Dark-skinned Girls Rock!: Jennifer

Hey Everyone,

Hope you all are doing lovely and feeling great! Its Monday!! So yes, another lovely dark-skinned lady is being featured today for the Dark-skinned Girls Rock! series. Today we are featuring the gorgeous Jennifer. I met her at a blogger event during NYFW, Relax, Renew, & Recharge. She was so down to earth and we hit it off. I was happy when she agreed to be part of the series.

 

Jennifer  

 Everybody meet Jennifer! Shes a 27 year old Advertising Professional from the Bronx, NY. 

Describe yourself in three words: Bold, vibrant,  and creative.

Tell us about your personal style.

  I like to change it up, I don’t like to put myself in a box. I LOVE color, prints and details. You’ll often find me in something funky and flirty, but I love pearls and classic pieces too. Anytime I can tastefully combine these elements, I have the perfect outfit!

 Who are your style icons?  

The original diva Ms. Diana Ross, but I draw inspiration from so many places. Some women I love to stylewatch are Janet Jackson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sanaa Lathan, Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna.   

Have you ever struggled with self-identity issues because of your complexion? If so what are some things you did to accept yourself for who you are and love yourself? 

When I was younger I definitely had issues with self- identity due to my complexion. On top of being teased because of my darker skin, the images I saw of black women in the media who were considered beautiful NEVER looked like me. They were always lighter skin tones with straighter, softer looking hair. As a young woman I felt I had nowhere to look to for positive reinforcement. As a result, it was hard for me to identify myself as being pretty because society projected the idea that darker skin wasn’t as attractive.

To combat this, I always presented myself in ways that made me feel beautiful and secure.  I created my own identity instead of listening to the ignorant and negative ideas of others. I also kept positive people around me who didn’t have a color complex. Eventually as my confidence grew my insecurities of skin color faded.

What ultimately kicked my issues was my first trip to Ghana, West Africa. I saw so many beautiful and self-assured women who looked just like me. Witnessing the confidence they possessed allowed me to embrace the beauty within myself. 

 Do you have any advice for other dark-skinned women that are struggling with accepting themselves because of the color of their skin? 

1.     Stay away from people and sources that perpetuate negative ideas about skin color. 

2.     Build your own positive examples of women of color you admire as a reminder to your own beauty and reference them when you’re having doubts. Angela Basset and Michelle Obama are 2 of my faves.

3.     Embrace your features and enhance your best attributes. If you love your arms, show them off! If you love your legs, wear more skirts! I find that the more you focus on the features that you do like about yourself, the more you realize that there are so many other factors that contribute to your identity. Skin color does not determine your attractiveness. 

 What do you like most about being dark-skinned?

Good black don’t crack! But besides that I think dark skin emanates power. I have a great sense of pride in my heritage and see my skin as a testament to the strength and beauty of my ancestry. I believe my skin exudes radiance and when paired with a warm smile who could argue that?

Wow! I really enjoyed reading your interview Jennifer. Its very inspiring. I love how you said dark skin emanates power to you. I also love how you created your own identity and said how skin color does not determine identity, there's so many other characteristics that contribute to it. Its great that you got the chance to visit Ghana and witness the confidence of other women that looked like you. What better example can you have!? I also agree that good black doesn't crack haha!

Thanks again Jennifer for participating in the series! You can catch her tweeting @jenndolls. She's planning on starting a beauty blog soon, I will update this post with the link when she does. 

 My dark-skinned ladies, if you are interested in participating in the DGR! series shoot me an email, cherrie.amore@gmail.com. I need you lovely ladies to submit interviews to keep this series going. So don't be shy! You DO NOT have to be a blogger, fashionista, vlogger, etc. This series is open to all! To find out more about the series, click here!

EMBRACE YOUR BEAUTY!