
“If you like to put a ring on it,” LOL. I think her mom should be teaching her to appreciate her own beauty, not spray tanning her. She can still have brown dolls and appreciate brown beauty, but going to lengths to change how she looks is excessive.
I heard about this story the other day. Personally I feel like parents should teach thier kids to love themselves and to never try to be anyone but youself. I feel like its not wrong with the little girl appreciating beauty besides her own. However my problem is PAGENT MOMS! I have a serious problem with these pagent moms who enforce self hate. I mean making your child spray on tans, fake teeth, big fake hair. I mean I can not even watch the show I get sick to my stomach. Really what are you teaching your child?
I think it goes without saying that everyone should accept themselves for exactly who they are, but on a side note, I believe that some of us take things to seriously and see everything in color because we have and still go through a lot because of ours.
We can’t even enjoy a moment that a little girl is having with her love of someone of another complexion, the same way we enjoy the moment when a Black woman cuts off their permed hair and say I love straight hair, but wow my hair is beautiful too, and I can’t wait to see and feel it.
Self-acceptance is a path, and this girl is a child, why can’t some of us just say that her appreciation for beauty other than her own is cute without getting deep into her psyche. She just may grow up to be a beautiful person with love and acceptance for all WITHOUT hating herself.
While I see your point…I really do… yet I really don’t think some of us are trying to get deep (mind you, I believe you’re free to have your own opinions, so no disagreement there). I can’t speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself.
1.) I can’t enjoy the moment because I’m not a fan of Toddlers in Tiaras or any young child, adolescent, or teen entering pagents forced upon them by his/her parents.
2.) I’m not a fan of Beyonce and do not believe that little girls should aspire to be like her; Plus, the fact that the mother mentioned BET & Beyonce in the same sentence just honestly disturbed me…smh. I believe in the saying “it’s a lonely road to the top” (my apology if I butchered the quote LOL) and feel parents should be cautious and refrain their children from idolizing celebrities. There’s nothing wrong with finding specific qualities one likes in a person, but to want to BE that individual…even at a young and innocent age, I would discourage it. Just my personal opinion.
3.) Again, I understand stand where you’re coming from, BUT when the mother said “she’s prayed before that Jesus would make her brown”, in my mind I was thinking, a seed has already been planted in the girl’s mind that she’s not pretty without having to spray tan herself brown….this could blossom into a recipe for disaster as she gets older.
4.) Did I already mention that I am not a fan of child pagents,lol?! Tiredofthebs, there’s nothing wrong with an individual appreciating beauty other than her own. However, the context behind the statement is equally important. The little girl is praying for her skin to turn brown. This is not a good example of appreciting another skin color. That’s just plain ole envying if you ask me.
5.) I’ll end by saying, what if this little girl doesn’t grow up to eventually love and accept the skin that she’s in? I ask because I’m surprise by how many people are surprised by this “reverse beauty standard”,lol. I’m sorry, but I’ll never come around to praising “reverse beauty standard”, because I believe it is just as bad as a black person desiring to be another skin type. I’ve encountered a few whites like this little girl either immersed in specific African communities or African American communities. For some reason, SOME “black people” tend to praise and encourage this behavior (**my observation**). I’ve encountered white people wanting to be black so badly that they will dis their own “race”, just to elevate what they consider the “coolness” of being black; or SOME are so ashamed of their ancestral past that they just dismiss themselves altogether. Call them “wiggers” (can’t stand the term) or whatever you want to call them, I just find it strange, disturbing, and unfortunate. We’ll never know the outcome of the little girl, I’m just concerned that the mother is enabling the seed of self-hate. I just don’t see the cute and innocence in this situation. But again, great food for thought <3
I completely understand what you’re saying. However, I did not see the tape. I’m basically saying that I don’t believe everything is a color issue, and that I believe it’s best to consider someone’s culture when wondering about their well being. Meaning this little girl wanting to be brown could just mean that she wants to look like Beyonce, there are countless ppl who grew up in the Jackson 5 era, like Edwin Mccain, who wanted to be Black bcuz they admired them so much, I believe this Is diff than a Black little girl stating she wants to look White, bcuz that’s the image society is telling her is the standard, which in itself is a recipe for low self esteem. However, this little girl will not live in a society telling her that her hair and skin are not the standard of beauty. If anything she will grow up with magazines covers and ppl on tv that resemble her. No I don’t think it’s a good thing to want to be a completely diff person, but I believe many ppl are speaking of her self esteem as if she faces the issues Black little girls face. As women, we can have self-esteem issues regardless of race, but regardless of whatever we as women go through we will still have it twice as hard because we are Black this little girl is not. Let her enjoy her innocence before she grows up in a world where many ppl DON’T want or even like “brown” ppl.
**[…] this little girl will not live in a society telling her that her hair and skin are not the standard of beauty. If anything she will grow up with magazines covers and ppl on tv that resemble her. No I don’t think it’s a good thing to want to be a completely diff person, but I believe many ppl are speaking of her self esteem as if she faces the issues Black little girls face.**
i agree with you to a certain extent, I personally know many white girl’s who have pressures too.
**[…] this little girl will not live in a society telling her that her hair and skin are not the standard of beauty. If anything she will grow up with magazines covers and ppl on tv that resemble her.”
There are pressures that are opposite of black girl’s. Ssoooo many white teens I know that get sunburned from tanning and even risk cancer daily by visiting tanning beds for that brown skin. Many people overlook how many white people get lip injections, surgery for bigger butts, boob jobs, and even nose jobs ( when their noses are supposedly the standard of beauty). The way I see it is everyone wants what they don’t have, true black girls may have to struggle a bit more but I think many are biased in thinking it’s cute and that there’s nothing wrong, because you and I both know if this was a black girl (as it usually is) this would be far from cute. This girl should have some dolls that look like her and learn to love her peach skin. Cause if she was a black girl I’d say the same thing. Yes it’s a nice change from the usual black kid who wants to look white but the reality is whichever way you flip it, it’s still sad and there are many white girls like her who I know personally HATE their skin and curly hair (majority of white people have curly hair they just hate t so much they damage it with straightening everyday). This is just my opinion, everyone’s entitled to their own but that’s just how I feel about it.
I addressed this issue in my other comment, by stating that White people have issues like everyone else because they’re human.
However, this is a website dedicated to Black women’s hair and other issues in OUR community. Yes, it’s unfortunate the we have to use the word community, when we should be able to say a community which includes all people, but that is not the world that we live in. All of the issues that you brought up, I’m sure many people of color are aware of them because the media shoves them down our throats.
This is not to be disrespectful, this is me being honest with you. I clearly stated that it goes without saying that one should be themselves. You don’t have to educate me about White ppl, or tell me about their hair issues, because I don’t live in a box.
You are entitled to your opinion, I just don’t like to be misquoted. I didn’t say someone wanting to be someone else is cute. I am talking about the reality that this girl will see images that reflect her and that she has a skin tone that is perceived as the standard of beauty.
Also, why would I be discussing White ppl I know personally and their problems, on a Black site, when its irrelevant.
We are not the only race on the planet, but if White teens were sitting around discussing anorexia, since this is a major issue amongst them, I wouldn’t feel offended about them not acknowledging that some Black people have weight issues too, since they outnumber the Black teens that suffer from anoresia. because i would understand and realize that they are seeing how to deal with this in their community because of the numbers, In other words, they would be helping themselves, which is what one must do before helping another.
Can’t see the video but I agree with a lot of what people say. My overriding feeling is that she should be shown that she is lovely as she is, taught that all the dolls are equal and not be in pageants being spray tanned and worried about appearance. Let kids be kids.
i understand previous comments about the little girl accepting herself but i must say this made me smile just because never in my life have i seen a reverse of this trend. I am sure most have seen that study from last year or year before where the little black girl was choosing white dolls and the white children were choosing white dolls, but i have never seen a white child choose solely black dolls.
