CONTENTS
4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18
CREATIVE
GUEST
JOIN
WRITING
JUDGES
THE
JOC
DIRECTORS
TEAM
CONTEST
COMMUNITY
LETTERS
HIGHLIGHTS
APPLY
ISSUE
AFRO
TO
05
JOC
COMMENCEMENT
LATINA
By Yisel Dejesus HOURGLASS
By Kaylana Felipe ROOM
TO
GROW
By Nageliss Belliard I
AM
BEAUTIFUL
By Marie Toure WHAT
MAKES
By Elliot Babilonia
BEAUTY
YOU
A
STANDARDS
By Suvidya Bishnudat
MAN?
OF
SOCIETY
19 20 22 23 25 26 27 32 35
HER
By Evelyn Opara
TAINTED
BEAUTY
By Nickaylia Anderson I
WANT
TO
BE
JUST
LIKE
HER
By Jehlani Bowers CRAVING
BEAUTY
By Sunniha Hussain AM
I
PRETTY
YET?
By Kahdija Jabbi ART
JOC
+
PHOTOGRAPHY
COMMENCEMENT
PHOTOGRAPHY
By Kevin Roman and Laila Neil JOC
ART
By Stephanie Cuevas, Skye Knight, Ruby Moran, Mamom Alivio END
How are you planting your seeds for your future legacy? In what ways have you grown and plan to continue evolving for 2021?
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D I R E C T O R S
LETTERS Beauty standards have long been affecting the way people view themselves and the world around them since the very beginning of the civilized ages. These standards usually stem from eurocentric features that were presented as the most desirable traits in the media which our impressionable minds have been consuming from an early age. These types of standards psychologically harm people of color since the traits we share aren't deemed as "perfect" or good enough by society. This then reflects on the way POC youth view themselves and grow self-conscious of their natural traits since they've seen how they hadn't been deemed worthy of being appreciated by others. You'd think that since we're in the year 2021 these standards would be changed and molded to appease all colors, ethnic features, and body sizes? Well, not exactly! The general media has been recently embracing different kinds of appearances but that doesn't mean the issue has been completely resolved. People unknowingly have ingrained subconscious beliefs that lighter skin, straighter hair, narrow noses, and slimmer bodies are the definition of perfection. People are still discriminated against for not appeasing said standards, and the fight to change these harmful narratives has only started. And so now for this month's prompt, we ask you, "what do beauty standards mean to you?
Nicaulis Mercedes and Layla Hussein
sincerely,
your executive directors.
m e e t
t h e
Issue Board of Directors Emmanuella Agyemang Chazzel Ferbol Marielys Martinez
Teresa Bautista Fatoumata Drammeh Yisel Dejesus
CREATIVE WRITERS Kahdijah Jabbi Tasnim Khanom Suvidya Bishnudat Elliot Bablionia Yisel Dejesus Nickaylia Anderson
Nagieliss Belliard Jeronique Campbell Evelyn Opara Marie Toure Kaylana Felipe Jehlani Bowers
t e a m
b e h i n d
05 Artists Skye Knight Stephanie Cuevas
Ruby Moran Mamon Alivio
Photographers
Laila Neil Kevin Roman
Interested in joining Journals of Color? Apply to join our team at linktr.ee/journalsofcolor!
this is
JOURNALS OF COLOR the voices of the bronx.
Afro Latina
By Yisel Dejesus
When they mention me, they speak of my caramelo skin that glows from the reflection of the sun. La Negra. La morena. Too black for high fashion. But great with those hips dancing to “Suavementeeeeee. Besa meee.” Hair too coarse to just be Dominican. So, the “afro” es necesario. They celebrate us for our coca-cola bottle-shaped bodies. Have no shame yelling “ Esa negra tiene el swing.” Pero these cuerpos puts us in danger in these streets. Forcing us to conceal ourselves to hide from el cuco walking home at night. My curls bounce off the top of my head. Afro too big to sit in the front of the classroom. Making me sit in the back just like my ancestors did in the 19th century MTA. Mi gente paved the way.
