What Maya Angelou taught Michelle Obama about black beauty

washingtonpost.com ^ | June 7, 2014 | Vanessa Williams

[ilovesarah2012]

Michelle Obama has largely ignored unflattering critiques of her physical appearance, often tinged with racial overtones, that have been lobbed by people who apparently still have not accepted the fact that African Americans inhabit the White House. At a memorial service Saturday for poet Maya Angelou, who died last week at age 86, Obama offered revealing insights about how she and other black women sometimes define their beauty in the context of the larger society’s standards. The first time I read “Phenomenal Woman,” I was struck by how she celebrated black women’s beauty like no one had ever dared to before. Our curves, our stride, our strength, our grace. Her words were clever and sassy; they were powerful and sexual and boastful. And in that one singular poem, Maya Angelou spoke to the essence of black women, but she also graced us with an anthem for all women – a call for all of us to embrace our God-given beauty. And, oh, how desperately black girls needed that message. As a young woman, I needed that message. As a child, my first doll was Malibu Barbie. That was the standard for perfection. That was what the world told me to aspire to. But then I discovered Maya Angelou, and her words lifted me right out of my own little head. The first lady went on to say that Angelou’s empowering message has motivated her through school, career and family challenges throughout her life, “words so powerful that they carried a little black girl from the South Side of Chicago all the way to the White House.” Beauty is more than skin deep, especially for women of color. Whether we are seen as beautiful can have a huge impact on how we are treated, protected and loved —

[lee martell]

Maya learned very early how to play the game .She learned some want to be played and used till there is nothing left to use, as with Detroit.

[Baladas]

remember the sleeveless dresses she insisted on wearing in the wintertime and all the boob belts? It’s more of a fashion than a beauty problem, she’s not that bad.

[Rummyfan]

Vanessa Williams, former Miss America, a truly beautiful woman in any color. But this drivel she has written proves the FR axiom the ‘beauty is skin deep, but ugly is to the bone’.

[kearnyirish2]

“The Obamas are racists. They are Huge racists.”

Apparently we are the racists; a friend pointed out that black women resent the lack of demand for black porn in the US. Even their men prefer “Malibu Barbie” (today).

[silverleaf]

that there is grace and style, alright

she can spare us the moralizing, just like mooch can spare us her nutritional edicts and her “poor little me” story about going from Souf Side Chicago to Yale, Harvard and the WH

[SoFloFreeper]

...written by Vanessa Williams. ‘nuf said.

[SoFloFreeper]

True black beauties?

Star Parker

Erika Harold

Stacey Dash

Mia Love

Crystal Wright

[onedoug]

islamist Traitors currently inhabit the White House.

I don’t give a damn what color they are.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Like anybody could actually teach the Zeros anything. They preach and it’s everybody else’s job to shut up and listen.