Skip to main content

Motivation, That Black Girl Magic!

My brown baby can see the magic in her complexion!


Normani has just made my Friday! Today happens to be my daughter's birthday! Oh, yes I finally have a 'tween'. I'm just two years shy from a having a teenager. And with a teenager there's the need to be 'cool' and relevant. This is the stage where formation of a future adult occurs. These are impressionable years.

To some extent, I ignored the status quo. It's none of my business because it's a broken record with so much noise. It's deja vu without effective results, so my ignorance is bliss! In other news, yes my little girl is a young lady now! And guess what, a member of one of her favourite girl groups just dropped a banger.

Though not yet age appropriate for her due to the lyrics, Normani's 'Motivation' video is everything! Imagine a brown girl breaking the internet! She's earned the applause of her peers and even praise from legends such as Missy Elliott. Y'all we weren't ready!

'Motivation' pays homage to music videos from the early 2000s. We see Beyoncé's 'Crazy in Love'; J Lo's, 'I'm Real' remix, and Britney Spears', 'Baby Give Me One More Time' to name but a few. It's been a long time since we've celebrated a brown girl killing it! Back in the 90s and early 2000s brown girls ruled! I'm not here to start the the light skin versus dark skin debate, but I will celebrate the dark skin queen.



I myself am light skinned but my daughter is chocolate. I'm angst with the status quo in mainstream media. There's little representation for brown to dark skinned black women and girls. Sure Beyoncé can sing about 'Brown Skin Girls' but it's a collective narrative about women of colour (Latinas and Indians included). But she and many light skinned or mixed race women will never experience the need for representation as much as their more chocolate skinned counterparts.

The craze over Normani's song will eventually fade, like the attention span of today's audience. But in the meantime I will busk in the excitement of a young woman that my daughter can see herself through. My daughter loves to dance, so when we watched the 'Motivation' music video, she was excited. She was like, "Mum, that's the girl from Fifth Harmony! She's so pretty!" She added that she loved the back flips that Normani pulled off by the basketball court.

There's so much that a parent can do to influence their child's perception of self. Pop culture is often the 'influencer' in pre-teens and teenagers' lives. I grew up at a different time, where television was a privilege. Regardless, I spent my formative years in West Africa with plenty of ebony skinned women. I felt represented  at that stage because they were black and African like me. I knew that people had different skin tones, but that wasn't major. Even as I grew older, I looked up to Brandy, Monica, and Naomi Campbell, who were all brown women. Hell, I even loved the first aunt Vivien from the 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air'. And remember Will's cousin, Ashley played by Tatyana Ali? They were portrayed as beautiful, strong, elegant and feminine. I remember the lead female singers in groups such as 702, 3LW, and Misteeq, were also brown and ebony skinned girls. They were vocally talented and beautiful. That's what I would love my daughter to see.

Today, brown girls take the backseat and are underrated. We might scream inclusiveness and diversity but that's not the narrative on the ground. I constantly have to check for films, TV shows and music videos where my daughter isn't exposed to subconscious self hate. I look at Keke Palmer, SZA and Ryan Destiny and value their contribution to black and pop culture. Keke is so underrated it breaks my heart. SZA is an insane vocalist while Ryan Destiny is the total package!

But I am amongst those changing the narrative. With the blessing of living in Africa, my daughter and other little girls can see themselves represented. As a storyteller and content creator, I take full advantage of sharing what I believe in. From books to animations, movies and music videos, little brown and ebony girls can see protagonists like themselves. Little boys can have a diverse perception of black beauty. When they grow up into young men, they will find brown and ebony women beautiful, and desirable. This will be encouraged by the images that they see and messages they receive.

The 'Motivation' doesn't filter Normani's complexion. She has more brown and ebony dancers during the choreography. Her love interest is a fine, chocolate man. Representation. Not to mention the confidence coupled with sultry vocals. I hope that 'Motivation' is just the beginning of Normani's stardom. Wouldn't want her to be a 'one hit wonder' during her solo career. I want her to reach Whitney Houston, (another brown woman) levels in her own lane. There's a whole generation waiting for such inspiration and representation. We want more black girl magic!

To my daughter, you are beautiful and you are magic! Bind the world under the spell of your kind spirit, infectious smile and unearthed talent!

A happy birthday to my #motivation...

...Mama might not always get it right, but I will try!

P.S. Always write your own love story!

Ciao!