Are my knotless braids too long for you? Is my red lipstick too grown for you? Or is it too Latina Or not black enough. Not white enough. Not bright enough. Not sexy enough. NUNCA enough to meet your standards. Brown lip liner and big ol’ gold hoops. They call us “Cholas.” These gold chains make us tigres de la Calle. Is the afro in my Dominican roots too African? Exotic even? Dios. Patria. Y Libertad Streaming Down through these green veins of mine. Tropical like la Isla. We weren’t born to be baristas but look at the mockery they make of us. Servants. Slaves. Peasants. The things we have conquered… We are the Mothers of this Earth. Product of the Slaves and white massas. In all its entirety, Refer to me as an Afro Latina. Y don’t forget mi Afro.
Hourglass
By Kaylana Felipe
Everyone wants to be me But no one wants to understand me Understand the pain I come with The amount of weight I consist of The hearts that break because of me I just wanted to be different But now self love is lost Females focused on that it factor I am Hourglass You shouldn’t focus on me Everyone can’t be me It’s boring being me,having these curves And having to look up to this figure You want what I have but can you manage Can you deal with long hours at the gym And extreme diets just to keep the figure The figure that’s just viewed as candy I am Hourglass Let’s face it,everyone doesn’t feel whole We females don’t get enough credit Our bodies say a lot about us We allow people to judge our appearance We want approval from everyone Fear causes that,society created that Tears were built off of confusion Confusion that was never dealt with I am Hourglass Females we don’t need recognition We are our own validation We call our sisters beautiful But we can’t seem to speak that language I guess we aren’t bilingual after all We deserve appreciation and love We fought our way through battles We shouldn't cry seeing our reflections I am Hourglass
Room to Grow
By Nagieliss Belliard
Stretch marks are invaders who have taken over my landscape They are travelers who have forgotten their maps at home and instead, they started to create a new one on my landscape They create borders of their own There is no limit to the longitude and latitude of its path They are like children trying to write their name for the first time They are skylines written against the curves of my body They sometimes fade away even though they shadow behind the complexion of your skin They have created a jungle where my insecurities inhabits between the tree branches and the swinging vines They write in a language in which they only know, one that writes out my insecurities in cursive They are constant reminder that my body will always continue to take up more space than my voice
I am beautiful
By Marie Toure
What exactly is the beauty standard? What does it mean to us, people of color Whatever it is, it seems like we are the beauty standard Don’t get me wrong, we may the prettiest, but we definitely are goals They want our big, luscious lips, but on us, it’s ugly They want our nappy afro, or box braids, or even cornrows, but they don’t the history behind it They lay their edges like we do, and wear long fake nails, but once we do it, it is considered ghetto and ratchet Don’t even get me started on our bodies They pay millions to have our hourglass shape and our jaw-dropping curves When we have it, it’s offensive and provocative I find it a bit hypocritical that they crave what we have, but bash us for having it They want to appropriate us and our culture so bad, but in their eyes, it’s so wrong for us to be us What we have, our incomparable beauty is a God-given gift That’s one of the things they can never take away from us, no matter how hard they try to put in our heads that we’re ugly I know that I’m beautiful in my melanated skin I am beautiful with my big lips and wide nose My nappy and kinky hair is beautiful My edges and my nails are beautiful and they showcase my roots My cornrows tell the story of my people, and I wear them so proudly My body is not provocative, it is perfectly sculpted I am beautiful with dark and attention-grabbing features They are just the perfect imperfections.
What Makes You A Man?
By Elliot Babilonia We live our lives seeking validation from others, Whether it’s in relationships, from our parents neglect, or our own insecurities Everything we do results in a benefit for ourselves But I grasp at straws every single day because I feel like I’m a spectator, floating above my body I sought validation every single day for my own gender identity because no matter how much I bind my chest, layer my clothing and cut my hair I’ll never look manly enough. The reality of being trans is that you may think and feel like a man, but everybody else sees you as something you’re not Regardless of how hard you may try to present yourself as exactly who you see yourself to be, you’ll always get misgendered. So you start to wear baggy hoodies, hide your hair in a hat and force your voice one octave lower. When will it be good enough? All my life I’ve had male friends, liked girls, dressed masculine, and did masculine activities. So you could imagine how weird it felt getting called a girl. It baffled me because I always felt like a man, I just didn’t look like one. Or present as one enough. When will I become enough of a man? I have to inject a hormone into my body that’ll make me more cis, I have to get multiple face arranging surgeries as well as getting skin ripped from my thigh into my pelvis area so I can finally fill the void that’s been missing between my legs I have to pay thousands of dollars just to feel comfortable in my own body Because I was born in the wrong one.
