May 19, 2025 • 11 mins
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Why is it that the very features that once got us
fired from jobs, bullied inschools or edited out of
magazine covers are now frontand center on runways in major
ad campaigns and dominating thecharts?
Is it finally our time?
Or is it just another trend,sis, let's get into the rise of
the new black aesthetic.
And why this time we'reclaiming it for good, trigger
(00:22):
warning.
And why this time we'reclaiming it for good, trigger
warning?
This episode contains culturalcommentary on colorism,
discrimination and mediaexploitation.
Listener discretion is advised,especially for those who've
experienced racial trauma.
Before we dive deep, don'tforget to subscribe to Life
Points with Rhonda on YouTube,spotify or wherever you listen
(00:43):
to podcasts.
Visit lifepointswithrhondacomand claim your free self-love
affirmation, pdf, audio healingmeditation, or schedule a quick
one-on-one chat with me YouTubelifepointswithronda2968.
Instagram slash Facebook atlifepointswithronda.
Podcast lifepointswith Rhondaon all streaming platforms.
(01:06):
Email lifepointswithrhonda atgmailcom.
Sign up via many chat and grabyour free gift today.
Hey, beautiful souls, it's yourgirl, rhonda, and welcome to
another empowering episode ofLife Points with Rhonda, where
we talk love, growth, healingand living our best authentic
lives.
Today, we're diving deep into asubject that's close to my heart
(01:29):
and probably yours too.
We're talking about beauty,visibility, identity and power,
and how the natural hairmovement and the unapologetic
celebration of dark skin are nolonger niche.
They are the moment.
This isn't just about trends.
This is about reclaimingourselves in full glory and
understanding what it took toget here and what we must do to
(01:51):
make sure we're not erased whenthe camera turns off.
The historical erasure of blackbeauty.
For centuries, eurocentricbeauty standards have dominated
the world stage.
From powdered wigs to bleachingcreams.
Every era brought a new way tosay you are not enough.
Let's be real.
There was a time when beingdark-skinned meant being cast as
(02:13):
the maid.
Wearing locks or an afro meantyou were unprofessional or
threatening.
Let's not forget the policiesthat banned our hair in
workplaces and schools, policieswe are still fighting today.
The beauty industry profitedbillions off Black bodies while
excluding us from ownership andrepresentation.
We were the models, but neverthe muses, the talent, but
(02:37):
rarely the face of the brand.
What changed the power of Blackresistance?
Change didn't come because theygave it to us.
It came because we took it.
It was Black women and mendemanding to be seen Online, on
runways and on record covers,from the Black Girl Magic
movement to the viral naturalhair tutorials on YouTube.
(02:57):
We used social media to tellour own stories.
We curated our own aesthetics.
We showed up as full-spectrumroyalty From deep mahogany skin
tones to tightly coiled 4C curls, from keloid-prone skin to wide
noses and full lips.
And we said this is beautifultoo.
Shout out to Lupita Nyong'o,viola Davis, issa Rae, janelle
(03:21):
Monae and every artist who nevercompromised their look to get
through the door, but insteadredecorated the whole damn room.
The media shift representationor commodification.
Let's not pretend the mediajust got conscious overnight.
Capitalism always follows thecoin.
Netflix, vogue, rihanna's Fentyline yes, they, they're pushing
(03:42):
boundaries, but we have to askis this real representation or
profitable packaging?
Because when beauty becomestrend-based, dark skin can be
fashionable one day andforgotten the next.
We saw it with Black Panther,we saw it with the Afro
resurgence in the late 2000s and10s.
But after the lights dim.
Are dark-skinned Black womenstill getting booked?
(04:04):
Are natural hair girls gettingCEO campaigns?
Or is it just a seasonal Blackis Beautiful rollout to meet a
diversity quota, reclaiming thenarrative.
We are not a trend.
The new Black aesthetic isn'tnew to us.
We've always been art.
We've always been divine.
This movement isn't about whitevalidation.
It's about black liberation.
(04:26):
That means teaching our kidsthat kinky hair is a crown, not
a curse, choosingmelanin-celebrating brands and
creators, calling out colorismin our own communities,
supporting laws like the CrownAct that legally protect natural
hairstyles in schools andworkplaces.
We must own our image Becausewhen we control our narrative,
(04:46):
we protect our magic from beingrepackaged the psychological
cost of beauty standards.
Let's be honest.
