#MyBlack #MyNarrative

Yesterday afternoon I was browsing through Facebook and noticed a post my friend shared of someone famous. At first I did not recognize who it was, but then I saw the caption. Lil Kim. Immediately my heart sank and I was overcome with emotion. You ask why? I was once a little black girl, who hated the skin I was in. My features didn't conform to societal standards. The world around me said little girls like me were ugly. So naturally, I hated myself. Since the beginning of time, the black girl has been told she is not beautiful. She has been told that her nose is too wide. Her skin is too dark. Her lips are too big. Her hair is too nappy. She has been beaten and pushed back into the shadows. Whipped into submission. She has been told she is not worthy and doesn't deserve to be loved.

It's time to take back our narrative.

Save the Black Woman. We have already lost so many along the way.

Follow in the footsteps of powerful role models alive today who are simply beautiful in the skin they are in. Role models such as Michelle Obama, Janelle Monae, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Gabby Douglas, Ameena Matthews, Lupita Nyong'o, Mikaila Umer, Warsan Shire, Serena Williams, Melissa Harris-Perry and so many more.

Dear Black Women,

It's time for us to take a stand.

Let's flood the world with our beauty. Show them just how beautiful we are. Empower our children to value self-love.

The curves of our lips, the sway of our hips, the curl of our hair, the way the rich and diverse tones of our skin flair.

They not ready...

But we coming!

It's time for us to step up and start a movement.

Let's take social media by storm.

Post your selfie with the hashtags: #MyBlack #MyNarrative

Visit this Facebook page to see pics of our beautiful women or if you want to share yours.

The narrative is ours. We are taking it back.

Yass Girl! That is a fact!

Because, ddaaammmmnnnnnn. We are beautiful! Just the way we are