“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” – Malcolm X

Why is it that every time I look up anything beauty-related on the Internet, I have to type “black girl” at the end? Otherwise, my search results will consist of tips I can’t use and faces that don’t look like mine. Sites like Google and Pinterest – although they have much to offer – tend to force black women to conduct a more refined search and even then, do not always provide the looks and pointers we’re hoping to see. Although typing 9 more letters in the search bar doesn’t require a great deal of labor, it’s the principle of it – the fact that Black women created the standard of beauty in America while never having the distinct honor of being perceived as beautiful.

Black women creating the standard of beauty in America was and always will be a controversial topic. How can we be the standard of beauty if our faces don’t appear on Google without our race and gender attached to it? How is it possible if we have little girls sent home from school on a consistent basis because their hair is styled in ways that only we, as black women, have deemed beautiful? While these are harsh truths, we cannot forget the trendsetters that we have always been. We have set the tone for, and impacted the fashion and beauty industries by creating looks and aesthetics that other cultures have adopted and “made their own.” There is a thin line between admiration and cultural appropriation but either way, we still have not gotten the credit we truly deserve.

From nails, to hair, to body shape, to clothing and even skin tone, black women are the trend-setting standard. I encourage you to take a look at the ways in which black women from previous generations expressed themselves from their long nails to their hair and then, look at the similarities with this generation’s nonblack population. I would also look at the similarities between black and white children wearing dreadlocks or braids but then,  look at the differing consequences and overall perception when white children do it. Time and time again, I’ve seen Black female educators wearing professional clothing, but because they are a bit curvier than their white counterparts, their clothing is deemed inappropriate and their character as an educator is put into question. I bring this up because Black women tend to be curvier or thicker than women of other races but it is something that a lot of us can’t help – it’s in the genes. What Black women are often punished for, despite coming naturally, has served as the blueprint to how a lot of women use plastic surgery. 

Black women have never had the true freedom to be ourselves while people of other races can be us freely. The lack of recognition Black women receive for everything we’ve done for this country and its culture – beauty and beyond, comes from the disrespect, un-protection, and neglect Black women face on a daily basis. Though unfair, Black women choose to continue to prosper and spread what we love to call Black Girl Magic. This embodies Black women’s abilities to continue to be trendsetters regardless of recognition. Black Girl Magic makes room for Black women to be their most beautiful selves whether being unappreciated, misrepresented or loved and valued. It doesn’t justify the theft of our culture or the new name it is given by other cultures, but it is because of our inherent magic and ingenuity that we can’t help but contribute to and remain the standard.