Black is the New Black

From the Victorian era, to Hitler's propaganda, all the way to current media worldwide, it has been long established that white skin is somehow "better skin". There is no doubt that this horribly racist attitude exists, with the popularity of skin-whitening creams all over Asia, and the surprising lack of makeup for dark skin.

To bring it even further, I would say lighter eyes and hair (which are generally but not exclusively Caucasian features) are preferred as well. Heck, half of the top "attractive qualities" for men and women are eurocentric in nature, whether it be minimal body hair, thin noses, high cheek-bones, straight hair — all qualities that are generally less common in people of colour.

There are a plethora of online sources that explain why this is, but this isn't what I want to focus on. Rather, I'd like to shed a light on a recent double-standard I have been noticing, especially in the beauty industry. As the family of Kardashian and Jenner girls undeniably influence youth, we are seeing the emergence of all sorts of trends. Thick eyebrows, big butts, plump lips have all become more popular, as opposed to the thin-brow 60s (and virtually every year before that) and the drug-addict thin (a style called "heroine-chic") 2000's.

Kim Kardashian, a social media personality with a (probably) cosmetically-enhanced behind

So why do I see this as a double standard? Rewind to the 19th century. Black women were literally placed in circuses (called "human zoos") for their large butts, and blackface served as a tool to humiliate African Americans, who tend to have larger lips and noses. Fun fact : the reason why clowns have afros, bulbous noses and exaggerated lips is because of blackface.

An illustration of Hottentot Venus, an African slave dehumanized in a "human zoo" for her butt 

Kylie Jenner lips?

Come back to the 21st century, where girls do countless squats, and use makeup to make their lips look bigger...all of this while actual black girls are told they are "ugly", or if they're lucky, "pretty...for a black girl".

So despite the fashion industry's fondness of traditionally black characteristics, the eurocentric beauty standards still dominate. This is why we see all sorts of African (or African American) styles with white models, passed off as "urban" or "chic".

A white model modeling as an "African Queen". We're technically all from Africa, right? Try again

White model attempts "dreadlocks", as actual black girls are sent home from school for their dreads. 

I'd say representation plays a large role in this phenomenon. Rarely do I see black models, and out of the few I do see, they're light-skinned and could be passed off as white had they less melanin. It's 2016, and it's about time we begin to show all the shades and shapes of beauty.

Sources : "The Racist Origins of Modern Clown Makeup" Ianthe's Inferno. Web. 19 Jan. 2016. 
"Beauty Whitewashed: How White Ideals Exclude Women of Color." Beauty Redefined. 2011. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.
"The 19th Century Kim: 'Hottentot Venus' Whose Big Bottom Sparked a Global Scandal 200 Years before a Certain Miss Kardashian." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 2014. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.