Black Is Beautiful

Black is beautiful. And yet black is evil. A synonym for sad. A synonym for angry. Black is hopeless. What? Dreary, scary, and mucky not to mention mean. Who am I kidding? In working out that film script, an evocation of villainy or hostility needs black whether in setting, style, or costume, right? Does it not make sense to have that scary scene at night when it’s dark, black, and the voice somber?

A kid in school learns to ascribe negativity to the denotations of the color black. Funereal. When the mood is depressing and hurt hangs like a cloud, which better than black to wear? Does lighter than black always mean good? Heart as black as, is the kind of talk people use to define someone who has no mercy in their beings. Why does the cloud darken before it rains? My skin is black. Redefine black.

Black as a race. Black as a people. The mother continent. A continent with an important history. A struggle. The present. The need to justify what doesn’t need justification. A tendency to duck one’s head, hide a perfect smile, or walk a certain way. The successes so far and more that needs to be done. Tired of being used. Tired of saying enough is enough. A certain relegation that reminds you who you are and looks like no matter where you are. This universal attitude never sits well with me. Sometimes, an unspoken nod code recognizes such tiny discomfort in another.

Maybe it helps brighten the other’s day by incorporating a small level of inclusion or it becomes the total opposite where pent-up anger, resentment, and frustration erupt like a volcano, spreading moments and scars that are easily identified with black one way or the other. Loss of pride. Shook beliefs. Misinterpretations of trepidity.

Misinformation and or loss of information. A certain subjugation of visions systematically suggested to notice differences where none should exist. Mangled priorities, who is to blame or be blamed? Underneath, it’s a big jumble where what is learned, entangles instead of liberates. Pointing fingers instead of holding hands. Living as if one is the problem. Black lives matter. What do all humans disintegrate into in the end? Black.

Black doesn't crack. I always say women are powerful and the most beautiful creatures. None is perfect, but damn it black women are beautiful. Look at the world and roles of women then consider the options of black women in it. I guess I like to look at the bigger picture because it helps inform the little steps that go on to make a difference. A black woman is beautiful.

Imagine a black woman that has to manage that little cream before making it to the club tonight, that is if she has some left. What is she doing there when would she rather go to school? An extra kid, where is the father? Women still struggle with the issue of the same, if not more level of professionalism and commitment, but lesser pay. When she earns more, she probably has to deal with a husband whose ego is a bit uncomfortable. Choosing a career over marriage makes her the talk of the town. But I believe a black woman is a nurturer of hope.

Black might also be one of my favorite colors. Look how official you look cleaning up in a fine suit like that. Aye, let’s talk business. While the navy blue, grey, and whatever can make all that statement it probably needs a fashionista mentality. But hardly does one go wrong with black. Matte. Dull black. Hide in the background black where whatever gets tied up together I guess. Bright black because it reflects the sun nicely, right?

When you don’t know how a certain color may look in a new place, a bit of black becomes more understanding. No matter how I look at it, black is beautiful. I don’t know why the synonyms are bleak. There is nothing wrong with being black nor should any ceiling close down on possibilities due to said factor. The world is getting to understand that.

It is a color that fits everything. I have seen a movement online focused on redefining black. Since lots of people are described as black it doesn’t make sense for the word black to have so many negative connotations. Maybe it’s something for social scientists and linguists to decide on because at the end of the day, language is constructed by humans. It is not that fixed. The funny thing is that the notion of black is bigger and more encompassing than the detractions. It can comfortably accommodate all that and remain unshakably pretty. But these days, black doesn't tolerate bullshit. I don’t know it all, but I know that black is beautiful.