Growing up, I was captured by the black women I watched on TV. Why? Not only were they funny, but they looked like people I knew; people in my family, people in my community. They didn’t have perfect bodies, perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect teeth, or even perfect lives. Yet, I felt connected to them. I felt they were beautiful. Somehow by watching them, I felt beautiful.
Over the years, it seems like things have greatly changed.
For instance: If someone refers to the beauty of an actress or entertainer, how often do you think that they look like women in your family, or women in your community? Does watching them make you feel beautiful? Or does it seem like you become more self-conscious about any perceived personal flaws?
Do you find yourself saying: I need to lose weight/get in shape? Or: I wish my body/hair/teeth were like hers?
Let's take a walk down memory lane, in tribute to the women in television that made us laugh, and feel comfortable in our own skin.
