A black man (African) told me that he finds black women unattractive because they are ghetto and have a lot of problems.He went further to explain his dislike by noting that he loves white women because they are beautiful and opposite of black women. I was disgusted as I listened to this man who was reared, loved, clothed, protected, supported financially by black people especially the black African womb that gave him life.
I cautioned myself however, sympathetic towards him as I reflect on the source of this black man’s confession of defeat and self hate. This pattern of thinking is common amongst many Africans and people of African descent in the diaspora. They lack self pride and have internalized the general half cooked stories, negative images they see of themselves, read in “history” books, news papers, magazines etc. “Mainstream” media paints black people negatively and gives one sided stories. In movies Africans, people of African descent are often cast as maids, loud mouths, exotic, clowns, beggars, ignorant,satan, hypersexual, drug addicts, grossly overweight, absent parents, victims, helpless in need of the white savior and almost always play supporting roles even when the storyline is about a black hero/shero.
And when the media sees they can’t continue getting away with an all white cast because of protest from conscious blacks they make sure that the person that they cast is “biracial” “mixed with white” or has stereotypical white European features. The renowned movie director Haile Gerima calls it “the formular”, white people’s racists views that they cannot have a great movie without having a white person as the leading cast. The fear of celebrating blacks/Africans in a diverse light pushes mainstream media to white wash blackness in every way possible.
Alongside uplifting white women as the epitome of beauty even when they mutilate their bodies in an effort to acquire African/black features…below I provide you with few examples, as you/we go through these images, lets ask, what is the way forward? I think we need a holistic representation of black people particularly women! In the words of great wise Malcolm X, ” “If you’re not careful..
Movies that insist on focusing on stereotypes and the “formular” about black/ African women
1. The Help, is a movie that glorifies white supremacy and the worship of white women as saviors.
2. Precious, a movie that was praised by white controlled media for demonizing black women, and glorifies grossly fat and overweight black woman as “Percious”
3. The high priestess of soul, Nina Simone’s upcoming Biopic will feature Dominican-Puerto Rican Zoe Saldana a “light skinned”, skinny Zoe Saldana who looks nothing like the priestess. Simone was dark skinned, wore her hair natural. Politically she spoke against racism, honored her African roots, in appearance and in her music. Hollywood ignored all of those important facts. Simone’s daughter disapproved of the movie, thus far they refused to listen to her.
In the picture below Simone is on the left and Saldana on the right…
If you care about how black people are presented and represented in the media.I encourage folks to boycott this so called biopic, don’t watch it!
Listen to Nina Simone below performing one of her classic, politically charged song tiled, “Mississippi Goddamn”
4. Harriet Tubman is featured in Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Jacqueline Fleming a “mixed” race woman of Danish- German and African descent. Even though This movie is fictional, hollywood could not help but to cast a woman that has stereotypical European features.
Tubman was a dark skinned African woman, with wide nose, thick lips, round face, and natural kinky hair. And most importantly she was an abolitionist and humanitarian.
5. Racist Dove advertisement. Darker skin shade ( black woman) is placed as unattractive while the lighter skin tone as beautiful ( white woman ) 
6. Beyonce was named People’s Magazine 2012 Most Beautiful but the magazine could not help see Beyonce’s black/ Negro features: thick lips, and light brown skin for that reason they white washed, photoshopped her by lighting her skin and erasing her lips so that they could look more white European. 
This is what Beyonce looks like without the blond wig and weave, see the picture below..
7. Miss Universe 2012 is Angolan Leila Lopes, a dark skinned, with black/ negro features. But when white controlled media feature her in their magazines they almost always ease her blackness…
This is Leila Lopes’ real, natural skin tone, the photo below was shot during the Miss Universe contest
watch her video here…
But this is what she is captured as ( see the picture below) this is the cover of Maxim Portugal…
White women with “black features” are celebrated for their beauty but black women with those features naturally are labelled by white media as ugly or simply ignored.