Also, I must say, pageantry aside, this is one awesome mother to let her child do that. She didnt try to force her to get white dolls or downplay her clear love of beyonce, but just kind of accepted it. I never heard the mother say are you sure you dont want to get one that looks like you? anyway i do understand the girl needs to accept herself as stated before but i must say because this was like seeing a unicorn for me i just thought it was cute
+1 That study is what first popped into my head and I agree, I have NEVER seen a positive reversal of that. Her interest in brown skin appears to be completely innocent; she likes how it looks vs. thinking it makes her prettier. And kudos to her mom for letting her get the doll she wants, although I can’t get with that tanning ish.
“this is one awesome mother to let her child do that.” I 100% disagree with that statement. As someone else suggested above, if this were a black girl with a mother that was encouraging or supporting her daughter in her quest to have lighter skin, we would be up in arms.
The only thing adorable about this video was the way the girl kept drawing out the word “brown”. That was just plain cute. Outside of that, I would like to see her mother reinforce the fact that is beautiful just as she is.
But I don’t think you can’t really say “if this were a little black girl”. The analogy wouldn’t hold because the circumstances are too different. White girls aren’t brought up with as many negatives concerning their type of beauty, whereas, as I’ve read on this very blog a billion times, black girls are brought up to yearn for light skin and straight hair. I’m not saying that what happens in the video isn’t self hate or not wrong, but the two situations are not the same. Really it seems more like a type of emulation that we don’t get from them too often.
Really? Have you not seen the tanning adverts? The girls who subject themselves to tanning beds on a regular basis despite the risks of skin cancer? People being mocked for being overly ‘pale’ or ‘pasty’?
People of all races get told they are good enough. White girls have just as much negatives concerning their beauty as black people. More than 85% of the media is aimed towards white girls from the ages of 11-19. They too long for tanner/paler skin, straighter hair, different body types, etc. I don’t think its fair that only black people can complain about people telling them they would be prettier if they were lighter or had longer hair with a looser curl, but white girls can’t complain about being told they would be prettier if they had some color, different body type, or straighter hair.
Keep the balance Aiesha by bringing the truth! Oftentimes I think we – blacks – pigeon hole ourselves, wearing our disparagements as a badge of my pain is deeper/bigger/more damaging than yours dishonor, more than others. To that I say knock it off and add some ethnic variety to your life.
You’ll learn more and have a more accurate perception of life that way.
Wow…Maybe she’s getting in touch with her ancient African ancestors (everybody’s African when you get down to it). I see curls…she’s probably got some Africa in that family tree. Oh and correct me if I’m wrong but I always thought beyonce was yellow-brown…not exactly what I would call brown.
All jokes aside; I think it’s cute that she can appreciate the beauty in dark skin but as a child I think it’s important that she learn to be comfortable in her own skin as well because she will never have it, (at least not naturally). Everybody’s beautiful in their own way. Love yourself, baby girl.
I’m probably reiterating a few comments that are already here but…
Any case of changing ones self to look like someone or something else is never good. It’s so cute that she has brown dolls and she appreciates something different from herself, especially when some adult can’t do the same. But appreciation turns into ‘self-hate’ when we aspire to be someone other than who we are. The same way a little black girl wanting ‘straight long hair’ is wrong and detrimental to her self image is the same way this little white girl trying to be darker, i.e not who she is, is detrimental to her.
Also, as previously mentioned, this does nothing for black girls/womens self esteem or to reverse the standards of beauty even in our own community.
One, as a mother why is she letting her daughter spray tan? That’s only reinforcing the “beauty pageants lead to low self-esteem” viewpoint. I think these types of pageants are not only damaging, but completely wrong for kids this young. Getting spray tans, fake teeth, hair extensions and even plastic surgery this year can and will RUIN a child’s self esteem. At a time where eating disorders, and depression linked to low self esteem and worth is so high, you would think we would be celebrating beauty as is, not doing this.
Two, I think this video is as equally sad as a black child wanting white features. I don’t find it cute or entertaining. I think that either way its sad. Double standards run rampant in the black community IMO, and if this was a little black girl wanting to bleach her skin so she could look like Selena Gomez and her mother was going along with it, there would be hell to pay. But a white child getting a spray tan, which may not be physically harmful, but maybe mentally is ok? Shame. I think this generation as a whole needs to focus on loving oneself as is, and teaching that to future generations. *Steps off soapbox*
you make excellent points! that whole toddlers and tiaras thing is sickening to me. that’s why i think these pervs are abducting little girls left and right.
i’m not a parent yet but i firmly believe that parents need to teach self love!! it’s interesting the mom even lets her play with very brown dolls.
now real talk, seeing her sing “if you like then you shoulda put a ring on it” at the end made me giggle, just a little but it doesn’t negate the fact that this is wrong even though who she’s admiring is a black woman.
It will take more than this to reverse the eurocentric beauty standards.
Little girls might want to be “brown”, not “black”. Light-skinned.
Cause you know, being ‘naturally tanned’ is so cool.
The kid’s cute, just the way she is. Self acceptance isnt exclusive to black people, or even minorities in general. Every little girl should be raised to KNOW that she is beautiful just the way God made her and that a part of being beautiful means seeing and appreciating beauty of others, even if they don’t look like you.
Here we go with this “light almost white” stuff. When will black people learn that to white people, no matter how dark or light blacks are, you’re still black. Besides, to them, all shades of blacks are considered DARKER skinned complexion. Even if its light to us.
Please calm down. This thread is jokingly acknowledging the fact Beyonce has a lighter complexion so a couple of tanning sessions can get her close to her goal. Everything is not a battle or a war.
We shouldn’t be defining ourselves based on what white people think. We can think for ourselves and be our own people without them or their input. Just because white people think any black person is “black” doesn’t make it so.
I personally don’t think biracial people are black, and I don’t think people with wavy hair and light skin should be classified as black either. To me, black means you’re medium brown or darker, with kinky hair. To me, Beyonce is MIXED, along with the plethora of other “black” female celebrities that people want to parade around in the name of enforcing the idea of “black beauty”.
I have nothing against MIXED people, because my own mother is biracial. However, I’m black, I don’t look like her, and I don’t want someone who looks clearly biracial to be representing “black beauty” or “blackness”, further marginalizing the image of dark skinned women.
thats the kind of thinking that makes an identity crisis. i am a nigerian (african) girl. basing someones race of how their hair looks or how light their skin is doesn’t make sense. do us as black people see different types of white people? do we see one white person and say “oh he’s american” and “oh she’s Canadian” and “oh they’re Scandinavia”? what is a biracial person?-someone with two races mixed together. so if someone has an white mother and a black father (or the other way around)they’re not any less black nor are they any less white, they’re just mixed. and if someone has an asian mother and a white father they’re not any less white nor asian, THEY’RE JUST MIXED. if we were back in the time of slavery and a white person set their eyes on a fully black person and a person mixed with black i seriously doubt they’d see a difference.
I agree up until your last couple of statements. Most of the time, there is a verifiable difference between mixed -race individuals and non-mixed individualS. Pretending otherwise is just plain disingenous. I’m sorry but a pure-blooded Nigerian would not look like Halle Berry or Tracey Ellis Ross. My beef is that It’s like all other races can have a definite look–an unmixed look throughout the media (equipped with it’s own facial diversities), but Black people have to make a point about our diversity by pointing to the Black chick with Green eyes (REALLY?). We don’t have to use bi-racials as a point to show that we can have diverse features. I just don’t like double standards. If a mixed girl can get-way with being called black, then she should be able to be called white, and if not, we have a problem. These classifications are a symptom of a desire to replace black women/ black features in the media.