Beauty standard(s) of society
By Suvidya Bishnudat Media advertisements illustrate women and men who are thought to be traditionally attractive such as having a slim figure or flawless hair. However, what is the real meaning of beauty? People should feel more at ease in their own skin, particularly in high school, when self-esteem is crucial. Everyone is attractive, and humanity and the media must begin to represent this. It's unfair to expect "beautiful bodies" to be just skinny and muscular. Beauty ideals must change. All bodies, ages, races, and sexual orientations shouldn’t be a problem to society. Going forward, beauty cannot be characterized by a single concept; rather, it must be as complex as the individuals who see it. It must represent the true nature of people. These beauty expectations are also heavily portrayed on social media. There has been a spike in the number of girls who use their platform to become "Instagram stars." These young ladies met all of society's standards for beauty. The majority of these "models" are tanned and very skinny, with flawless skin and facial features. People can go to great lengths to obtain the face or body they desire as a result of these requirements. Plastic surgery is becoming increasingly common. People see celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Kylie Jenner setting trends for plump lips and say they want to look like them. The only way things can improve is if society begins to accept other kinds of attractiveness than the ones that are anticipated. Racial diversity can be applied to all races, body sizes, hairstyles, and stretch marks. It is important to move ahead and away from outdated beauty stereotypes. This will offer all women the self-assurance they need to be themselves without fear of being judged. The future is promising, but in order to make the necessary changes, we must expand our horizons and be inclusive of all people.
HER
By Evelyn Opara
Her body was saggy Her body was thin She was rounded on all ends She had an hourglass figure But she was beautiful Looking to the world for validation On and on Trying to change herself She bites off little pieces of her insecurities But she was still beautiful Stretchmarks Pimples Scars Oh, her body had it all But, she was still beautiful Her heart was pure She has so much to offer The world sees her as an outcast Trying to fit in, she didn’t realize all she had But she was still beautiful She tries to be like the others Tries to follow the trends Tries to change herself To blend in with the crowd But she was still beautiful Her face, like a soft blanket One which would crease up with a smile Unbeknown to her, she’s clueless about what she has But, she was still beautiful Her, She was a face amongst the crowds A face longing to be accepted To be the same as others But… In all her shortcomings, she was still beautiful
Tainted Beauty
By Nickaylia Anderson The meaning of beauty is tainted The dictionary definition? A combination of qualities, that pleases the aesthetic senses Society’s meaning? Try very hard to look, sound, and be like someone elseA persona that does not exist For women, it should be a goal to have long legs, a slim figure, long shining hair, white skinFor black women, we’re already at that place Where we are taught how to act and be white Straighten your hair like the white woman Talk like the white woman Our standards are to be another race If you’re not, you’re ghetto If you get mad, you are undermined and criticized So back down because this system is here to stay. Beauty itself has changed and transformed, Becoming more strict and more precise. It has become a standard, A bar that we constantly aim for But can never fulfill. Beauty has become so unrealistic Young girls are taught from a young age Instead of self-love and self-appreciation Aim to be skinny or to have that slim figure An hourglass shape on every model In the magazines, the television ads. But little do they know about what these models have to endure The behind the scenes are for their eyes only after all
The standards for beauty have become so specific So manipulativeIndustries will profit off of your insecurities Wear makeup to hide your flaws Lose the weight that you gained Invest in a diet plan Exercise frequently, eat less Feel bad about yourself again and again But it’s for your benefit because this is what society expects. The idea of beauty is ruined In place of a popular but negative conceptNo pain, no gain. It means the emotional scars As much as the physical ones. It means strive for perfection While perfection does not exist. Feed into the toxic idea of attraction Into the idea of how one should fix themselves When there is nothing to be fixed. Beauty is tainted because it is suddenly Fake love over self loveIt is perfection over imperfections It is criticizing flaws instead of accepting them. Finally it is breeding a world of broken people. If this is what the standards for beauty have become If these are what beauty should represent Respectfully it’s not wanted.