1. Angelina Jolie’s “black lips” have been the talk of mainstream media for years…
2. kim kardashian, Armenia American is celebrated for her curvaceous body “black features”
3. Coco is now a reality t.v “star” for flaunting her “black features” every chance she gets.
For additional information
1. ” 5 Features That Black Women Have, That White Women Pay For” 5-features-that-black-women-have-that-white-women-pay-for.html
2 ” Celebrating the Black Beauty On White Women” celebrating-the-black-beauty-on-white-women
3. ” Are White Women Mutilating Themselves Trying to Look Black? An Analysis” are-white-women-mutilating-themselves.html
4.”Gatekeeper to the legend of Nina Simone, the songstress’ only child speaks on the controversial upcoming bio pic and who she’d like to see portray her mother” 2
5. Video instruction on how to “Get Angelina Jolie Lips Without Getting Surgery”
6. Nina Simone’s Daughter says the biopic set to start shooting October 16 about her mother featuring Zoe Saldana is unauthorized. Read her letter here … nina-simones-daughter-writes-an-open-letter-to-her-fans-about-her-mothers-biopic-movie-casting
7. Racist and Sexist psychologist of Asian descent uses his research to disrespect black women as being ugly, while white women with those features are celebrated as beautiful why-black-women-are-less-physically-attractive-tha
8.”Colorism in the Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter Film and Why it Does Matter” #
9. ” Bi Racial Actress Plays Harriet Tubman in Movie! Is this Ok or Offensive ?” ?p=9288
10. “Worst Casting Choice for Biopic Ever? Zoe Saldana to Play Nina Simone” zoe-saldana-as-nina-simone
11. “Stir Builds Over Actress to Portray Nina Simone” should-zoe-saldana-play-nina-simone-some-say-no.html
12. Listen to Nina Simone’s daughter interview on casting Zoe Saldana and how she is not a good fit for her mother’s biopic…portraying-nina-simone-in-a-new-biopic
13. Bad Black Mothers read Dr. Kwame Zulu Shabazz on his blog Thoughts of a Ghetto Intellectual…bad-black-mothers.html
14. Read Kola Boof’s outstanding piece, “Harriet Tubman is Biracial in Vampire Film Abe Lincoln! Shame On You Timur Bekmambetov & Tim Burton!” DOC-813383
15. Read “Celebrity Author & Egyptian-Sudanese Womanist Kola Boof Writes an Open Letter to Nina Simone Director Cynthia Mort About the Erasure of Nina’s Image” …celebrity-author-38-egyptian-sudanese-womanist-kola-boof-045300398.html
16.”India.Arie Speaks Out About Unauthorized Nina Simone Movie”….india-arie-speaks-out-about-unauthorized-nina-simone-movie
17. Dr. Kwame Zulu Shabazz speaks about how important it is for Africans/ blacks on the continent of African and in the diaspora to read, pay attention to their collective and world History.
18. Suggestions by Clutch, “Five Better Picks for the Role of Nina Simone Than Zoe Saldana”
five-better-picks-for-the-role-of-nina-simone-than-zoe-saldana
Please note: Images and videos are not my personal properties. I however, have the copyright to the write up!
This is an excellent and well documented post Peanut!
My one criticism would be that the internalised self hatred of Black women can find expression in many types of Black or African men. Its certainly not just peculiar to African men.
Asante Sana fam Kwamla, I responded to your comment below….thank you for being a source of inspiration! Real talk,
Yok
Sorry Yok!!!
My apologies I got that wrong I was referring to someone else. If fact you can edit out that “… My only criticism…” as I don’t think it applies here.
I must be missing our interactions on Facebook!
Fam Kwamla,
I understand…LOL, I miss you too, I had to leave facebook because I am currently outlining a huge project! I have your email address, perhaps we could chat one of these days. Thanks for your feedback and I agree with you regarding internalized self hatred, granted in much regard it is not necessarily connected here as you wonderfully corrected yourself, it is still an issue in our global community. I hope to write a piece on black women’s response to white supremacy…e.g skin bleaching, hair perming etc.
respect,
Yok
Yes! Yok!. Its nice to hear from you again. I hope the project is going well for you. Some interesting posts and pictures on your blog which are both informative and inspiring. Lets definitely keep in touch! I’ll be sharing this post on my facebook for you to see when you get back!.