Wow! That is all I can say to the comments I see here. I am sad to see some continue to create divisions based on complexion and hair type. We should not allow anyone to define us. What is important is how we see and define ourselves individuals. I am not going to get bent out of shape because a person of mixed race defines themselves as black or white. I would also challenge the ‘verifiable difference’ between mixed-race and non-mixed race individuals. In reality, most African-Americans have a mix somewhere in their lineage unless you can absolutely trace your roots all the way back to your country of origin and tribe. It would be wonderful if we could let go of all the skin/hair baggage and just embrace all the beautiful combinations we come in. I think we are the most beautiful women in the world!
One can be African-American (of African Descent) but it does not entail that they are Black. My question is why does Blackness have to entail so much ambiguity, but the same isn’t done for White or Asians? It’s like we have to blurr our race to maintain some level of acceptance. I’m not creating a division, I am stating a fact. A person with one white or other parent is not the same as an African with two Black African parents, there is a difference. No offense, but not everyone on this board is American, so some of us can’t comprehend or subscribe to racist, backward, and outdated belief of The one drop rule. Furthermore, the “All African-Americans are mixed anyway” argument does nothing to strengthen the argument that mixed people look or should be considered Black. A person who is Bi-racial generally looks that, Bi-racial (half-white) and to deny this is to be disingenuous. At the end of the day people can identify with whatever they like, but if I see that it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, I’d be hard-pressed to call it a cat.
Hmmm…My Mom is Mexican from Mexico and my Dad is “black” although since his Mom’s Mom was full Native American I feel like I need to make that clear. So perhaps my Dad isn’t Black judging by the definitions I’m hearing here. Anyway, just trying to figure out whether I’m considered “Bi-Racial” since I’m not white. Seems by definition in these postings bi-racial= black/white.
You people need to get off your high horse and brush the chip off your shoulder. If you can’t support and accept your own people then why would anyone else. BTW-The moment a bi-racial person, say Halle Berry claimed to be white you people would be up in arms. If Beyonce always pointed out all the other ethnicities she was people would complain that she refused being black. GET OVER IT!!!
So what do you clasify the dark skinned mixed race people?
Ha! All these demarcations just lead to more issues. Someone with a black father and Bangladeshi mom is what? We were all forced into this big, undefined tent and it is something we are just going to have to figure out and live with. I do understand BlaqueInfinite general point, I just don’t agree with her solution.
Thank you! I myself is mixed but you would never guess it until you saw my whole family. My mother is haitian with some other stuff mixed in and my father is german yet I look black from the medium brown of my skin to the kinky/curly state of my hair. Does that make me an exception to the rule, a category all onto myself? I always say I’m black because I do not acknowledge my father, not because he’s white but because he and I do not talk, but if we did have a good relationship I would not ever disregard the other half of my heritage; something I know would get me a lot of bad critics in the States but honestly doesn’t matter here in Canada, where I live.
I agree to a point, it is damaging for a young black girl to only c lighter skinned individuals representing black beauty, because within our on race, being real, darker skin and kinky hair is condsidered as less attractive, so there should be more darker skinned woman representing black beauty!!
@BlaqueInfinite: Black people come in all colors. My skin is nearly the same color as Beyonce’s and I have 4a/4b hair. Both of my parents are BLACK. I have a sister who is a shade or two lighter than me, she has green eyes and curly hair (maybe 3b), I have another sister who is several shades darker than me with 4a hair and, again, our parents are BLACK, our Grandparents were black as well (one of my grandparents was “mixed”). I am not biracial, I am not “mixed”, I am Black. The color of my skin and the texture of my hair don’t define who I am. I am beautiful just like you are. All black women are beautiful. Not just the “light skinned” ones or the “dark skinned” ones. We all represent “black beauty” in all of our shapes, sizes and colors.
I think most of us are on the same page regarding this point:’Not just the “light skinned” ones or the “dark skinned” ones. We all represent “black beauty” in all of our shapes, sizes and colors.’ We just have to get the black and white media to feel the same way 🙂
BLAQUEINFINITE YOU ARE IGNORANT. I AM DARK SKIN WITH LONG CURLY HAIR. SO DOES THAT MAKE ME MIXED OR NOT? IDIOT! YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO OUR RACE. GO CLAIM ANOTHER RACE.
YOUR IGNORANT BLAQUEINFINITE.. I DONT WANT YOU REPRESENTING US. YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO OUR RACE. I AM DARK SKIN WITH SOFT CURLY LONG HAIR. SO YOUR IGNORANCE MAKES NO SENSE.
As hard as this may be for you to believe, the only person who has been ignorant in this entire discussion is YOU. I read through the comments, and saw people articulately expressing their true thoughts and feelings. Although they did not agree with each other, they were still respectful of one another.
Okay, so what you are saying is that since I am light skinned, I am not black and my brother who is dark skinned and shares the same parents is black? No offense, but that is the silliest pile of horse boo boo that I have ever heard! Black people come in all colors shapes and sizes.that is what makes us beautiful!
So a person who are light skin with kinky, straight,curly, wavy hair and a brown and dark with “non black hair” with two black parents should not consider themsleves black because they don’t match want you call black. I have yet seen any black person who skin tone match the color black. Anybody with one or two black parents call themselevs black if they want to.
I think this is so cute! But in all honesty I might be holding a double standard because it breaks my heart to hear little black girls say they want to be like Hannah Montana. So I acknowledge my bias but at the same time when do we see little white children trying to emulate black people- in a positive way. This is why it does my heart good.
But now for real talk! We should encourage our children to be comfortable in their own skin, what ever color that may be and with their own hair, whatever texture that might be. The little girl in this video is a gorgeous little peach girl and I would tell her just that. She is also a gorgeous lil brown girl but their goes my bias sneaking up again lol
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Black Girl With Long Hair
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I want to say I’m a little flattered, but… It doesn’t feel right that she’s developing self-hate either.
Bless her heart! Her idol is a beautiful black woman. I can’t be mad at that!
For a while now pale skinned people have been tanning and such to get brown. I agree with the others that say that her mom needs to teach her to love the skin that she is in. Just like we should be teaching our kids the same, so they aren’t spending thousands to bleach their skin, or even darken it.
Hmm, not the first of heard. Whites have been tanning for the longest. My husband, who is White, says when he was a little boy he used to pray to turn Black and stayed in the the sun for hours to brown more. Her mom should teach her that yes, Black is beautiful, but to also love herself the way God made her.
I feel this is a refreshing change and an affirmation (not that I need one!) of our beauty. However this isn’t really a first. Alot of white people tan (despite the risks) or spray tan to get the beautiful coloring many of us naturally have all the while secretly (or not so secretly) harboring feelings against us and/or unable to admit they want what we have. But this little girl with that beautiful frankness that children have the gift of is completely transparent about her wish to look brown and her love of the beauty of that and that is what is different. And the fact that her mother seems just fine with that and indulges it is remarkably refreshing in comparison to all those tanners living in denial.
Spray tan a kid ? What’s wrong with this mom.
In France, beauty pageants for minors under 16 have been legally forbidden in 2013 on the ground that they promote the idea that women can only succeed on the way they look and that they “hyper-sexualise”(does that word exists en english) little girl ?
Hyper-sexualise means that some adults attributes (generally used for seduction purpose) have been assigned to a child or a teen: heels, makeups, thongs, bikini wax etc. I totally go in the sense of that law…kids should be just kids.
As for this case, I think a toddler should not spray tan. I don’t know what to say other that it’s wrong.
