If I’m Pretty, I’m Pretty.
Written by Eyram ’23
Meita believes that no matter what color you are, if you’re pretty you’re pretty. Nobody should tell you different. She is a pretty dark skin , more on the skinny side of things, Meita Fofana doesn’t agree with society’s views on what’s “pretty” as in being a fair complexion and “Thick”. Though many focus on having the “perfect body”, she thinks everyone is unique. She believes that in this society “being dark and having bumps is terrible.” That doesn’t stop her from knowing that she is beautiful and perfect the way she is.She was always an advocate for herself and without a doubt the best dressed.
A strong minded and independent young lady, Meita was born into a family of four, with two older brothers and a younger sister. Coming from Newark, New Jersey, Meita was always bright and top of her class. She enjoys putting a smile on everyone’s faces with her outgoing personality. She loves the company of and loves meeting new people. She sees herself as “a creative and … a visual thinker.” One thing that I know about Meita is that she loves fashion. Meita was part of a program called NJ SEEDS. This program helps bright students with the process of applying to private high school.
Even though she was never bullied about her body or skin tone, she still believes that dark skinned people are undervalued. The funny part is that the people who discriminate against Black women are from the same race. I asked her, “Do you still see yourself as pretty even though you’re dark?” With a quick comeback she said, “To me a color doesn’t matter, I can be orange for all I care… if I’m pretty, I’m pretty. A color doesn’t define your prettiness.”Furthermore, One song that was mentioned was “Melanin” by Secrett. The lyric “ Ahah, I got melanin” shows that finally black women have something to boast about being black. The main purpose of this song is to say “We have every right to be proud of our colleges, features, skin, and everything good that comes with being a black woman.”
Another negative that Meita sees as positive is body image. In the olden days(Back in the days) and now, there was something called the Thin Ideal. This is the concept of the ideally slim female body. Everyone loved females that were skinny, this is the era of body shaming. Often being the friend being targeted for jokes, she doesn’t take it to heart. She enjoys being her body size. She has nothing against it and appreciates who she was born to be.
One thing that I admire is how strong spirited Meita is . She didn’t hesitate to keep mentioning that everyone was beautiful in their own way. She is confident in who she is and isn’t worried about anybody else. She says, “Why should I have to worry about others when they don’t do anything for me.”
