badass-bharat-deafmuslim-artista: my-mind-is-else-where: deez–ovaries: rawdibunu: A series

badass-bharat-deafmuslim-artista:

my-mind-is-else-where:

deez–ovaries:

rawdibunu:

A series for an assignment on social issues. I chose to focus on blackface in fashion and the double standards of beauty women of colour face.

damn. notice how the black woman has an unseen hand pressing her hair and applying makeup. while the white woman applies the makeup and uses the curling iron on herself?

I don’t know a thing about make up or fashion or design or anything like that really (I am a girl) an So don’t get this. Can anyone explain?

Deez Ovaries is correct. The 1st picture shows a black woman who is being whitewashed (by a white person’s hand) in order to FIT INTO white-dominant society so that she would be considered “respectable,” find a job, be taken seriously, and be considered “beautiful” by white standards. SOMEONE ELSE is straightening her natural hair because as current events have shown us too many times, black people (even black children) have gotten in trouble or fired for having natural hair. Notice that she herself (the black woman) is not trying to change her own appearance by her choice.

The 2nd image shows a white woman who applies dark concealer (or gets  a fake tan) in order to be more attractive to follow current trends. At the end of the day, she can wash off the concealer or get rid of her fake tan anytime she wants, and still benefit from white privilege, white femininity, and white supremacy. She is also curling her straight hair. Notice that SHE HERSELF is making changes to her own appearance because she wants to, and it’s her choice.

I believe the artist is saying that black women and white women above do not share the same struggle when it comes to society’s expectations of beauty standards. Black women are still fighting back against white dominant society’s expectations while white women benefit from white dominant society’s beauty standards.