Many of us grew up thinking wehad to change something to be
worthy, whether it was bleachingcreams under the sink, hot
combs burning our ears or beingtold to stay out the sun so we
don't get too dark.
The damage didn't start inadulthood.
It started in childhood.
(05:07):
This is generational traumadisguised as grooming, and
studies back this up.
Research shows that children asyoung as five associate lighter
skin with beauty andintelligence.
Where do you think they learnedthat?
So when we talk about the riseof the black aesthetic, we're
not just talking about looks.
We're talking about mentalfreedom, about reprogramming
(05:29):
years of internalized hate,about unlearning shame and
teaching our inner child to loveher wide nose, her full lips,
her deep skin.
This is spiritual work,capitalism, fetishization and
the illusion of inclusion.
Let's go deeper.
Have you noticed how dark skinand afros are everywhere in
fashion ads now, but not inboardrooms, how our lips are on
(05:52):
every influencer's surgery listbut not on the cover of Forbes.
Black features are beingfetishized without being
respected.
This is the trap ofperformative diversity.
We're visible but not empowered.
Our images are loved, but ourvoices are silenced.
Our looks are trending, but ourlives are still undervalued,
(06:13):
and that's why this aestheticshift must come with economic
power, media ownership andpolicy change.
Beauty without liberation is amirage.
So let's be clear the realglow-up isn't just skin deep,
it's structural, it's systemicand it's overdue.
Teaching the next generation tolove their image.
Imagine a world where littleblack girls and boys grow up
(06:33):
never questioning their beauty,never wondering if they're too
dark, never shrinking inclassrooms or on playgrounds
because they look like royalty.
That world starts with us.
We can't just say black isbeautiful once a year, during
Black History Month.
We have to show it every day.
That means books withcharacters who look like them,
(06:54):
dolls and cartoons with coils,kinks and curl patterns.
Teachers who affirm, not punish, black hairstyles.
Parents who praise theirchild's rich brown skin instead
of teasing it, because whenchildren grow up proud, they
grow up powerful.
Let's not let anothergeneration inherit our
insecurities.
Let's raise them.
In truth, the sacredness ofblack beauty, a spiritual
(07:17):
reflection.
Let me take you somewhere evendeeper family.
In many African traditions,including Ifa, beauty is not
vanity, it's vibration, it'senergy, it's alignment with
one's ori, your spiritual head.
Dark skin absorbs light andholds ancestral memory.
Natural hair rises toward theheavens, just like the crowns
(07:38):
worn by Orissa.
Our features were sculpted notby accident but by divine design
.
To call black beauty a trend isto forget that it was always
sacred.
That's why in Yoruba we say ewa, meaning beauty is not just
appearance, it's character,presence, purpose.
When we honor our blackness,we're not just resisting erasure
(08:01):
, we're returning to ourselves.
This aesthetic isn't new.
It's ancestral how it ties torelationships.
Now let's talk relationships.
The way society sees us deeplyaffects the way we see ourselves
, and that shows up in who wedate, what we tolerate and how
we love.
When media tells us our skin istoo dark, we internalize shame.
(08:24):
When hair relaxers are marketedas the only path to beauty, we
think love requires erasure.
But when we celebrate ourfeatures, we stop settling for
love that requires dimmed light.
We show up boldly and weattract people who see us, not
just tolerate us.
This new black aesthetic is morethan fashion.
(08:44):
It's a movement toward healingthe relationship with self and,
by extension, the love we choose.
We are not the trend, we arethe source.
Our beauty is not just in ourcheekbones or curls.
It's in our resilience, ourrhythm, our story and our spirit
.
As we reclaim the blackaesthetic, let us remember this
(09:07):
isn't about being seen.
It's about being whole.
Stand in your truth, nourishyour image, teach the world how
to treat you by how well youtreat yourself.
Let me know, if you'd like meto, if this episode sparked
something in you.
Don't keep it to yourself.
Share it with someone who needsto hear this truth and please
subscribe, rate and leave acomment on the Life Points with
(09:29):
Rhonda podcast.
Let's keep these conversationsflowing.
Website lifepointswithrhondacom.
Instagram slash Facebook atLife Points with Rhonda.
Youtube.
Life Points with Rhonda 2968.
Don't forget to grab your freeaffirmation, consultation or
healing audio by subscribingthrough ManyChat.
You were born divine, thank you.
