Dear Beautiful Black Queen: A Letter To Empower You.

Dear beautiful black queen,

How are you?

I’m sure you’re wondering what on earth is running through my mind at this point. Why am I writing this letter? Am I doing alright? Have the words I hear almost on a daily finally etched their mark on my soul?

“Fat”

“Ugly”

“You got a lil belly for someone your size”

“You’ve gotten fatter — need to get on a diet”

“You would be prettier if you were light-skinned”

“Your hair is too thick”

“Your skin is rough and rash laden”

The list goes on and on and on and frankly, I’ve had it.

I’ve had it with the naysayers and the judgmental stares and the words that I quite frankly don’t give a flying saucer about.

I have decided to accept my melanin, my skin, my texture, my hair in all its glory.

Because I’m beautiful just as I am and nobody can tell me otherwise.

Dear beautiful black queen,

I’m sure you hear a lot of these things a lot as well.

Society tells you that you’ve got to look or act a certain way to be seen as beautiful.

Your skin can be dark but not too dark. Light-skinned? Even better. If you were mixed, cha ching. That’s the money maker.

Your hair is too thick. It’ll look prettier straight and “relaxed”. Your “coily” hair doesn’t look so great. Curls would fit you better.

So many people telling you what you should do, how you should look, how you should speak.

If you speak properly, you sound white. If you speak “ghetto”, you sound like a thug.

How does one “speak white”. I don’t understand it.

But here’s my word to you.

Girl, you are a queen, a goddess in your own right.

You are stunning;

With skin so smooth, and hair so thick.

Gorgeous.

Dear black queen,

You are intelligent,

When you speak, people listen

When you smile, hearts are lifted.

Dear goddess,

You are the example of elegance

The way you curls glide across your forehead,

The way your touch caresses the minds of those you come in contact with.

You are irreplaceable,

There truly is no one who can do what you can do.

No one who looks like you, acts like you, speaks like you.

You bring colour to the world.

Stay you, Stay true,

Even when they try to knock you down

Knock you out

Be true.

Dear beautiful black queen, I’m so proud of you. So proud of how much you’ve accomplished. So proud of all you’re still striving for. You are not a victim. You have shown yourself to be a victor. An accomplishment you should be proud of.

Remember to always celebrate the W’s and event the L’s. Remember that failure is a steppign stone to success. Keep pushing, keep striving.

You are not surviving, you are thriving. You can do it. Things may not fall into the palm of your hand when you want it, but you will get them

Don’t be dismayed by society’s standard of beauty. Don’t be swayed by someone else’s created content that makes you feel like you aren’t doing well. Like you aren’t doing enough. You are.

No one ever puts up their failures on social media. They project what they want you to see and think. That should NOT be your standard.

Trust in your sauce, Sis.

Always remember that you are a queen.

Kisses always,

Rah x.