I am glad that being black has gained positivity. A toddler who wants to be black perceives blackness as a beautiful skin color and Beyonce as a role model. This is a good sign that we are seen as something to reach for.
Then on a personal level, of course the woman has to teach that little girl that she is just fine the way she is…and we are all just fine with our skin color and we can appreciate and like our differences without making it a hierarchy.
im appauled and disgusted by some of the comments i have read here. how is this cute or acceptable in anyway? there is nothing positive about this. if this had been about a liitle black girl bleaching people would be all over this! people are so quick to jump at black girls bleaching, wearing coloured contacts, straighting/relaxing their hair? no matter how old they are. but suddenly its cute that a little white girl wants to tan like beyonce?
i thought the whole point of this whole natural movement was to promote embracing who are, no matter your skin colour or your hair type. but it seems no matter what people still have the same biases when it comes to whites and blacks. people would have been so quick to diss a black mother and talk about how shes destroying a young girls life. but no, under these “special” circumstances “aww its so sweet that she wants to emulate black people, so cute that she has brown dolls, she’s getting in touch with her ancient african ancestors, she’ll grow out of it, i dont think its serious, its just cute and funny”. but when its a black person who tries and emulate whites, and play with white barbies or whatever, its bad for our image and its negative for child?
im really disappointed in this.
loved how her mom is just completely fine with it, that amazed me!
wow
this is cute, but then again if it was a black child wanting to look lets say like taylor swift then there would be a problem. people would think the child is going through self hate. so why should we praise one and say its cute when it can be damaging to that child even though she is uplifting “brown.”
Wow. I think her mom should teach her to love her own skin. But also teach her that all skin colors is beautiful.
This is so not healthy physically or mentally! It is great that she loves and can appreciate a different complexion other than her own but spray tanning a baby…NOT OK! How have these women not had CPS called on them?
Everyone loves to take it where it needs to be. Clearly we are living in a time whre our own race wont adop little children of our OWN RACE but throw up arms when other races will. We are the first to scream injustice but here’s a little girl being SUPPORTED by her parents for liking another look. sorry ladies but the “black women are bitter” theory always looks more true. Everyday.
I am at a loss for words at the ignorance of this statement.
I respectfully request that the commenters hereafter do not dignify Age’s comment with a response.
Are you a troll or just stupid? Your comment can be interpreted as disjointed from the topic at first by bringing up adoption,you then make a blanket assumption (pushing you more into the stupid side vs the troll side), next you move to the original topic (for the first time) but only to be bitter that other do not see the world the way you do (moving you back to troll land). So are you stupid are a troll?
Ironic, considering Beyonce is trying to look like a white woman, blond weave and bleached skin
http://www.thegrio.com/assets_c/2011/02/beyonce-skin-color-thumb-400xauto-16884.png
I was thinking the same thing. SMH.
This is absolutely ridiculous. This mother is being totally irresponsible and not teaching her daughter to love herself the way she was made.
Being of Afrikan descent, our children go through this problem living in a European dominated country but that doesn’t mean that our culture should dominate over theirs either.
On another level, is spraying a chemical into your daughter’s face and body healthy? This is materialism and vanity at its worst.
if i did not need another reason to dislike this show…That ‘mother’ needs to teach her daughter self love, that she is pretty too and that she should love herself but NO! Mom thinks it is cute for her daughter wants to alter herself before she has a real sense of self. I guess this is what i should expect from a woman who gets validation of her own looks through her daughter, a daughter who identify more with dolls and TV stars that what she sees in the mirror. Disgusting! This is not cute this little girl wants to change her skin color! If she was black, brown, yellow or red people would be all sorts of peeved! Duplicity is hypocrisy in a dress!
I saw the show and I thought it was cute. I don’t mind children “experimenting” with other cultures. I thought it was great that her parents allowed her to embrace her “brown desires.”
The comments on Jezebel have interesting views and ideas. Check ’em. Note the difference in tone
http://jezebel.com/5827861/little-white-girl-wants-to-be-more-brown
Okay. The Toddlers in Tiaras thing is twisted. And I don’t think we should read too much into this ‘role reversal’ thing. But this makes me remember something that happened to me. I was on a business trip in Utah. I stopped for a late lunch at an Asian restaurant. A White woman and her young daughter came in a little bit after me. The little girl (maybe 4 years old) kept turning around at her booth to look at me (I’m Ghanaian, and West-African dark,dark-skinned). Suddenly she said to her mother, ‘Mommy, she’s brown. I want to be brown too.’ It was so innocent and so sweet. I just told her that I thought she was a very pretty color too. Kids are precious. They just don’t have our hang-ups.
I’d never thought I’d see this coming…but she probably would change her mind once high school starts.
I remember having a friend in HS who was asian and she was so fascinated with black people and their culture. But once she got to college, she changed and said it was just a fad. That kinda hurt me because I thought for once someone wanted to be like “me”, but at the same time I shouldn’t have taken it personally.
For this young girl, as many of you mentioned already, the mom should encourage her to lover herself and the skin God blessed her with (cuz she’ll definitely get a job! LOL just kidding! ^_^) Lemme stop, but seriously, that whole pageant show itself is just sad and I don’t like how its based on physical appearance.
This little girl is from my hometwn, Longview, TX, which is located in East Texas. Let’s just say that it is not the most welcoming area for any person who is not blonde haired and blue eyed. It was surprising for me to see her mother encouraging her daughter to idolize a black woman. Especially since I’ve grown up here, and have witnessed racial discrimination first hand. It was truly a breath of fresh air! 🙂
it’s cute but scary! It’s only adorable now because she’s so small and the way she started singing at the end was adorable, but if she was 15 and said that it wouldn’t be cute it would seem a bit shallow. I think that her mother should nip this in the bud before he daughter grows up with low self esteem
But in the end, this just shows people always want what they don’t have…
I love that she loves to think outside the box, but I really hope she loves herself even more. I saw this on TV and thought it was sort of cute.
Natural-hair-care-info.com
i just hate that skin matters so much in our society period im not saying ignore the issues that come with race….but geez.. it shouldnt matter as much as it does wwhere ppl feel the need to get in arguments abt it especially blck ppl with each other nd on topic i found it alittle funny but wierd since i had never seen this befor but that little girl is beautiful peachy just the way she is and was meant to be lol
More disturbed that Ally is obsessed with being a BRIDE at the age of four. I’m just saying.
+1 This is certainly a problem as well x__x;
It’s extremely common for little girls to fantasize about being a bride- play is the work of childhood-fantasy included.
That was creepy as well. I think this child tends to look at a lot of magazines of bridal gown, since she was referring to the wear then actually getting married with a guy and having babies. :/
its sad because beyonce shouldnt be the standard of beauty, her mom should be telling her she is beautiful
Brown colored as in a couple of shades darker than she is….I’m sure tis child doesn’t want to be black (race).
Black people come in all shades,and in thinking that they don’t is sad on your part. She wants to have tan skin that is for sure maybe she doesn’t want to be Black, but she is appreciating the skin tone of Black people.
Ok…that’s not my point. My point is a child perception of race is far less developed than an adult’s. ?Thinking that black people don’t come in many shades” is sad on my part? Oh..ok.thanks for “schooling me” because I’m just finding out this fact.