Lady E
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Script My Life: Jane the Virgin Season Finale

Every telenovela has to come to an end... ...but with a happy ending! *Warning spoiler alert!* Mios dios! I dramatically cried as Jane and Rafael were enjoying the sunset on their wedding day. Jane  explains the ending of her novel, which is turned into a telenovela. And the typewriter writes, 'THE END'. I now understand my friend's sadness over the finale of this cheesy, yet addictive television series. I have always been a fan of soap operas. I religiously watched South African soapies during my nursing school days. And then when I became a stay-at-home mum, I added the American and Phillipino soapies to the list. When DSTv then introduced a channel for Spanish soapies known as novelas, I was gone. The thing with novelas or telenovelas, is that they amplify the usual soapie drama. The male characters are sexy even as villains and the female characters are over the top. Unlike a soapie like Days of Our Lives or Generations, telenovelas have a time frame. Like w
Post a Comment
Read more

Single ladies: Wife material

MPV.....my point of view! Single Ladies: Wifen Material *Royal wave*Hey single ladies,your guide is back.The pursuit for Mr Put-A-Ring-On-It is on.Today I would like to make you a get-a-ring-on-it lady. Now following my articles,'Single Ladies Part 3',where I talked about the prince searching for a 'real princess',or 'Queen';and 'Brown Sugar',where the word 'brown sugar' was defined as wifen material,I would like to talk about 'wifey material'.(Whether we are that). How do we single ladies get that ring-on-it,you ask?By being wifey material.My uncle keeps on telling me,'If you want to become Mrs X,you should be a wife.You are a wife before he puts a ring on it'.What he means is that,a man will treat you the way you portray yourself.How,you ask? Ever noticed the difference between a wife and a girlfriend.Now let me break it down for you.A girlfriend usually,takes life in a more leisurely way;unlike a wife,whose focus is mo
Post a Comment
Read more

Book Review: The Kings that Didn’t Need This Queen

Until you resolve your brokeness, you will continue to be broken. I am pretty stoked about sharing this month's read. As a writer, reading various forms of literature enriches the craft. Reading builds culture and reinforces application of lessons learnt. I also read books and blogs by fellow writers to support their work through commenting, and sharing. This is how we grow communities you see. Prior to offering a review of this month's book, I would like to share a brief history of the writer. I met this young woman, Nobuhle Nyoni at a birthday, and album listening party for producer and artist, Verseless. She was friendly and bubbly, we even shared a ride into town as we went home. That wouldn't be the last time that I would be in communication with her. Through the magazine that I am editor for, we made effort to push her event. Though I didn't manage to attend the event, I saw the potential of this young woman. In 2017, under the collective called Veryus ,
Post a Comment
Read more

The Case of the Ghost

If you decide to ghost, then stay dead! I'm riled up and thinking WTF? Who the hell does he think he is? Trying to walk out of the tomb like the Messiah! Degage! But I also realised that I wasn't over it. IT! The hurt and humiliation of being ghosted. The humiliation of being relegated to  side  chick.  And the pain of going through loss alone. Who the hell does he think he is ... in my life? After many years, I bumped into him at a recent event. Actually, he called out my name and followed me. I don't know why he thought that he and I were Gucci. For two years, that guy was a poltergeist.He didn't reach out to me to explain his behaviour. He didn't send me a birthday message. No communication. Obviously, out of sight, out of mind.And then he has the nerve to call out my full government name. Honestly, I was inebriated and had no time for his nonsense. But he started saying that he and I needed to talk. He thought that I was his girl. He missed me. I'm literally
Post a Comment
Read more

Auld Lang Syne ... Maybe Not All the Time

Sometimes the end is a new beginning!  It's a new year! To be more precise, the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-two. According to the Hebrew calendar the year is 5782.  The crossover into 2022 was particularly dull due to the curfew. When we say that the pandemic is a buzzkill, the sentiment is real. As a staunch believer in the saying, "How you leave is how you enter," I often enjoy spending my time in church. The service prior to the countdown often invigorates my faith. Praying and seeding on the first day of the 365 or 366 is comforting. Unfortunately, the authorities ensured that the gathering of the saints wouldn't happen on their watch. We had to sit and watch the livestream from home. As the new year came, I started to think of the song synonymous with the new year. Auld Lang Syne. Based on the 18th century Scottish song, the words read: Should Old Acquaintance be forgot, and never thought upon; The flames of Love extinguished, and fully past a
Post a Comment
Read more