How to Be Proud to Be Black
Embrace personal traits beyond your appearance., Define beauty by your own terms., Find a black role model you admire.A great way to adopt a greater sense of pride for your race and culture is to find someone who represents it well., Talk to your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Embrace personal traits beyond your appearance.
Find the character traits or personal strengths that you like about yourself.
Give yourself credit for them.
You have inherent value as a person, and you need to start highlighting all that you are.
Of course, this includes your skin color, but also other less-noticeable traits, such as how you treat others, your intelligence, your goals, and your personal values and beliefs.
Sure, being black is a huge part of who you are, but it’s not the only and maybe even not the most important part.
It depends on you.
Make a list of all the things you enjoy about yourself excluding any characteristics relating to your appearance.Your list might include attributes like persistence, compassion, friendliness, intellect, kindness, or hard-working.
Pin this list in your car's visor or attach it to a notepad or something you see daily.
Take the time to regularly reminisce on all your great qualities. -
Step 2: Define beauty by your own terms.
Now that you have identified which characteristics about yourself make you awesome and valuable irrespective of race, consider your physical appearance.
You may have been raised in an area in which black beauty was not recognized as such.
You may have begun to view yourself as the “other”, as if your own looks were unacceptable compared to what’s being portrayed in the TV or in magazines.If you could close your ears to society, what would you truly think about your skin color and other physical features? Go and stand in front of your mirror.
Take a good long look at your reflection.
Pay attention to your thoughts about yourself.
Are they judging or critical? Aim to shut them off, and instead view yourself through the lens of a mother or a lover.
What would this person say about your appearance? Whenever you examine your appearance, strive to shut off that part of yourself that is comparing it to what’s depicted in the media.
Look at yourself as if for the first time.
Now, what is it that you truly like about yourself? Is it your pouty lips, wide nose, kinky hair, or smooth-as-coffee complexion? , This individual(s) can be anyone, from anywhere.
It can be a parent, a teacher, a coach, or someone you don’t know like a famous person.
Know that you have just as much potential to affect the world around you as these individuals.
You matter, too.
If you are into entertainment, your role model could be Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Beyoncé Knowles, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Morgan Freeman, Hale Berry, Jamie Foxx, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, India Arie… the list is endless.
If you are looking for an intellectual or philosophical role model, consider Toussaint Louverture, Booker T Washington, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Marcus Garvey, James Baldwin, Angela Davis, Malcolm X, Kwame Nkrumah, Martin Luther King, Jr., Stuart Hall, Nelson Mandela, Wole Soyinka, Toni Morrison, and, of course, Barack Obama. , It could be helpful to share your feelings with someone who cares about you—a parent, sibling, or close friend.
Be honest in how you are feeling.
Ask the person if he or she has ever felt similarly.
Listen carefully to the responses.If your confidants, too, once had trouble feeling pride in their racial background, they may be able to relate to what you are going through.
What’s more, these people may be able to offer helpful solutions as to how they developed a sense of pride in their blackness. -
Step 3: Find a black role model you admire.A great way to adopt a greater sense of pride for your race and culture is to find someone who represents it well.
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Step 4: Talk to your parents or someone else about your feelings.
Detailed Guide
Find the character traits or personal strengths that you like about yourself.
Give yourself credit for them.
You have inherent value as a person, and you need to start highlighting all that you are.
Of course, this includes your skin color, but also other less-noticeable traits, such as how you treat others, your intelligence, your goals, and your personal values and beliefs.
Sure, being black is a huge part of who you are, but it’s not the only and maybe even not the most important part.
It depends on you.
Make a list of all the things you enjoy about yourself excluding any characteristics relating to your appearance.Your list might include attributes like persistence, compassion, friendliness, intellect, kindness, or hard-working.
Pin this list in your car's visor or attach it to a notepad or something you see daily.
Take the time to regularly reminisce on all your great qualities.
Now that you have identified which characteristics about yourself make you awesome and valuable irrespective of race, consider your physical appearance.
You may have been raised in an area in which black beauty was not recognized as such.
You may have begun to view yourself as the “other”, as if your own looks were unacceptable compared to what’s being portrayed in the TV or in magazines.If you could close your ears to society, what would you truly think about your skin color and other physical features? Go and stand in front of your mirror.
Take a good long look at your reflection.
Pay attention to your thoughts about yourself.
Are they judging or critical? Aim to shut them off, and instead view yourself through the lens of a mother or a lover.
What would this person say about your appearance? Whenever you examine your appearance, strive to shut off that part of yourself that is comparing it to what’s depicted in the media.
Look at yourself as if for the first time.
Now, what is it that you truly like about yourself? Is it your pouty lips, wide nose, kinky hair, or smooth-as-coffee complexion? , This individual(s) can be anyone, from anywhere.
It can be a parent, a teacher, a coach, or someone you don’t know like a famous person.
Know that you have just as much potential to affect the world around you as these individuals.
You matter, too.
If you are into entertainment, your role model could be Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Beyoncé Knowles, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Morgan Freeman, Hale Berry, Jamie Foxx, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, India Arie… the list is endless.
If you are looking for an intellectual or philosophical role model, consider Toussaint Louverture, Booker T Washington, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Marcus Garvey, James Baldwin, Angela Davis, Malcolm X, Kwame Nkrumah, Martin Luther King, Jr., Stuart Hall, Nelson Mandela, Wole Soyinka, Toni Morrison, and, of course, Barack Obama. , It could be helpful to share your feelings with someone who cares about you—a parent, sibling, or close friend.
Be honest in how you are feeling.
Ask the person if he or she has ever felt similarly.
Listen carefully to the responses.If your confidants, too, once had trouble feeling pride in their racial background, they may be able to relate to what you are going through.
What’s more, these people may be able to offer helpful solutions as to how they developed a sense of pride in their blackness.
About the Author
Paul Evans
A seasoned expert in education and learning, Paul Evans combines 11 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Paul's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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