I Want To Be Just Like Her
By Jehlani Bowers Hey Guys You think I can be a Disney princess for my birthday? “No, you have to have long hair to be her “ Fine, I'll grow long hair. I have long hair guys, now can I be a princess? “No, long hair is so last year now you have to have short hair to be as pretty as a princess “ But... if that's the case there was no reason for me to grow my hair long then. Say what makes a princess a princess anyway? “ Well she has to be really pretty and has clear skin oh oh and real nice smile straight teeth pearly white if you ask me, her waist must be as skinny as a twig, her hair must be straight as an arrow and of course she must have a handsome prince “ Wow, that's a lot, but do we all have to be the same princess? “Yes of course, no one like an ugly outcast” Hey stop it my beauty is different in every single way My eyes are carved and dashed with the richest shade of brown. My hair is a curly and magical wonderland filled with different forms My body is a temple in which is not exactly the same as anyone but in fact unique I dont want to be as skinny as a twig or long hair like Rapunzel I dont want a handsome prince like Cinderella, or Snow White or this or that and the third. I will be my own princess.
Craving Beauty
By Sunniha Hussain “Sweetie, God made everyone beautiful” Her mother gently reminds her as she stares at her reflection with dismay It’s another lie she’s grown It’s 2 AM and as she stares at the bathroom mirror She pinches her nose Hoping her nose would look a tad smaller And pinches her lips Hoping her lips would look a tad plumper And pinches her stomach Hoping her stomach would look a tad flatter After a few minutes, she pinches her hand Hoping her reality is simply a bad dream A flat iron in one hand and a lightening cream in the other She tries her best to look like the woman on the covers of magazines The woman who was edited and photoshopped to meet society’s standards The magazines with the words printed in bold “Secrets to getting a beach body!” A small waist, large lips, and a sharp jawline She doesn't see that her body is beautiful Because of those stretch marks running down her legs She doesn't see that her skin color is beautiful Because society convinced her that certain lipstick colors don't work well with her skin tone She stares at the bathroom mirror As if her acne is a plague A tube of foundation in one hand and a color corrector in the other
She craves for an hourglass body But she is simply the sand trapped inside an hourglass Every day she tells herself she is beautiful but it’s hard to believe when she doesn't see someone like her on the cover of that magazine Really she’s a depiction of every young woman Every young woman in this world who constantly stares in the mirror for hours, hoping to fit into the world that society created Today, most women don’t realize that their stretch marks running down their legs tell a story That their chipped tooth tells a story That their eye shape tells a story A story that simply can't be found in any library A piece of history that can't be found in every book It’s something makeup can't hide Makeup simply can't hide the rich culture ingrained in a woman’s skin Beautiful is the definition of the word unique Beautiful is the synonym for the word special Beautiful is what our society can be if society paves the way for representation Representation for melanin Representation for large noses Representation for all body types Representation for every imperfection
Am I Pretty Yet?
By Kahdija Jabbi Such high beauty standards Eloquently seated so I may not reach them My hips are too wide for this beautiful chair My legs too big for this luxurious cushion My arms too flimsy to be placed on such fine furniture And my shoulders too broad to be brought down These standards of beauty were not made for me Were not made for ebony and hard kinks If I am not beautiful, I should sink In darkness They hate my skin that is melanin deep I am very sorry But I am not very sorry How could I fit those standards? When I have my own? By my definition of beauty I am so beautiful By your definition of beauty I am too "different" And yet somehow You've taken my body And displayed it's existence On shelves to mock My "protruding" backside And hips that carry stories you would never know These standards were not made for me They weren't made for Saartije either I still stand here, existing so beautifully Not to please you, him or anyone else for that matter.
introducing the
JOC ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Issue 05: Beauty Standards
Photography by Laila Neil
Photography by Kevin Roman
Photography by Kevin Roman
Photography by Kevin Roman
Photography by Kevin Roman
Artwork by Skye Knight
Artwork by Ruby Moran
Artwork by Mamon Alivio
THE END OF ISSUE FIVE
journals of color