Event Review: Black Beauty

On March 6^th, 2020, the Colgate organization Sisters of the Round Table held an event in which self-proclaimed hip-hop feminist Joan Morgan discussed feminism and black female sexuality. Morgan discussed many issues that were directly relevant to me not only as a young black female but as a person. The issues that Morgan brought up that particularly interested me centered on black female’s sexual image, the dominant image of beauty, and the “one black woman represents all” dilemma.

Morgan calls attention to the stereotype of the hypersexual black female. The hypersexual black female stereotype is not something that I feel affects me personally daily, but I see this stereotype everywhere around me. I see black women twerking in rap videos. I see Beyonce rolling around in the sand in “Drunk in Love.” I see Rihanna crooning “Oh baby I like it. It’s so exciting.” But I see white women performing similar acts. Why do the same acts somehow become more sexual when performed by black women? The hyper-sexualizing of all black females is a very problematic issue. Black female sexuality is no more animalistic than that of any other race.

When black females are not being hyper-sexualized, their beauty is being trivialized. The idea that light skin is better acts as a pervasive myth that has spread like an epidemic. This myth affects me in everyday life. Because my skin is dark, I am not seen as an ideal picture of beauty as if my skin color negates what really makes a person beautiful. I cannot express how much this needs to change. I am thrilled that actress Lupita Nyong’o, who was mentioned several times at the Morgan event, is considered to be beautiful even though her skin is not cream colored. Yet, as Morgan points out at the event, as soon as Nyong’o receives attention for her talent and beauty her “blackness” begins to be questioned as if it is too hard to believe that Nyong’o could be a beautiful, dark-skinned, successful black woman.

Also, as Morgan discusses, one black woman does not represent all black women. Sure Beyonce exudes the epitome of sexuality, but does that mean I do too? Every woman is different. Simply because women belong to the same race does not mean that they have the same sexual identity. Beyonce’s sexual image completely differs from that of Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama’s image differs from Lupita Nyong’o’s. Rihanna’s image does not even resemble the sexual images of any of those three women. So why make one single black woman define an entire race?

Overall, Morgan’s discussion resulted in me thinking about what it means to be a black woman in 21^st century society. I am still not exactly sure what that means, but I do know that being a black woman does mean that I will be facing challenges such as being categorized as unattractive and overtly sexual because of the color of my skin. Morgan’s event has sparked within me a desire to discover what it truly means to be a black woman in society today.