'Little Brown Girl' Should Be An Affirmation Anthem For Young Black Girls

Little Bown Girl by Ebony Jenae, is a beautiful channel to positivity.

It begins:

“Hey, there little brown girl

  I just want you to know

 That your hair and your lips and your skin

 Melanin, it's all beautiful…”

And just like that we have a tool for fostering self-acceptance and self-love.

Listening to affirming music like Little Brown Girl, gives girls access to lyrics that reflect their unique identity and experiences. 

It promotes a sense of pride in their skin and uniqueness, challenging societal prejudices and stereotypes. It encourages black girls to embrace their identity, celebrate their blackness, and love themselves just as they are.

 

Teaching Affirmations to Black Girls

Teaching affirmations to black girls is a pivotal part of instilling self-love and self-acceptance. It is about more than just reciting positive phrases. It requires consistent reinforcement and demonstration of these values in everyday life.

Let’s be direct - self acceptance has been taught differently to black girls in the past. In an interview with a few millenial colleagues, one specific sentiment was repeated. Black girls, were taught to accept to be seen as lesser and lesser valued.

Society is now in a space where opportunities and platforms for black girls are being constructed, but some can still struggle with the journey to get there. Learning to separate oneself from the past inherent bias and societal taboo is a step black girls may need to achieve that higher level of acceptance and success.

Parents, mentors and caregivers can play a significant role in this process. They can encourage black girls to repeat affirmations daily, emphasizing their strength, beauty, and worth. They can also exemplify these affirmations through their actions and attitudes, showing black girls how to live these values.

For instance,

• a parent can affirm a black girl’s intelligence by praising her problem-solving skills or creativity.
• They can affirm her beauty by celebrating her unique features and promoting a positive body image.
• They can affirm her strength by recognizing her resilience in overcoming challenges.
• They can share music with lyrics like these:

 

Lyrics like these reinforce affirmations to black girls. It helps them internalize these positive messages, fostering a strong, confident self-identity that can guide them throughout their lives.

 

Introducing Affirmation Underwear: A Unique Approach

Affirmation underwear is a unique and creative approach to instilling self-love and self-acceptance in black girls. Positive affirmations printed on the underwear, turns a typically mundane item into a powerful self-love tool.

By wearing affirmation underwear, black girls are subtly reminded of their worth, strength, and beauty every day. This constant reinforcement can help internalize these positive messages, fostering a stronger sense of self-love and self-acceptance.

Affirmation underwear can also serve as a private reassurance, a secret confidence boost that can make a significant difference in a young girl's self-perception. Imagine starting each day by putting on underwear that reminds you of your intelligence, your resilience, or your inherent worth.

It's not just about the affirmations printed on the fabric. It's about transforming an everyday routine into an empowering ritual of self-celebration and self-love. It's about teaching black girls that they deserve to feel good about themselves, not just on the outside, but on the inside too.

Love is a Gift: Embracing Self Acceptance is Taught

Self-love is indeed a gift, one that we give to ourselves. It's about embracing who we are, in all our uniqueness and beauty. For young black girls, this means accepting their blackness, their culture, their features, and their identity.

It involves acknowledging one's inherent worth and rejecting societal prejudices and stereotypes. It's about affirming the beauty of their skin color, the strength of their character, and the intelligence of their minds.

Self-acceptance places our girls in a space where they can celebrate their uniqueness, take pride in their identity, and believe in their potential. This self-love empowers them, giving them the confidence to pursue their dreams, stand up against discrimination, and cultivate resilience in the face of adversity.

By embracing self-acceptance and self-love, black girls will transform into the confident queens they are meant to be. They learn that their love for themselves is a gift, a powerful force that propels them forward and shapes their future.

 

Hey, there little brown girl -

Can you do one last thing for me?

Walk with grace, claim your space

Don't you ever be ashamed

And you'll shine and you're gonna be

Happy in your skin

Happy with your curves

Happy that you can say words no longer hurt

Happy with your smile

Happy with your style

Happy with your kinky curls

Your blackness out in the world

I hope you hear me, little brown girl.