Love and respect Yok!
Bro. Kwamla,
giving thanks for folks like you, when I grow up I will not forget you, real talk. Things are falling in place slowly, patience is the key as you know. Thanks for sharing the information with out facebook fam.
respect and bless up,
Thank you for posting this, it is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed and I applaud you for doing so! There are more than enough highly qualified black actresses to take on a role like that of Nina Simone; and the fact that her daughter is being ignored is a disgrace. Things of this nature continues to happen, we must stand up with regards to matters such as this. The media has been getting away with it for far to long. We as Black women will not be ignored or replaced!
I would love to share this with my readers over at BlackWomenStandUp Blog. I love reading your posts, and the pictures are always on point:)
Peace and Love to you. We must continue to engage our people in this discussion.
Reblogged this on Black Women Stand Up and commented:
#BlackWomenStandUp – When I read this blog post, I knew I needed to share with my BWSU Family. This is such an important issue that we should be having conversations about, please read and share your thoughts. And most importantly – SHARE:)
Peace and Always Love.
Yem Yo ( Greetings in Yotti/ Bali language of middle belt Nigeria) queen,
you are absolutely right, we need to discuss these things. And also take actions by boycotting movies, books etc that persist on depicting blacks in Negative light… we are a whole people!
May Mwari bless us all as we fight sexim and racism!
Respect!
It will all come out in the washing and justice will prevail.
Queen Phoebeprunelle, certainly, it is a matter of time, we have to keep pushing and speaking truth to empower and liberate us from such blatant racism.
Bless up!
I understand how you could read it against your race/gender. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about gradual racial blending. White people and black people are both being skillfully conditioned to accept one another.
Mainstream media cannot make one huge jump, because no one would believe it. So they do it by generation. Each upcoming generation gets a little bit more indoctrinated about racial equality, but reality doesn’t change.
It isn’t that darker women are intentionally marginalized in mass-media. It’s that the populous must be made to accept the illusion of racial equality, gradually. Every decade or so a little bit more race reality is glazed over and replaced by myths.
Media advertising presents middle-class blacks as roughly 1/3 of the population, and it portrays whites and blacks socially involved with each other. Progressively, blacks are portrayed as occupying higher economic positions, having more intelligence, and acting more like whites.
That’s the evil side. People believe they are acting rightly to portray the “black woman’s plight.” There’s a really old movie, The Color Purple, that portrayed blacks in a oppressed light.
Mississippi Burning is another old film that sought to bleed sympathy, but really was 10 steps backwards for African Americans. We must not forget the past, or we will make the same errors again.
If anyone visits my blog, I’ve been slowly changing it. I’m older now, and before I went away to school, I really didn’t know what was going on. I was given incorrect information that I believed, although I wasn’t sure, but it might sound racist to some people.
I hope to have everything corrected in about 3 months. So, don’t hold my youthful ignorance against me, please.
And, I think what that black guy said to you is really cruel! Even if he actually feels that way, he shouldn’t say it out loud! I’m sorry you’ve been so let down. But you’re a good writer. There will always be opposition and adversity, everywhere. Don’t get dragged into Hell with those who dives headlong into eternal flames.
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So true…..why they are so insecure ill never know. Putting down someone else to make themselves feel better. How pathetic….
that is how white supremacy works, dehumanized others/ blacks inorder to empower white people in this case white women. The goodnews is that, Africans today don’t have to accept this position, just like our ancestors who came before us, we have to continue to resist. I encourage you and others to boycott the so called biopic of high priestess Nina Simone….this is one way to show white racists that we are not going to allow blatant disrespect!
bless up
Reblogged this on Cree7's Blog and commented:
Some things cannot have too much repetition.
never fam keep sharing the wake up call, esp to those of us who think we are free!
respect!
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I enjoyed reading this presentation as I have your others. The thing that stopped me cold is when I heard they were gonna make a bio-pic of my spiritual mother Ms. Nina Simone. I thought back to when I saw her in the park while on my father’s shoulders and I couldn’t wait to relive that day. That was truly a beautiful, brilliant, bright, Black day. So I went digging for some more info, like who would play Ms. Nina. and when I saw who they choice I thought….WTF. These people are rewriting history to be more palatable to a generation of Black people that trip up all over themselves for anything white. This has got to be a mistake and as to not name call I’ll leave it there. Thank you sista for a lovely post.
