30 day money back guarantee
30 day money back guarantee
Black Women in Beauty. Why do we need to celebrate them? Because they’ve brought a unique perspective to the world of beauty when it comes to black skin and hair care.
Today, we are able to see beautiful Black faces on the cover of magazines, in commercials, dawning product labels and as owners of Black beauty companies.
Yet, our ancestors/elders weren’t so lucky. Heck, some of us today weren’t so lucky. It’s just been recently, within the past 20 - 30 years, that beautiful black faces could be seen on packaging on shelves in "mainstream stores". Go figure!
Magazines, that’s another story. There have been magazines that chronicled lifestyle and beauty within the African American community since 1945. It was that year in November that Ebony published its first issue.
In 1968, Essence Magazine was founded. It wasn’t until May 1970 that the first issue was published.
There are so many people involved in making these publications work. Photographers, models, makeup artist, hair stylist, fashion stylist and fashion designers. That’s just to get things started on the beauty side.
Why is celebrating Black Women in Beauty a big deal? Because until certain beauty pioneers created products for you, your beauty was very often overlooked, dismissed. You were made to feel that you weren't beautiful
Before either of these publications were started, there was a petite woman named Annie Malone who taught many of the Black Beauty Entrepreneurs we read about today.
Annie Malone is the founder, visionary, educator and philanthropist that started the Poro Beauty Company. Annie was born in 1869.
Let’s think about that for a moment. She was born 4 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. No one was telling Black Women that they were beautiful when she was born. Yet she went on to start her company, in 1902.
Madam C.J. Walker was her most famous student. She later went on to found Madam C. J. Walker a company named after herself. While a lot of people are self-taught, even today, they still have mentors/teachers. Madam C. J. Walker is no different.
If you’re in the beauty industry, you know who these two women are. There have been many others that rose up in a time when Black Folk were still being oppressed.
Sarah Spencer Washington - Apex News and Hair Company,
Nathaniel, Arthur and Emma Bronner - Bronner Bros,
Eunice Johnson - Fashion Fair Cosmetics/Ebony Fashion Show,
Dr. Willie Morrow- California Curl and author of 400 Years Without a Comb and
Vera More - Vera Moore Cosmetics, to name a few.
I mention Nathaniel and Arthur Bronner because they started Bronner Brother’s with their sister Emma. The Jheri Curl created by Dr. Morrow was so popular that it was spoofed in the movie Coming to America. The Soul Glow family.
These companies became popular between 1945 and 1979. Dr. Morrow is credited with creating the Afro Pick, long before it was popular.
A skin care regimen was not always top of mind in the 1800’s and 1900’s. Yet, Black Women knew that it was important to care for their skin.
Unfortunately, a lot of the products created were geared towards bleaching the skin. Nadinola, not a Black Owned company, was marketed to Black Women as a Bleaching Cream said to lighten the skin faster.
The most recent group of Black Women in Beauty are making their noise via STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics- programs. Graduates of traditional HBCU schools, these scientists are making big waves.
By the way, did you know that the first HBCU was established in 1837? It was Cheyney University in Cheyney PA.
Corporate America is always looking for ways to advance their teams with talent. Leading the way in beauty is P&G (Procter & Gamble).
For Skin Care, they’ve tapped the talent of:
Markaisa Black, PH.D - Senior Innovation Scientist, Product Development, Skin Care - Clark Atlanta University/Morehouse School of Medicine,
Tori Moore, Front End Innovation Research Specialist, Product Development, Skin Care - Central State University and
Maiysha Jones, PH.D, Senior Scientist, NA Personal Care - Xavier University.
On the Hair Care side of things:
Chiquita V. White, Senior director, Research & Development, Hair Care, P&G Beauty,
Rolanda J. Wilkerson, Ph.D, Senior Director, Scientific Communications, Hair Care, P&G Beauty,
Rukeyser S. Thompson, Ph.D, Senior Director, Research & Development, Hair Care, P&G Beauty
One of the difference between the Black Women in Beauty in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s and today, is that they were more on the entrepreneur side of things.
They didn’t have the advantage/opportunities of the most recent graduates, where corporations were looking for your talent and willing to pay you for it.
These women changed the way Black Women see beauty. No one was telling Black Women that they were beautiful in the 1800’s, yet they dared start businesses that spoke to you.
Just so we don’t get things twisted, I’m not pushing P&G. However it is important that you recognize talent and Black Women in training when you see it.
Who’s to say that one of these women won’t take the entrepreneurial route at some point in their life. In today’s economy, there have been more people not returning to corporate jobs than at any other time in history. Black Women are starting beauty companies on a daily basis.
The global pandemic showed people they have to create options.
Indeed it is! Yet, with all of the Black is Beautiful, My Black is Beautiful and Beautiful Black Skin and Hair quotes we hear, there are still little Black Girls that don’t think they are.
Encourage every young Black Girl you know to strive for excellence first and their beauty will naturally shine through.
That’s it for this week. As always …
Dedicated to Your Beauty,
Juliette Samuel,
Esthetician/Author/Publisher,