I have been told that I was stereotyping in my previous blog about wanting to be a black woman. I assure you that I am not intending any disrespect!
Why does stereotyping have a negative connotation? Why can't it be considered a tribute?
This question was going to be my original lead-in to this new Black is Back entry, however, I gave a "preview" to my (beautiful black) friend and she unexpectedly answered what I originally intended as a rhetorical question. She said, "..because some of it's not true." Good point. So I have a new opening:
Tribute to Beautiful Black Women
I *still* wish I was a black woman. They have the greatest skin. Why? Good pigmentation -- it hides their age exquisitely! Usually you can't tell how old a black woman is until she's 100 years old!! I LOVE THAT! Here I am applying magic potions and chanting mantras to hide my delicate 35-ness. It's no wonder that when a black woman sees another black woman -- whether she knows her or not -- tells her how good she looks. I am fascinated at how the black community seem to know each other and relate to one another as if they knew each other their whole lives. "Girrrrrl, yo' hair looks so good!"
And their HAIR - how I love the HAIR. Even My Eldest is fascinated with braids & weaves. At church a couple of times, there have been young girls who are wearing their hair in about 5 twisted braids (I think I heard this referred to as "platted up" -- apologies if I have that incorrect), wrapped in big ole bubble gumball rubber bands and a tiny plasic barrette at the end of each braid. My Eldest reaches out to tocuh the braid all the while smiling as big as life. She wants her hair like that, too. While she recognizes that black hair is different that white hair, she (literally) embraces it and incorporates into her love of people in general.
Last thing for tonight -- random with no logical segway, but nonetheless is a nice way to punctuate this blog entry: Ashy. The other day, I had dry skin. I then recalled a memory when I spent time with a friend (who is black) and he said, "I'm a little ashy". I didn't get it. "Ashy?!" I contorted quizzically. "Yeah - you know, dry skin". The image of dry skin on a black person flashed through my mind and I thought "what a great way to describe that". So I chuckled at that memory as I applied lotion to my own dry legs thinking, "I'm ashy, too".
I think we are afraid to stereotype because of all the "political correctness" of our day and age. What's funny is that stereotyping is part of being human being. The brain labels and catalogs.
ReplyDelete20/20 addressed this issue on (tonight's broadast. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2442521&page=1) M and I found the first part very interesting.
That being said, I will throw in my $.02.
I think mixed race people are some of the most beautiful people on the planet. The creaminess of their skin... wow. The combination of features: wow.
If only my SIL and her fiance were gonna have kids... but alas, they are of the "childfree" notion.
Oh, btw, Jax, you aren't having to go very far to hide anything. You look good to me, girl. Guess I should tell you more! *smooch*