“My Nubian Princesses!” lives rent free in my mind. It’s a beauty-affirming motto my mother would say to my sisters and I throughout our lives. And it is the one of the first lessons from my mother about beauty.
In Atlanta in the early 90’s, three little black girls gather to take a picture at the request of their mother in their new Barbie shirts. With brown skin, ebony eyes and black hair these Barbie shirts were different. What these little girls didn’t know was that their mother had spent hours painting over the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Barbie because she knew the importance of representation for her Black daughters. This lesson from my mother about beauty was that brown skin should be proudly displayed and celebrated too.
Yesterday was a celebration of Mother’s day however we know the recognition of the efforts of mothers are too vast for one day. Lessons from our mother’s are immortal extending past their worldly expiration dates. Below are a few lessons on beauty from mothers
– Lessons from my mother about beauty –
“My mother taught me to always leave the house a lady. Watching my grandmother and my mother prepare to present themselves was always a class in elegance.” -Nikki Lashae
“My mom did hair so she mostly kept mine done. So I guess she just taught me to keep my appearance up.” -Kisha
“My mother taught me that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She also taught me that inner beauty is far more important than outer. All in all she instilled in me that being genuine, selfless and relatable sets the foundation for a beautiful individual.” -Lynedra
“My mother says she taught me that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I think more than anything her motto was to have “je ne sais quoi”. She taught me the definition of beauty is what you make of positive and attractive qualities; whether it’s your eyes, smile, skin, hair, face, body, personality.” -Nicole