While self acceptance, and encouraging that in your children, is obviously important, I couldn’t help but like this video. alot. This little girl was tooo cute, with both her peach and more brown tones lol. And honestly this really can’t just be made into a linear comparison to when little black girls talk about wanting to be white. In most of those cases, there is at least the possibility that the desire stems from racism and the historical denigration of Blackness. In the case of this little girl in the video, that history isn’t there, she’s not feeling that way because she’s been outrightly taught, or received messages from the media, society, the govt, etc, that her race is less beautiful, smart, worthy etc. Her desire for darker skin, as presented in this video, comes simply from seeing it on a person she really admires haha, and in that way its untainted by the things that the desire in black children for lighter skin is. With all that said i’m not a fan of spray tanning your children : but…she was too cute when she looked at her new brown skin and started singing “put a ring on it.” haha. 🙂
I saw this episode. I thought the little girl was beautiful in her peach skin and brown ringlets! I also think- as someone else mentioned earlier-that the mother sees her daughter immolating her favorite pop star. Clearly she is not learning prejudice at home which I am proud of the mother for doing. Although I am not a mother, I imagine it is a hard job instilling in your daughter that she is beautiful when there are billion dollar industries that profit on keeping her self-consciousness and self-absorbed. Is a beauty pageant the way to go? IMO, no, but the daughter appears to be enjoying it which is what matters in the end.
It’s common knowledge that all human beings, regardless of race, struggle with body image. But this one off incident is not the same as what Black people have to face with being constantly bombarded with the Eurocentric ideal of beauty, and the whole complicated history that entails with that; and were still struggling from the repercussion of it because not only does it still exist, but we still haven’t gotten over past wounds from it. And I’m side-eying anyone who tries to say that it is the same as white folks spray tanning. Spray tanning is a white standard of beauty, historically derived from rich white people in the early 20th century going to the beach and getting a nice “glow” while white poor folks, who didn’t have the money, didn’t go to the beach and stayed pale. It’s wrapped up in a big bow of classism. It has nothing to do with white people wanting to be black. This child, and her wanting to be like Beyonce, is an anomaly not the standard. And I completely disagree with people trying to say Black people’s hang-up on their body image, which is historically wrapped up in racism, is the same as white people who want a spray tan, don’t like their nose, etc.
THANK YOU.
Keeping in mind this is Toddlers and Tiaras, which means we’re dealing with a very special (and thankfully very SMALL) subset of parents and children:
As much as some of us want to pretend it doesn’t exist, white privilege is real and most white folks know it. As someone else posted above, most white kids figure it out by puberty and socialize accordingly. For that reason I’m willing to give the mother a small amount of credit for not freaking the eff out about her daughter’s desire for black/brown dolls. Let’s see how she feels in 12 years if her daughter starts dating black boys…
All of this said, I agree with the majority who say that the girl should learn to appreciate her peach skin. You can be pro-peach without being anti-chocolate… 😉
Well, it’s clear to me that her mom has taught her to refer to black people as “brown” and white people as “peach”, so the little girl saying that she wants to be brown shows that she wants to look like a black person. I think the actual shade of blackness does not have much to do with anything. Case in point, she has black dolls that are not “light” like Beyonce.
Also, I don’t think the fact that she wants to be “brown” holds the same weight as a little black girl who wants to be white, both of which are occurring in a Eurocentric society that places a high value on white skin. All little girls are going to be bombarded with messages that fair skin is the most attractive. Not sure why this little girl believes the opposite, but that message is not being shoved down her throat from every angle. So in my opinion it is not the same thing
That being said, I think her mom should work a little harder on getting her to love her “peach” skin because it is her skin and she should love it no matter what shade it is, as all mothers should.
+1
+2
The mother should not have given into the spray tan, imo. However, her love for brown dolls and Beyonce is cute.
I don’t think white people think of skin/body image issues as much as blacks do. I’m willing to bet that all her momma saw, was her baby imagining/pretending she was her favorite pop singer. (Like most young girls do) No harm, no foul. That singer, just happens to be black. If it would’ve been Brittney, Hannah Montanna, Salena Gomez etc, she STILL would’ve been spray tanned.
White ppl have skin/body issues as much as anyone else, because they’re human.
However, I agree with what u said abt her mother just seeing her daughter as pretending to be her fave singer. I didn’t see the video, but was trying to make that point. Everything is not a color issue, but because we are hurt, scarred and face discrimination, some of us can’t look at situations for what they are. I completely understand this, but at times it’s annoying like now because it stops us from growing (seeing everyone is not racist) and just enjoying a situation (seeing someone admiring another’s beauty, and an adult who is not telling her daughter negative things about Black people). We already know when many ppl see us they c color. Why become as ignorant as them EVERY second of the day. Even with this site, some will see a Black woman with an afro and/or curly hair and question if it’s her hair, because she’s Black, or if they see a Black and White person who are friends they make assumptions of how they met, everything is not a color issue, somethings just are.
I didn’t say that they didn’t have body/image issues at all. But i think they don’t think about skin color as often as us minorities do.
I was baby-sitting a biracial girl once (her dad was white and not present in her life), and she asked me if she would be brown and beautiful (like her mother) when she grew up. I told her that she would be beautiful no matter what. I caught her praying to God to become brown before she went to sleep. It broke my heart. She’s 14 now (This happened 7 years ago), but I still wonder if she wishes she were brown or if she’s comfortable in her skin.
I thought it was interesting because many black and biracial children fail the doll test and even color themselves white/yellow/peach in drawings.
I always get nervous when I see parents allowing or encouraging their child to change. I’m not trying to see a little white girl right now I just see a child and the little girl is adorable but do not sit there and spray tan a baby! I may be black but I have met white girls/women who will tan themselves until their skin is flaking off and I knew at least one girl who actually did it because she hated being white. I know white people hating being white isn’t common but girls and women with low self-esteems seems to be very common and I’d rather be overly cautious if I ever do have a daughter before I ever unconsciously enforce to my child that she is anything other than beautiful naturally. Certainly there is a difference in the experience of a black and a white woman(I am not downplaying that but that just isn’t my focus for this particular post). But regardless of race women already grow up with a ridiculous pressure to change and make themselves more “beautiful”. I’m not saying I hated the video or something, but ultimately the idea makes me uneasy.
I am not worried about her. I am pretty sure that has she grows up and becomes aware of her white privilege, she wouldn’t want to be black anymore. I guess she disproves the notion that people are attracted to, will listen to, will only have empathy for, or can only identify with people that look like them is biological and evolutionary.
I think it is wonderful she is playing with brown/black dolls, it would be better if she played with brown and black dolls in addition to a wide variety of dolls.
I think u are overthinking this – she may just like the ‘brown’ asethetic. Not enough has to have some deep racial meaning
That should say not everything has a racial meaning
I never said it has deep racial meaning. Just acknowledging that as she grows she will appreciate her whiteness. There are some white people that believe the reason they do not ‘admire a brown aesthetic’ is biological, which as we know is nonsense. Just trying to join two different ideas that came to mind. I am fully aware she is only 4 and not fully aware of her decisions and choices, which makes her desires even more telling.
June and several others have typed with great wisdom behind their words. I have experienced what June is saying from 2 little adorable white children in my life. At her age (child in video), they too wanted to be brown with “big” hair, engaged in play with a diverse set of dolls but played most often with, in their words, “pretty dolls”-those with brown skin. However, as they are growing older and are now being “mis-educated” in the ideology of white superiority, they now ask me: Why don’t I straighten my hair? Why am I not white like EVERYBODY ELSE? Don’t you want blue eyes, my daddy says blue eyes are the best eyes.
This is a drastic change from even a few months ago and a significant change from when they were 2-4 years of age. And as we sit in watch the stupid Barbie cartoons thier into now, my heart weeps. Yes, I want these girls to love who they are, but seeing them change from accepting a diverse idea of beauty (not just Black) to a myopic and rigid version (blonde/blue) so quickly was like a kick in the teeth.
i get what you’re saying, and i agree. it’s like why all the white kids drops their black friends in middle school and only start hanging with each other, socialization sets in ;).