Here’s the thing……This alone isn’t good enough reason to start revolution. Not to mention, a lot of the other isolated ‘issues of oppression’ facing Black america are all (by themselves) not a good enough reason for revolution. But if you were to tally “things like this” into a overall general sentiment of how we are treated in this country……our media depictions…..the disparity in the prison industrial complex…….the war on drugs……the marginalization of our collective political power……. etc etc. All those are reasons for us to stand up…..but……but……..BUT……..
No one is going to stand up…. We have all been made to be complicit to our oppression. Why? Cuz we all “just need to earn a check” these days….
A Black community is not simply a neighborhood of predominantly individuals of African descent. Where is the UNITY in our community? Its very easy to bitch about Hollywood. What can be done about it……a simple boycott of one movie?? Seriously?
Recently, I pondered on how inconvenient revolution can be….and in particular how inconvenient the bus boycott was. As inconvenient as it may have been for all, there was a shared understanding of the importance of it. Because Black people were FED UP.
Today, if all the so-called Black leaders got up and said we need to boycott the Motion picture industry….NO MOVIES…..NO BUYING DVDS……NO PAY PER VIEW……
We NEED to be treated better by the industry and have them stop Whitewashing everything about American culture.
How many would participate?? I’d love to be optimistic, but sadly I think not that many……they wouldn’t even give up the luxuries of a system of entertainment that serves to marginalize and down-play your existence in this society. THATS how individualistic we have become.
I’d love to be proved wrong, of course…
i agree with you, leaders in the black community e.g. pastors are more interested in making money for themselves and will not concern themselves with all that hassle of boycotts and such. I get annoyed when african american actors in hollywood complain of few good roles for them and yet many have acquired power and status and money and influence. why don’t they start producing their own films that show the diversity of black culture and black women, they are too concerned with the bottom dollar. Individualism is the reason that no revolution of this kind will take place. People are looking out for themselves nowadays even among other cultures that valued collectivism e.g asians, indians etc
This was a great post. All this whitewashing is a real sickness. White supremacy in it’s truest form! This is why we have so much self hatred in our community.
exactly, black people are painted ugly in order to position whiteness as superior, this is not a recent development as you know, but sadly many of us are still drinking the kool aid, we need to keep speaking truth, backing it up of course to those who question our message with facts as I have attempted above. I encourage us all to boycott the water down up coming Nina Simone biopic. I cannot support such an insult to the priestess nor to other black people.
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Nice site you have over here! Just wanna say thanks for that and keep up the great work!
Appreciate the shout out!!
Respect.
Very nice blog! Keep up the good work!
appreciate the shout out!
Respect!
I think this is a good blog. It’s good that real black women, (not mixed-race or asian whatever other’s are trying to refer to as blackwomen) are finely taking a stand. I realise that this is the reason why my black man can’t stand the sight of me and will even leave me for a less attractive mix-race or whitewoman, because that is all that is presented as beautiful. Real Blackwomen are the one’s that don’t need as much makeup and they certainly don’t need lip, bottom boosters and to be honest we need to get back to the afro-hairstyles regardless of what the whiteman says or thinks. We need to take a stand all we have to do is fast and pray. We have a God who does not want us to cut our hair as it is the crowning of a woman’s glory. If we decide that we are going to stay black no matter what then the world will have to accept us. Why are we still dating black men with negro hair that don’t bleach, when we get the opportunity. If they still look like that then why should we change. Don’t adapt to societies racism, stamp it out by just looking like you did when you was a little girl with the (so called nappy hair). My hair is nappy so to speak and it gives me problems but I don’t half find some beautiful styles like the chiny bump, afro and some times I twist it with wax, let the white society accept you not the other way around. Especially in America, once it starts there everyone that is truely black as in negro will follow and if the black man wants to leave let him be gone, that shows that he was never good in the begining and if that is his attitude no matter what he says in the eyes of God he has sinned. Racism, discrimination, prejudism are evil demonic spirits that annoint people as much as anyother sin. We need to just be ourselves again and we’ll be much happier and we won’t have to make much effort and we’ll be happy in ourselves. Take the Rastafarian’s for example their hair is nappy and no comb goes through it but they look good. They will eventually have to use us in the media. If I had a choice of what race I’d choose then I would rather be black. We have the best features and figures and we have more to offer. Everybody wants the black feature and body all that we seem to want is the hair and colour but we need to stop watching the colour and hair because it’s not just the media doing that it’s our blackmen making us feel unworthy. Get rid of them coz they still have dark skins for those who have and nappy hair and they’re getting all of the ladies of whatever race. Love yourself and maybe the media will start to love you.
