Teacher Makes Music Video With Her Students To Reaffirm That Black Is Beautiful

Screen grab from My Black Is Beautiful music video. 

Image has a significant impact on children growing up and maintaining a positive one is especially important for Black girls, who’ve had a history of being shown that they are the least desired by society. Fortunately, there has been a push to combat that within recent years and we have another powerful example to add to the bunch!

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Massachusetts teacher and singer Lovely Hoffman overheard some of the female students at her predominantly black middle school complaining about their appearance, a symptom of a “European beauty standards” dominated society. In response, Hoffman created a music video titled “My Black Is Beautiful.”

The video explores combating societal-causing insecurities and becoming confident in all features including hair, weight and skin tone. The video features the girls assessing themselves in the mirror as Hoffman croons affirming messages. There is one significant moment where a young girl is seen looking at an OK! Magazine cover with mostly White celebrities and is then handed an issue of Essence Magazine featuring Viola Davis on the cover, by her peer.

By the end of the video, all of the young ladies are expressing more prominent self-confidence and embracing one another.

In a recent press release for the music video, Hoffman mused, “There is a strong correlation between self-esteem and student achievement. As an educator, I believe it is my duty to not only ensure students are reaching their potential academically, but that they are also comfortable and confident in their own skin. It’s about educating the whole child.”

This is a dope video that should reach many Black girls in classrooms and beyond!

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Tonja Renée Stidhum is a writer/director living in Los Angeles by way of Chicago. She is the co-host of the movie review podcast, Cinema Bun Podcast. She is made of sugar and spice and everything rice... with the uncanny ability to make a Disney/Pixar reference in the same sentence as a double entendre. You can follow her on Twitter @EmbraceTheJ, on Facebook FB.com/tstidhum, and Instagram @embracethej. You can find more of her work on her About Me page, http://ift.tt/2n7OHKw.

from Natural Hair Care | Curly Nikki http://ift.tt/2okFiyk