Self esteem- black women vs white women?

Question

I am not a racist. But I do like to observe human beings. I have always wondered what the black community does so right when they raise their girls that the caucasian comm does not? In other words, most black women feel good to be themselves. This is regardless of how big they are, or how pretty they are, or whatever. But most white woman are taught to hate themselves if they are 5 lbs overweight or dont look perfect, like they should be on a magazine cover. I just find that so amazing and would like to know the truth of it so that I can bring that pride into my life.

Answer 1

The Black community has more realistic body images for women. We prefer our women to be plump, with big butts and big breasts, but slim women are accepted and loved also.

Our community has room for a Halle Berry and a Queen Latifah - both of whom are seen as beautiful women, because they both fit within the broad standards of African American female beauty!

The White community has very unrealistic body images for their women - they expect their women to be tiny and scrawny, but they are also expected to have big breasts (but they can't have big butts or hips!!!)

That's nuts!!!

No wonder White girls starve themselves with anorexia and bulemia - the only way to achieve the "ideal" White woman's body is through starving yourself to the point where your menstrual cycle stops, so the decline in estrogen will cause the loss of secondary sex characteristics like fat accumulation and big hips and butts. Then, you have to get plastic surgery to get big titties attached to the emaciated skeleton.

Don't get me wrong, there are a LOT of beautiful White women - the NATURAL ones, who have grown women's curves!

Sadly, the sick "beauty" standards that dominate White culture dictate that those women are 'fat' and 'ugly'!!!

Your community could learn something from ours in terms of having a respect for the different varieties of female beauty.

Answer 2

I believe that white woman were always being compared to magazine covers and expected to look like that. It also comes from the home. If u ever notice the difference the way black woman raise there children than white women. A beating stops all the back talking. Black people never let their children yell at them. If they did it is a butt whopping for them. White kids if they stepped out of line it is no playstation 3 for a week. I mean a spanking is alot worse! But not to say all black woman have high self esteam! We are all human. I believe white women have no reason to starve or freak out if they are ten pounds heavier. Most of the time now when u open up a magazine a black woman is on the cover! Beyonce, ciara models trya banks I mean it could be problems from home and black woman handle it better than white woman!

Answer 3

It's the media, at least in the US. Everywhere you look, there are thin white women in advertising, TV shows, magazines, etc. For some reason it's still okay in the media if an African American woman has some curves, i.e. Jennifer Hudson or Queen Latifah. They're getting awards and cosmetic contracts, whereas all white females in the media are either scrutinized for their weight or not given the same opportunities if they're a little heavy.

Answer 4

It's all apart of culture. In your theory, you pretty much have it. Black woman are raised to feel pride in themselves. They have self-esteem in all situations. The Black community is a strong on in that category. They also have weaknesses though, as well as the white or hispanic community does. We are all equal but different ion many ways.

Answer 5

the easiest way to fel good about yourself is to start each day on a positive note. All too often the white person downgrades themselves because of their teachers, parents etc. the other thing are your fashion magazines etc. you try to be someone else. do not do it. do not read those mags. you are not an anna nicole or a naomi. you are yourself so be yourself.Tell yourself that you are ok and you will feel better almost instantly.

Answer 6

Pepper
You must be crazy if you think all or even most black women's self esteem is high. Its really a mask because we have been through the most ridicule trying to look like white women. Personally, I do not know why any white women would have a low self esteem because it seems to me that all races from black to Spanish have made white women the epitome of beauty. At the same time, I know the standards that black women are trying to live up too, white women are also trying to live it too and it doesn't work for either one of us. This example should show that its all the men's fault because you have women of different races with the same self esteem issues.

Answer 7

The truth is that you simply need to believe the truth. The vast majority of people are not models. Look at everyone around you. Go to the mall and look at people. Walk around a large metropolitan area and look at EVERYONE.

The average person is not that beautiful, well groomed, well dressed, nor confident.

Even if you're on the ugly side of the truly average person, that's no reason to feel poorly about yourself. So men aren't going to whistle at you when you walk by. So what? Does that make that person better than you? Does that make them happier?

You need to derive your happiness from your inside - who you are, what you believe, how you treat others, how much you are loved, etc.

Answer 8

Because white culture has gone from being disgustingly christian and ashamed of our bodies too promoting an unhealthy media image. Christianity is only just being brought too africa, and they don't have the same media saturation. White women are objectified a lot more (ie, Black porn is STILL seen as "niche porn.") and have added pressure to conform to media stereotypes. Black women don't have this media created ideal self image.

Answer 9

Everyone has insecurities about their looks. Some just hide it better than others. I can imagine how it can be harder for a white women to deal with her insecurities because their are so many "examples" of what she is supposed to look like in American culture. Men in general always compare everyday women to those on billboards and the fronts of magazines. That puts pressure on all of us as women. The grass isnt always greener on the other side.

Answer 10

its all in our culture especially with the Latinos and African American culture that big hips in men eyes are what we call "baby making hips" now every race has there own views on whats beautiful and whats not like you mentioned. My mother died when i was young so i wasn't able to receive that self esteem that mothers are supposed to instill in there children so i grew up with a lot of self esteem problems and on top of that my mother was Mexican and my father is black so i grew up feeling mixed up my sister is a lot more lighter than me and she looked more Mexican than i do so i gravitated more toward my dads race than my mothers because that's all i knew .......but with other black and Latino women in my life they were all curvaceous not necessarily big but had round hips and thighs and big breast and they treated me very well since my mother had died so i viewed them as beautiful i viewed them as what a real women was. though each person individually may view being skinny is beautiful and others may view being curvaceous as beautiful most black women are voluptuous so that's what we teach our daughters to be happy with because our black men (not all) view that as beautiful as well. hope i helped!