It's not uncommon for Black men and women to experience insecurities. Their wide nose, thick lips, curly hair, or simply the color of their skin can make them self-conscious. They have often been victims of mockery and rejection, all of which can shake their confidence and self-esteem.

To quote Frantz Fanon from "Black Skin, White Masks":

The inferiority complex, the shame of one's skin color, the passivity and laziness that are signs of social discouragement (...) the temptation to "whiten" oneself, even physically, by powdering, applying light makeup, straightening one's hair (...) All of this reflects the extent to which Black people were shaken in their self-confidence, to the point that they tried to escape their Blackness. Slavery and colonization nearly succeeded in a "cultural genocide".

A cultural genocide!

To add to the insecurities felt by Black people, remember an article published a few years ago in the American magazine "Psychology Today" in which Dr. Kanazawa stated that Black women are objectively less attractive than white, Asian, and Native American women!

This was a supposedly scientific study that claimed to explain the alleged lesser beauty of black-skinned women through several factors:

-They would be heavier on average

-Black women have a higher testosterone level than other "races" (Black women also constitute a race according to this pseudo-scientist), so testosterone being a male hormone, it would negatively affect the attractiveness of women.

The site finally decided to remove the article after numerous complaints and instead published an article that refutes the "Doctor's" analysis.

We can still see today that a lot of work remains to be done when we see, for example, that recently Nicole Orr, a 16-year-old student in Florida, was given detention because of her natural hair; her hairstyle bothered the administration of her school!

All these statements, even if they are nothing but nonsense These things haven't helped Black women feel better about themselves. Not to mention all the racism, discrimination, and even humiliation we endure, which constantly erode our self-esteem.

However, we have nothing to envy in other women; in fact, it's they who envy us today...

The 3 reasons:

1. These women from other communities who want to be like us

These characteristics, which we were ashamed of before, are now envied.

• Our full lips used to be a source of shame, now they're a beauty standard! Some women even get injections to plump them up.

• Those voluptuous buttocks, once the object of ridicule, are also coveted today. Let us remember the Black Venus, who was exhibited like a freak show attraction.

Big butts are in fashion today!

• There's also tanning. Our complexion is also coveted, hence the UV salons.

• There is also cultural appropriation (the use of elements from a culture by members of a "dominant" culture). African braids have now become fashionable and are worn by more and more people from other communities.

• Another thing that people can envy us for, and that ultimately they've always envied us for, is the fact that our skin ages less quickly!

Look at Angela Basset, 58 years old!

2. You just have to open your eyes!

All these beautiful Black women with natural hair in the media represent a step forward for the Black community. Because for self-esteem, it's important that Black people can see themselves reflected on screens, in major brands, etc.

While it's certainly important that the world's media recognizes our beauty, as this will help us, our children, and our grandchildren develop self-love, let's not wait to be told we're beautiful—let's have confidence in ourselves!