(09:56):
So Thank you, bye.
Why is it that the very features that once got us
fired from jobs, bullied inschools or edited out of
magazine covers are now frontand center on runways in major
ad campaigns and dominating thecharts?
Is it finally our time?
Or is it just another trend,sis, let's get into the rise of
the new black aesthetic.
And why this time we'reclaiming it for good, trigger
(00:22):
warning.
And why this time we'reclaiming it for good, trigger
warning?
This episode contains culturalcommentary on colorism,
discrimination and mediaexploitation.
Listener discretion is advised,especially for those who've
experienced racial trauma.
Before we dive deep, don'tforget to subscribe to Life
Points with Rhonda on YouTube,spotify or wherever you listen
(00:43):
to podcasts.
Visit lifepointswithrhondacomand claim your free self-love
affirmation, pdf, audio healingmeditation, or schedule a quick
one-on-one chat with me YouTubelifepointswithronda2968.
Instagram slash Facebook atlifepointswithronda.
Podcast lifepointswith Rhondaon all streaming platforms.
(01:06):
Email lifepointswithrhonda atgmailcom.
Sign up via many chat and grabyour free gift today.
Hey, beautiful souls, it's yourgirl, rhonda, and welcome to
another empowering episode ofLife Points with Rhonda, where
we talk love, growth, healingand living our best authentic
lives.
Today, we're diving deep into asubject that's close to my heart
(01:29):
and probably yours too.
We're talking about beauty,visibility, identity and power,
and how the natural hairmovement and the unapologetic
celebration of dark skin are nolonger niche.
They are the moment.
This isn't just about trends.
This is about reclaimingourselves in full glory and
understanding what it took toget here and what we must do to
(01:51):
make sure we're not erased whenthe camera turns off.
The historical erasure of blackbeauty.
For centuries, eurocentricbeauty standards have dominated
the world stage.
From powdered wigs to bleachingcreams.
Every era brought a new way tosay you are not enough.
Let's be real.
There was a time when beingdark-skinned meant being cast as
(02:13):
the maid.
Wearing locks or an afro meantyou were unprofessional or
threatening.
Let's not forget the policiesthat banned our hair in
workplaces and schools, policieswe are still fighting today.
The beauty industry profitedbillions off Black bodies while
excluding us from ownership andrepresentation.
We were the models, but neverthe muses, the talent, but
(02:37):
rarely the face of the brand.
What changed the power of Blackresistance?
Change didn't come because theygave it to us.
It came because we took it.
It was Black women and mendemanding to be seen Online, on
runways and on record covers,from the Black Girl Magic
movement to the viral naturalhair tutorials on YouTube.
(02:57):
We used social media to tellour own stories.
We curated our own aesthetics.
We showed up as full-spectrumroyalty From deep mahogany skin
tones to tightly coiled 4C curls, from keloid-prone skin to wide
noses and full lips.
And we said this is beautifultoo.
Shout out to Lupita Nyong'o,viola Davis, issa Rae, janelle
(03:21):
Monae and every artist who nevercompromised their look to get
through the door, but insteadredecorated the whole damn room.
The media shift representationor commodification.
Let's not pretend the mediajust got conscious overnight.
Capitalism always follows thecoin.
Netflix, vogue, rihanna's Fentyline yes, they, they're pushing
(03:42):
boundaries, but we have to askis this real representation or
profitable packaging?
Because when beauty becomestrend-based, dark skin can be
fashionable one day andforgotten the next.
We saw it with Black Panther,we saw it with the Afro
resurgence in the late 2000s and10s.
But after the lights dim.
Are dark-skinned Black womenstill getting booked?
(04:04):
Are natural hair girls gettingCEO campaigns?
Or is it just a seasonal Blackis Beautiful rollout to meet a
diversity quota, reclaiming thenarrative.
We are not a trend.
The new Black aesthetic isn'tnew to us.
We've always been art.
We've always been divine.
This movement isn't about whitevalidation.
It's about black liberation.
(04:26):
That means teaching our kidsthat kinky hair is a crown, not
a curse, choosingmelanin-celebrating brands and
creators, calling out colorismin our own communities,
supporting laws like the CrownAct that legally protect natural
hairstyles in schools andworkplaces.
We must own our image Becausewhen we control our narrative,
(04:46):
we protect our magic from beingrepackaged the psychological
cost of beauty standards.
Let's be honest.
