Choosing Me Over Cruelty: Bringing Awareness to the Experience of Girls of Color

CHOOSING ME CHOOSING ME OVER CRUELTY OVER CRUELTY

Bringing Awareness to the Experience of Girls of Color

After reading this zine, you will feel informed and empowered, and you will know how to maneuver.

After reading this zine, you will feel more secure and self-confident, and you will know how to love your skin better.

After reading this zine, you will feel empowered and you will know how tohaveconfidencewithinyourself.

Afterreadingthiszine,youwillfeel like having a little meat on you doesn't mean anything, and you willknowhowtoloveyourself.

After reading this zine, you will feel a sense of confidence & belonging, and you will know how to love yourself.

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Beauty standards

Definition:

Beauty standards are something that makes women feel like they need to do the impossible to their original features in order to have a placement in society.

The Negative Impacts of Beauty Standards

It may be soul-crushing to feel pressured by the need to fit in with what society considers attractive. It may result in mental health problems such sadness, anxiety, eating disorders, and body dysphoria. It may also encourage individuals, particularly young ladies, to look for other surgical procedures to achieve this "ideal" appearance.

I am celebrating my curves because it makes me feel confident.

Aniayah

Iamcelebratingme becauseIamapowerful Blackwoman.

PhotosbyInvisionary Productions

"Sometimes, we entwine "Sometimes, we entwine Our sense of worth with Our sense of worth with The sense we have of The sense we have of Our body-and often, Our body-and often, Our body is not viewed Our body is not viewed With kindness or love, With kindness or love, But with deep shame' But with deep shame'

But feelings and fact But feelings and fact Are not the same, Are not the same,

The truth is, your worth The truth is, your worth is innate, irrefutable, is innate, irrefutable, Accepting who we are Accepting who we are And how we are in this And how we are in this Moment- that is Moment- that is Endlessly beautiful." Endlessly beautiful."

--p.bodi p.bodi

Society this, society that, Why bring me down because of the body I am in. My body does not define who I am. I am beautiful. My body is fantastic. ~Rayshal

.“Self-esteemmeans knowingyouarethe dream.”

–OprahWinfrey

"Evenifitmakes others uncomfortable,I willlovewhoIam.”

-JanelleMonáe

"You are your best thing."

- Toni Morrison

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."

- Alice Walker

“Life is so much more beautiful and complex than a number on a scale.” Tess Munster.

I am celebrating my body structure because it helps me encourage people with bodies like me.

I am celebrating my ability to learn fast because it helps me to better understand people.

Santana

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I am celebrating my advocacy because it opens more knowledge on social issues for me.

Christina

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What is School Pushout?

The word "Pushout" refers to the punitive discipline practices schools use, which exclude students from class and too often push them out of school altogether. These practices affect all students but they disproportionately affect students of color, students with disabilities and LGBTQ Students.

SOURCE: Girls Inc.

7x

According to the National Black Women's Justice Institute, Black girls are 7 times more likely to be suspended and 4 times more likely to be arrested at school compared to their white peers.

Women of Color are often portrayed as "ghetto, disrespectful, noisy and hostile". Amusingly, being assertive, stating your opinion and making yourself heard are applauded as great influences when it's demonstrated by white girls. But this behavior is scolded towards Black females.

SOURCE: Girls Inc.

The real answer is that there isn't " one answer.

Black girls are being expelled and suspended at alarming rates; discipline policies are informed by racial biases and stereotypes.

About the Authors

This zine was created by the young people of JustUs Cohort 2, who are "Leaders in the Making!"Overthecourseof1year,Cohort2has not only learned more about themselves, their identities, leadership and advocating on social justice issues, but they have also strengthened their relationship as a group and made meaningfulfriendshipsalongtheway.

The group embodies the values of respect, empathy, and cooperation, andtheycategorizetheirstrengthsas being supportive of one another, having a voice, and being able to collectively speak together to learn, bondandempowereachother.

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What is JustUs

JustUs, facilitated by Rising Ground’s STEPS to End Family Violence program - in collaboration with Girls for Gender Equity (GGE), is a gender-responsive diversion program for girls and lesbian,gay,bisexual/transgenderand gender non-conforming (LGB/TGNC) youth, age 12-18, who are either involved,orathighriskofinvolvement, inthejuvenilelegalsystem

What is GGE

Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) works intergenerationally, through a Black feminist lens, to achieve gender and racial justice by centering the leadership of Black girls and genderexpansive young people of color to reshape culture and policy through advocacy, youth-led programming, andshiftingdominantnarratives