Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Bodies Matter: Black women on body type, appearance, and invisibility




For years now, SIUE English professor Anushiya Ramaswamy has noted that “it’s about the body.” Her statement confirms and innovates the idea that race matters by addressing how people read and make decisions about others based on skin tones, weight, body types, hair, beauty standards, posture, movement, and nonverbal communication, not simply skin color.

Extending those ideas, we coordinated an exhibit offering a brief take on issues concerning body matters. In an effort to raise awareness about important aspects of their experiences at SIUE, we posed questions to dozens of students -- all black women -- and they relayed statements that they overheard people say about the physical appearances of black women. As you will notice, some of what they heard is deeply troubling and hurtful. The collections of negative statements, in fact, far outnumbered the positive ones. Overall, we were reminded that bodies matter and so does the language used to describe them.

What follows are the questions and responses, which formed the basis of the display panels for the exhibit.



What’s something positive you’ve overheard people say about black women’s appearance, body type, or look that stands out to you?

"black women have pretty skin.”
“Your hair is so long.”
“Beautiful figure.”
“Your hair is very soft and textured.”
“You have really nice skin.”
“You have really nice teeth.”
“She has really nice eyebrows.”
“She has a beautiful complexion.”
“I love how beautiful your skin is.”
“She got beautiful brown skin.”
“You have a nice shape.”
“You have thick long hair.”
“Your weave is laid.”
“I wish I had your butt.”
“Nice skin, full figured”
“You got thick and full hair.”
“Nice body structure”
“It’s amazing how their hair texture vary.”
“You have a beautiful smile and full lips.”

What’s something negative you’ve overheard people say about black women’s appearance, body type, or look that stands out to you?

“Black girls have oversized butts, big noses, lips, and nappy
hair! And thunder-thighs.”
“Her hair be nappy.”
“She look too black.”
“She chubby not thick.”
“that fat ass”
“Look at them hips.”
“You’re cute to be a dark skin girl.”
“you a bald-headed bitch.”
“Yo feet and lips crusty as hell.”
“She black as hell.”
“She looks too black.”
“Her butt too big.”
“She too thick.”
“She look like a thot.”
“She’s too dark to be cute.”
“short hair and full lips.”
“she look like a whore.”
“She got too much ass.”
“Her hair too nappy.”
“Her butt too big.”
“She pretty for a darkskin girl with natural hair.”
What’s something you wish people would say more about black women’s appearance, body type, or look that stands out to you?
“I wish people would say that we are beautiful no matter what
our size, skin color, or shape.”
“You’ve always been beautiful.”
“She got a nice smile.”
“She has nice teeth.”
“Her skin is so pretty.”
“Her natural hair is amazing.”
“She looks educated and professional.”
What’s something you wish people would never say again about black women’s appearance, body type, or look that stands out to you?

“I wish people would not assume that I’m mixed because my
skin color is fair and my hair texture is different.”
“She too wide.”
“She is pretty to be dark skin.”
“She got nappy hair.”
“She too black.”
“Her hair too short/nappy.”
 
Related:
Additional panels related to exhibit

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