Many of us grew up thinking wehad to change something to be
worthy, whether it was bleachingcreams under the sink, hot
combs burning our ears or beingtold to stay out the sun so we
don't get too dark.
The damage didn't start inadulthood.
It started in childhood.
(05:07):
This is generational traumadisguised as grooming, and
studies back this up.
Research shows that children asyoung as five associate lighter
skin with beauty andintelligence.
Where do you think they learnedthat?
So when we talk about the riseof the black aesthetic, we're
not just talking about looks.
We're talking about mentalfreedom, about reprogramming
(05:29):
years of internalized hate,about unlearning shame and
teaching our inner child to loveher wide nose, her full lips,
her deep skin.
This is spiritual work,capitalism, fetishization and
the illusion of inclusion.
Let's go deeper.
Have you noticed how dark skinand afros are everywhere in
fashion ads now, but not inboardrooms, how our lips are on
(05:52):
every influencer's surgery listbut not on the cover of Forbes.
Black features are beingfetishized without being
respected.
This is the trap ofperformative diversity.
We're visible but not empowered.
Our images are loved, but ourvoices are silenced.
Our looks are trending, but ourlives are still undervalued,
(06:13):
and that's why this aestheticshift must come with economic
power, media ownership andpolicy change.
Beauty without liberation is amirage.
So let's be clear the realglow-up isn't just skin deep,
it's structural, it's systemicand it's overdue.
Teaching the next generation tolove their image.
Imagine a world where littleblack girls and boys grow up
(06:33):
never questioning their beauty,never wondering if they're too
dark, never shrinking inclassrooms or on playgrounds
because they look like royalty.
That world starts with us.
We can't just say black isbeautiful once a year, during
Black History Month.
We have to show it every day.
That means books withcharacters who look like them,
(06:54):
dolls and cartoons with coils,kinks and curl patterns.
Teachers who affirm, not punish, black hairstyles.
Parents who praise theirchild's rich brown skin instead
of teasing it, because whenchildren grow up proud, they
grow up powerful.
Let's not let anothergeneration inherit our
insecurities.
Let's raise them.
In truth, the sacredness ofblack beauty, a spiritual
(07:17):
reflection.
Let me take you somewhere evendeeper family.
In many African traditions,including Ifa, beauty is not
vanity, it's vibration, it'senergy, it's alignment with
one's ori, your spiritual head.
Dark skin absorbs light andholds ancestral memory.
Natural hair rises toward theheavens, just like the crowns
(07:38):
worn by Orissa.
Our features were sculpted notby accident but by divine design
.
To call black beauty a trend isto forget that it was always
sacred.
That's why in Yoruba we say ewa, meaning beauty is not just
appearance, it's character,presence, purpose.
When we honor our blackness,we're not just resisting erasure
(08:01):
, we're returning to ourselves.
This aesthetic isn't new.
It's ancestral how it ties torelationships.
Now let's talk relationships.
The way society sees us deeplyaffects the way we see ourselves
, and that shows up in who wedate, what we tolerate and how
we love.
When media tells us our skin istoo dark, we internalize shame.
(08:24):
When hair relaxers are marketedas the only path to beauty, we
think love requires erasure.
But when we celebrate ourfeatures, we stop settling for
love that requires dimmed light.
We show up boldly and weattract people who see us, not
just tolerate us.
This new black aesthetic is morethan fashion.
(08:44):
It's a movement toward healingthe relationship with self and,
by extension, the love we choose.
We are not the trend, we arethe source.
Our beauty is not just in ourcheekbones or curls.
It's in our resilience, ourrhythm, our story and our spirit
.
As we reclaim the blackaesthetic, let us remember this
(09:07):
isn't about being seen.
It's about being whole.
Stand in your truth, nourishyour image, teach the world how
to treat you by how well youtreat yourself.
Let me know, if you'd like meto, if this episode sparked
something in you.
Don't keep it to yourself.
Share it with someone who needsto hear this truth and please
subscribe, rate and leave acomment on the Life Points with
(09:29):
Rhonda podcast.
Let's keep these conversationsflowing.
Website lifepointswithrhondacom.
Instagram slash Facebook atLife Points with Rhonda.
Youtube.
Life Points with Rhonda 2968.
Don't forget to grab your freeaffirmation, consultation or
healing audio by subscribingthrough ManyChat.
You were born divine, thank you.
(09:56):
So Thank you, bye.
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