The honesty in children is something to be admired. In her childhood innocence, she is admitting something that many older people in her race will never admit; they too want to be brown. Proof in all of the tanning salons and obsession with tanning. In the words of Paul Mooney ” Eveerybody want to be a N****, but nobody wants to be a N*****:
On another note, this is very saddening to me. She is a beautiful little girl and her mother should be reinforcing this four year olds self esteem in who God made her. There’s nothing wrong with appreciating another culture’s unique beauty, but her mother should build a foundation in which she can see herself as beautiful the way she is and then learn to appreciate the beauty in diversity.
The dolls and the spray tanning is way too much for a four year old. The fact that she ONLY has brown dolls is a problem. It can certainly run deep into this girl’s psyche as she gets older.
Wow I’ve never seen or heard of this in reverse before.
“If you like to put a ring on it,” LOL. I think her mom should be teaching her to appreciate her own beauty, not spray tanning her. She can still have brown dolls and appreciate brown beauty, but going to lengths to change how she looks is excessive.
I heard about this story the other day. Personally I feel like parents should teach thier kids to love themselves and to never try to be anyone but youself. I feel like its not wrong with the little girl appreciating beauty besides her own. However my problem is PAGENT MOMS! I have a serious problem with these pagent moms who enforce self hate. I mean making your child spray on tans, fake teeth, big fake hair. I mean I can not even watch the show I get sick to my stomach. Really what are you teaching your child?
I think it goes without saying that everyone should accept themselves for exactly who they are, but on a side note, I believe that some of us take things to seriously and see everything in color because we have and still go through a lot because of ours.
We can’t even enjoy a moment that a little girl is having with her love of someone of another complexion, the same way we enjoy the moment when a Black woman cuts off their permed hair and say I love straight hair, but wow my hair is beautiful too, and I can’t wait to see and feel it.
Self-acceptance is a path, and this girl is a child, why can’t some of us just say that her appreciation for beauty other than her own is cute without getting deep into her psyche. She just may grow up to be a beautiful person with love and acceptance for all WITHOUT hating herself.
While I see your point…I really do… yet I really don’t think some of us are trying to get deep (mind you, I believe you’re free to have your own opinions, so no disagreement there). I can’t speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself.
1.) I can’t enjoy the moment because I’m not a fan of Toddlers in Tiaras or any young child, adolescent, or teen entering pagents forced upon them by his/her parents.
2.) I’m not a fan of Beyonce and do not believe that little girls should aspire to be like her; Plus, the fact that the mother mentioned BET & Beyonce in the same sentence just honestly disturbed me…smh. I believe in the saying “it’s a lonely road to the top” (my apology if I butchered the quote LOL) and feel parents should be cautious and refrain their children from idolizing celebrities. There’s nothing wrong with finding specific qualities one likes in a person, but to want to BE that individual…even at a young and innocent age, I would discourage it. Just my personal opinion.
3.) Again, I understand stand where you’re coming from, BUT when the mother said “she’s prayed before that Jesus would make her brown”, in my mind I was thinking, a seed has already been planted in the girl’s mind that she’s not pretty without having to spray tan herself brown….this could blossom into a recipe for disaster as she gets older.
4.) Did I already mention that I am not a fan of child pagents,lol?! Tiredofthebs, there’s nothing wrong with an individual appreciating beauty other than her own. However, the context behind the statement is equally important. The little girl is praying for her skin to turn brown. This is not a good example of appreciting another skin color. That’s just plain ole envying if you ask me.
5.) I’ll end by saying, what if this little girl doesn’t grow up to eventually love and accept the skin that she’s in? I ask because I’m surprise by how many people are surprised by this “reverse beauty standard”,lol. I’m sorry, but I’ll never come around to praising “reverse beauty standard”, because I believe it is just as bad as a black person desiring to be another skin type. I’ve encountered a few whites like this little girl either immersed in specific African communities or African American communities. For some reason, SOME “black people” tend to praise and encourage this behavior (**my observation**). I’ve encountered white people wanting to be black so badly that they will dis their own “race”, just to elevate what they consider the “coolness” of being black; or SOME are so ashamed of their ancestral past that they just dismiss themselves altogether. Call them “wiggers” (can’t stand the term) or whatever you want to call them, I just find it strange, disturbing, and unfortunate. We’ll never know the outcome of the little girl, I’m just concerned that the mother is enabling the seed of self-hate. I just don’t see the cute and innocence in this situation. But again, great food for thought <3
Hi Lissie,
I completely understand what you’re saying. However, I did not see the tape. I’m basically saying that I don’t believe everything is a color issue, and that I believe it’s best to consider someone’s culture when wondering about their well being. Meaning this little girl wanting to be brown could just mean that she wants to look like Beyonce, there are countless ppl who grew up in the Jackson 5 era, like Edwin Mccain, who wanted to be Black bcuz they admired them so much, I believe this Is diff than a Black little girl stating she wants to look White, bcuz that’s the image society is telling her is the standard, which in itself is a recipe for low self esteem. However, this little girl will not live in a society telling her that her hair and skin are not the standard of beauty. If anything she will grow up with magazines covers and ppl on tv that resemble her. No I don’t think it’s a good thing to want to be a completely diff person, but I believe many ppl are speaking of her self esteem as if she faces the issues Black little girls face. As women, we can have self-esteem issues regardless of race, but regardless of whatever we as women go through we will still have it twice as hard because we are Black this little girl is not. Let her enjoy her innocence before she grows up in a world where many ppl DON’T want or even like “brown” ppl.
**[…] this little girl will not live in a society telling her that her hair and skin are not the standard of beauty. If anything she will grow up with magazines covers and ppl on tv that resemble her. No I don’t think it’s a good thing to want to be a completely diff person, but I believe many ppl are speaking of her self esteem as if she faces the issues Black little girls face.**
YES. That’s exactly what I was thinking.
You have a point! Thanks for the convo <3 <3 <3
+1
i agree with you to a certain extent, I personally know many white girl’s who have pressures too.
**[…] this little girl will not live in a society telling her that her hair and skin are not the standard of beauty. If anything she will grow up with magazines covers and ppl on tv that resemble her.”
There are pressures that are opposite of black girl’s. Ssoooo many white teens I know that get sunburned from tanning and even risk cancer daily by visiting tanning beds for that brown skin. Many people overlook how many white people get lip injections, surgery for bigger butts, boob jobs, and even nose jobs ( when their noses are supposedly the standard of beauty). The way I see it is everyone wants what they don’t have, true black girls may have to struggle a bit more but I think many are biased in thinking it’s cute and that there’s nothing wrong, because you and I both know if this was a black girl (as it usually is) this would be far from cute. This girl should have some dolls that look like her and learn to love her peach skin. Cause if she was a black girl I’d say the same thing. Yes it’s a nice change from the usual black kid who wants to look white but the reality is whichever way you flip it, it’s still sad and there are many white girls like her who I know personally HATE their skin and curly hair (majority of white people have curly hair they just hate t so much they damage it with straightening everyday). This is just my opinion, everyone’s entitled to their own but that’s just how I feel about it.
I addressed this issue in my other comment, by stating that White people have issues like everyone else because they’re human.
However, this is a website dedicated to Black women’s hair and other issues in OUR community. Yes, it’s unfortunate the we have to use the word community, when we should be able to say a community which includes all people, but that is not the world that we live in. All of the issues that you brought up, I’m sure many people of color are aware of them because the media shoves them down our throats.
This is not to be disrespectful, this is me being honest with you. I clearly stated that it goes without saying that one should be themselves. You don’t have to educate me about White ppl, or tell me about their hair issues, because I don’t live in a box.
