Dear Little Black Girl,
That’s right, I’m speaking to you. You know who you are and I know you, too.
You’ve done research on skin bleaching products. You know the risks, but you weight the pros and cons. What wouldn’t you give to have that light skin like Ariana Grande ? But your skin is dark and you thought that maybe you could wash it away.
And your hair? You’ve been getting it relaxed since you could walk. Or maybe you are told you tame your natural hair, that it’s too big and wild, a distraction. After all, you didn’t ask for an afro. You want hair like the baby doll you used to play with. You want hair that blows in the wind.
In the mirror, you constantly size up your features: your full lips and broad nose. They don’t match the slim and thin features you see Disney Channel. You Google “rhinoplasty” and pray that one day you’ll be able to undo God’s mistake.
I’m speaking to you because I was you. I’ve been in the headspace where you are now.
I write this letter, wishing that someone would have said these things to me when I was younger.
I write this letter with my three little black sisters in mind. I write this with you in mind because we one in the same.
I want you to know, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You were born perfect. Anyone that tells you otherwise is wrong.
Whatever you believe in, know that no mistakes were made when you came into this world as a black girl.
You are not alone. So many black girls go through a “phase” like this. It’s unfortunate, but what you’re going normal.
There’s nothing wrong with you, but there is something wrong with our world. The truth is we live in an a world where our beauty is often overlooked and our worth is often underestimated. You were taught these things by a white supremacist society. Maybe you don’t yet understand this, but you don’t have to. Your job now is too unlearn it. Why would society try to convince you of something so far from the truth? Because the truth is power. And truth is you are beautiful.
You don’t need bleaching creams. You don’t need to straighten your hair. You don’t need to change your features.
Your skin absorbs sunlight. Your skin defies gravity. Your features are goddesslike. And you are full of #BlackGirlMagic.
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