Very good piece.
I really hurt and cry when I think of how dark skinned black women are especially ill-treated by the world and society that we live in, and by black men who, makes her feel less of a woman although she is much more attractive than he is naturally. Thou he looks like her, he denies her beauty because of the colour of her dark skin. The black man is the real reason why black women bleach their skin. If black men had accepted them, regardless of who hated them, they would not feel alone and left out in this world and feel that they have to bleach to be someone. When I had my hair straight, I could not believe all the black men that found me attractive and when I went back to nappy all eyes turned away in disgust. I had to ask myself do black men self hate when they feel their own nappy head so to speak? because they don’t like the black woman to have the nappy head but, they don’t change the texture of their hair so, what is it all about and why should they expect the woman to change the texture of her hair? She is his mother, sister and daughter but he allows the world to hate her and he joins in with them. If the dark skinned black man with negro hair does not stand by his woman of the same race, then she will never be accepted in the world that she lives in. In every race there is beauty but the black woman of the negro race is the most beautiful. She is just presented in a very, very bad way, by the world. I say it’s jealousy. How can people hate the negro black woman but they don’t hate the negro black man and want to ravish him. How can people hate a people because of their colour? It is pure unadulterated evil, stemed from fear and annointed demonic evil spirits. We must be very special because the world hated Jesus Christ and he was very special and still is very special.
My boyfriend and I have always argued about this. First of all, thank you for the write up, I will be posting it to him!
He dated about 7 white girls before me. None of them made him feel comfortable as me. I enjoy cooking a lot so I cook his meals as well. I respect him and show him love. The first day he raised the issue he said “he honestly thinks that white women are better than black women” I held myself from taking it personal so I asked why? He said because they dont nag as much, they break up quickly and never bother the guy again and they are very good in bed.
Then, I said, since you started dating me, how many times did you have to eat at Mcdonalds and he was like none. Okay how many of your white girls ever cooked a meal for you and he said None. Then I said to him, in your next 10 visits, I will not be cooking, you will buy out. I got a little pissed and said to him every time we argue look, go meet your white girls sure they are better than me.
Some months later, we talked about the same discussion. This time his views had completely changed and he was like he believes every woman is beautiful and he is really happy he dated a black woman.
What am I trying to say: He is African, he believes that White people are the reserved, cool headed and always right people. I did a lot of things to make him realise that as an African woman, I have been brought up decently (not saying white people are not) and to focus. The fact that I dont suck his anus or lick his cum or club and have numerous one night stands doesn’t make me less of a woman or make white women better than myself. HE WILL NOT DARE SAY ANOTHER WOMAN IS PRETTIER OR SLIMMER THAN ME!
As a 32 year old white male I think it is a shame that the majority of black women aren’t celebrated for how beautiful they are. Women like Serena Williams, India Arie, and Regina King are absolutely gorgeous. The list could go on. When I hear terms like “white media” or “white folk” it is a tough generalization to take because I want no part of it. I think the real shame is that there really is a whole generation of white people out there that do appreciate black women, that appreciate the differences in all of us and don’t want this white washing fed to us either. I think it is also important to look at some victories in the media as well. In my opinion I think it is great what the Walking Dead has done with the Michonne character. For them to cast Danai Gurira was huge. They portray her as sexy, strong and badass. She is a favorite on the show and in the comic book. Hopefully over time the perception will change and more people will wake up.
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