You are entitled to your opinion, I just don’t like to be misquoted. I didn’t say someone wanting to be someone else is cute. I am talking about the reality that this girl will see images that reflect her and that she has a skin tone that is perceived as the standard of beauty.
Also, why would I be discussing White ppl I know personally and their problems, on a Black site, when its irrelevant.
We are not the only race on the planet, but if White teens were sitting around discussing anorexia, since this is a major issue amongst them, I wouldn’t feel offended about them not acknowledging that some Black people have weight issues too, since they outnumber the Black teens that suffer from anoresia. because i would understand and realize that they are seeing how to deal with this in their community because of the numbers, In other words, they would be helping themselves, which is what one must do before helping another.
Can’t see the video but I agree with a lot of what people say. My overriding feeling is that she should be shown that she is lovely as she is, taught that all the dolls are equal and not be in pageants being spray tanned and worried about appearance. Let kids be kids.
i understand previous comments about the little girl accepting herself but i must say this made me smile just because never in my life have i seen a reverse of this trend. I am sure most have seen that study from last year or year before where the little black girl was choosing white dolls and the white children were choosing white dolls, but i have never seen a white child choose solely black dolls.
Also, I must say, pageantry aside, this is one awesome mother to let her child do that. She didnt try to force her to get white dolls or downplay her clear love of beyonce, but just kind of accepted it. I never heard the mother say are you sure you dont want to get one that looks like you? anyway i do understand the girl needs to accept herself as stated before but i must say because this was like seeing a unicorn for me i just thought it was cute
+1 That study is what first popped into my head and I agree, I have NEVER seen a positive reversal of that. Her interest in brown skin appears to be completely innocent; she likes how it looks vs. thinking it makes her prettier. And kudos to her mom for letting her get the doll she wants, although I can’t get with that tanning ish.
“this is one awesome mother to let her child do that.” I 100% disagree with that statement. As someone else suggested above, if this were a black girl with a mother that was encouraging or supporting her daughter in her quest to have lighter skin, we would be up in arms.
The only thing adorable about this video was the way the girl kept drawing out the word “brown”. That was just plain cute. Outside of that, I would like to see her mother reinforce the fact that is beautiful just as she is.
But I don’t think you can’t really say “if this were a little black girl”. The analogy wouldn’t hold because the circumstances are too different. White girls aren’t brought up with as many negatives concerning their type of beauty, whereas, as I’ve read on this very blog a billion times, black girls are brought up to yearn for light skin and straight hair. I’m not saying that what happens in the video isn’t self hate or not wrong, but the two situations are not the same. Really it seems more like a type of emulation that we don’t get from them too often.
Really? Have you not seen the tanning adverts? The girls who subject themselves to tanning beds on a regular basis despite the risks of skin cancer? People being mocked for being overly ‘pale’ or ‘pasty’?
People of all races get told they are good enough. White girls have just as much negatives concerning their beauty as black people. More than 85% of the media is aimed towards white girls from the ages of 11-19. They too long for tanner/paler skin, straighter hair, different body types, etc. I don’t think its fair that only black people can complain about people telling them they would be prettier if they were lighter or had longer hair with a looser curl, but white girls can’t complain about being told they would be prettier if they had some color, different body type, or straighter hair.
Its the same struggle. Just as damaging.
Keep the balance Aiesha by bringing the truth! Oftentimes I think we – blacks – pigeon hole ourselves, wearing our disparagements as a badge of my pain is deeper/bigger/more damaging than yours dishonor, more than others. To that I say knock it off and add some ethnic variety to your life.
You’ll learn more and have a more accurate perception of life that way.
Love. Belief. & More.
i COMPLETELY agree
http://sartorialme.blogspot.com
Wow…Maybe she’s getting in touch with her ancient African ancestors (everybody’s African when you get down to it). I see curls…she’s probably got some Africa in that family tree. Oh and correct me if I’m wrong but I always thought beyonce was yellow-brown…not exactly what I would call brown.
All jokes aside; I think it’s cute that she can appreciate the beauty in dark skin but as a child I think it’s important that she learn to be comfortable in her own skin as well because she will never have it, (at least not naturally). Everybody’s beautiful in their own way. Love yourself, baby girl.
I’m probably reiterating a few comments that are already here but…
Any case of changing ones self to look like someone or something else is never good. It’s so cute that she has brown dolls and she appreciates something different from herself, especially when some adult can’t do the same. But appreciation turns into ‘self-hate’ when we aspire to be someone other than who we are. The same way a little black girl wanting ‘straight long hair’ is wrong and detrimental to her self image is the same way this little white girl trying to be darker, i.e not who she is, is detrimental to her.
Also, as previously mentioned, this does nothing for black girls/womens self esteem or to reverse the standards of beauty even in our own community.
One, as a mother why is she letting her daughter spray tan? That’s only reinforcing the “beauty pageants lead to low self-esteem” viewpoint. I think these types of pageants are not only damaging, but completely wrong for kids this young. Getting spray tans, fake teeth, hair extensions and even plastic surgery this year can and will RUIN a child’s self esteem. At a time where eating disorders, and depression linked to low self esteem and worth is so high, you would think we would be celebrating beauty as is, not doing this.
Two, I think this video is as equally sad as a black child wanting white features. I don’t find it cute or entertaining. I think that either way its sad. Double standards run rampant in the black community IMO, and if this was a little black girl wanting to bleach her skin so she could look like Selena Gomez and her mother was going along with it, there would be hell to pay. But a white child getting a spray tan, which may not be physically harmful, but maybe mentally is ok? Shame. I think this generation as a whole needs to focus on loving oneself as is, and teaching that to future generations. *Steps off soapbox*
True
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you make excellent points! that whole toddlers and tiaras thing is sickening to me. that’s why i think these pervs are abducting little girls left and right.
i’m not a parent yet but i firmly believe that parents need to teach self love!! it’s interesting the mom even lets her play with very brown dolls.
now real talk, seeing her sing “if you like then you shoulda put a ring on it” at the end made me giggle, just a little but it doesn’t negate the fact that this is wrong even though who she’s admiring is a black woman.
Totally agree!!!!
It will take more than this to reverse the eurocentric beauty standards.
Little girls might want to be “brown”, not “black”. Light-skinned.
Cause you know, being ‘naturally tanned’ is so cool.
+1
The kid’s cute, just the way she is. Self acceptance isnt exclusive to black people, or even minorities in general. Every little girl should be raised to KNOW that she is beautiful just the way God made her and that a part of being beautiful means seeing and appreciating beauty of others, even if they don’t look like you.
I agree.
Preach!
Agreed!
How brown is Beyonce though?
yeah. Beyonce is only a few shades darker than that little girl and thats with bronzer….lol.
I know right 🙂
With her fake tan, she got to Beyonce’s color.
Here we go with this “light almost white” stuff. When will black people learn that to white people, no matter how dark or light blacks are, you’re still black. Besides, to them, all shades of blacks are considered DARKER skinned complexion. Even if its light to us.
Please calm down. This thread is jokingly acknowledging the fact Beyonce has a lighter complexion so a couple of tanning sessions can get her close to her goal. Everything is not a battle or a war.
if this is supposed to be a joke it really isn’t funny
To you…..
heh……………..
We shouldn’t be defining ourselves based on what white people think. We can think for ourselves and be our own people without them or their input. Just because white people think any black person is “black” doesn’t make it so.
I personally don’t think biracial people are black, and I don’t think people with wavy hair and light skin should be classified as black either. To me, black means you’re medium brown or darker, with kinky hair. To me, Beyonce is MIXED, along with the plethora of other “black” female celebrities that people want to parade around in the name of enforcing the idea of “black beauty”.
