The Beauty of the Black Woman

I recently visited the Houston Museum of African American Culture. I've lived in Houston my whole life and knew nothing of this museum. There are over 20 different pieces and I fell in love not just with the artwork, but the talent and message behind them.

The exhibit is by Aesha Lee and this is her statement about her beautiful works :

"All of my portraits have titles which reflect some of the things that black women are told on a daily basis from not just [people of] other races but within our own race, which come off as offensive even if they are not meant to be. Black women are ridiculed for our hair, the shape of our noses, the size of our lips, the way we speak, and the different tones of our skin. We can be too dark or too light, our hair is too nappy or too straight, it is a lot to try to please society. I want young women of all races to look at the portraits and see beautiful women with all of their flaws, and know that they too are beautiful."

I encourage everyone to visit the exhibit and get their own opinions on how the art made you feel. All the portraits may not look exactly like you and I, but we can relate to being made to feel different or insecure about something we can't change.