I have nothing against MIXED people, because my own mother is biracial. However, I’m black, I don’t look like her, and I don’t want someone who looks clearly biracial to be representing “black beauty” or “blackness”, further marginalizing the image of dark skinned women.
thats the kind of thinking that makes an identity crisis. i am a nigerian (african) girl. basing someones race of how their hair looks or how light their skin is doesn’t make sense. do us as black people see different types of white people? do we see one white person and say “oh he’s american” and “oh she’s Canadian” and “oh they’re Scandinavia”? what is a biracial person?-someone with two races mixed together. so if someone has an white mother and a black father (or the other way around)they’re not any less black nor are they any less white, they’re just mixed. and if someone has an asian mother and a white father they’re not any less white nor asian, THEY’RE JUST MIXED. if we were back in the time of slavery and a white person set their eyes on a fully black person and a person mixed with black i seriously doubt they’d see a difference.
I agree up until your last couple of statements. Most of the time, there is a verifiable difference between mixed -race individuals and non-mixed individualS. Pretending otherwise is just plain disingenous. I’m sorry but a pure-blooded Nigerian would not look like Halle Berry or Tracey Ellis Ross. My beef is that It’s like all other races can have a definite look–an unmixed look throughout the media (equipped with it’s own facial diversities), but Black people have to make a point about our diversity by pointing to the Black chick with Green eyes (REALLY?). We don’t have to use bi-racials as a point to show that we can have diverse features. I just don’t like double standards. If a mixed girl can get-way with being called black, then she should be able to be called white, and if not, we have a problem. These classifications are a symptom of a desire to replace black women/ black features in the media.
Wow! That is all I can say to the comments I see here. I am sad to see some continue to create divisions based on complexion and hair type. We should not allow anyone to define us. What is important is how we see and define ourselves individuals. I am not going to get bent out of shape because a person of mixed race defines themselves as black or white. I would also challenge the ‘verifiable difference’ between mixed-race and non-mixed race individuals. In reality, most African-Americans have a mix somewhere in their lineage unless you can absolutely trace your roots all the way back to your country of origin and tribe. It would be wonderful if we could let go of all the skin/hair baggage and just embrace all the beautiful combinations we come in. I think we are the most beautiful women in the world!
One can be African-American (of African Descent) but it does not entail that they are Black. My question is why does Blackness have to entail so much ambiguity, but the same isn’t done for White or Asians? It’s like we have to blurr our race to maintain some level of acceptance. I’m not creating a division, I am stating a fact. A person with one white or other parent is not the same as an African with two Black African parents, there is a difference. No offense, but not everyone on this board is American, so some of us can’t comprehend or subscribe to racist, backward, and outdated belief of The one drop rule. Furthermore, the “All African-Americans are mixed anyway” argument does nothing to strengthen the argument that mixed people look or should be considered Black. A person who is Bi-racial generally looks that, Bi-racial (half-white) and to deny this is to be disingenuous. At the end of the day people can identify with whatever they like, but if I see that it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, I’d be hard-pressed to call it a cat.
Hmmm…My Mom is Mexican from Mexico and my Dad is “black” although since his Mom’s Mom was full Native American I feel like I need to make that clear. So perhaps my Dad isn’t Black judging by the definitions I’m hearing here. Anyway, just trying to figure out whether I’m considered “Bi-Racial” since I’m not white. Seems by definition in these postings bi-racial= black/white.
You people need to get off your high horse and brush the chip off your shoulder. If you can’t support and accept your own people then why would anyone else. BTW-The moment a bi-racial person, say Halle Berry claimed to be white you people would be up in arms. If Beyonce always pointed out all the other ethnicities she was people would complain that she refused being black. GET OVER IT!!!
So what do you clasify the dark skinned mixed race people?
Ha! All these demarcations just lead to more issues. Someone with a black father and Bangladeshi mom is what? We were all forced into this big, undefined tent and it is something we are just going to have to figure out and live with. I do understand BlaqueInfinite general point, I just don’t agree with her solution.
Thank you! I myself is mixed but you would never guess it until you saw my whole family. My mother is haitian with some other stuff mixed in and my father is german yet I look black from the medium brown of my skin to the kinky/curly state of my hair. Does that make me an exception to the rule, a category all onto myself? I always say I’m black because I do not acknowledge my father, not because he’s white but because he and I do not talk, but if we did have a good relationship I would not ever disregard the other half of my heritage; something I know would get me a lot of bad critics in the States but honestly doesn’t matter here in Canada, where I live.
I agree to a point, it is damaging for a young black girl to only c lighter skinned individuals representing black beauty, because within our on race, being real, darker skin and kinky hair is condsidered as less attractive, so there should be more darker skinned woman representing black beauty!!
@BlaqueInfinite: Black people come in all colors. My skin is nearly the same color as Beyonce’s and I have 4a/4b hair. Both of my parents are BLACK. I have a sister who is a shade or two lighter than me, she has green eyes and curly hair (maybe 3b), I have another sister who is several shades darker than me with 4a hair and, again, our parents are BLACK, our Grandparents were black as well (one of my grandparents was “mixed”). I am not biracial, I am not “mixed”, I am Black. The color of my skin and the texture of my hair don’t define who I am. I am beautiful just like you are. All black women are beautiful. Not just the “light skinned” ones or the “dark skinned” ones. We all represent “black beauty” in all of our shapes, sizes and colors.
I think most of us are on the same page regarding this point:’Not just the “light skinned” ones or the “dark skinned” ones. We all represent “black beauty” in all of our shapes, sizes and colors.’ We just have to get the black and white media to feel the same way 🙂
BLAQUEINFINITE YOU ARE IGNORANT. I AM DARK SKIN WITH LONG CURLY HAIR. SO DOES THAT MAKE ME MIXED OR NOT? IDIOT! YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO OUR RACE. GO CLAIM ANOTHER RACE.
YOUR IGNORANT BLAQUEINFINITE.. I DONT WANT YOU REPRESENTING US. YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO OUR RACE. I AM DARK SKIN WITH SOFT CURLY LONG HAIR. SO YOUR IGNORANCE MAKES NO SENSE.
@ Egyptian Bella
As hard as this may be for you to believe, the only person who has been ignorant in this entire discussion is YOU. I read through the comments, and saw people articulately expressing their true thoughts and feelings. Although they did not agree with each other, they were still respectful of one another.
Okay, so what you are saying is that since I am light skinned, I am not black and my brother who is dark skinned and shares the same parents is black? No offense, but that is the silliest pile of horse boo boo that I have ever heard! Black people come in all colors shapes and sizes.that is what makes us beautiful!
So a person who are light skin with kinky, straight,curly, wavy hair and a brown and dark with “non black hair” with two black parents should not consider themsleves black because they don’t match want you call black. I have yet seen any black person who skin tone match the color black. Anybody with one or two black parents call themselevs black if they want to.
beyonce does skin bleaching, so whatever.
proof?
Did you accompany her to her last bleaching session?????
word
lmao!
wow, that was too funny.
so true
I think this is so cute! But in all honesty I might be holding a double standard because it breaks my heart to hear little black girls say they want to be like Hannah Montana. So I acknowledge my bias but at the same time when do we see little white children trying to emulate black people- in a positive way. This is why it does my heart good.
But now for real talk! We should encourage our children to be comfortable in their own skin, what ever color that may be and with their own hair, whatever texture that might be. The little girl in this video is a gorgeous little peach girl and I would tell her just that. She is also a gorgeous lil brown girl but their goes my bias sneaking up again lol
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so agree. I was thinking the same thing. I was also thinking Beyonce’s music is a little to old for this little girl to listening too…
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