BLACK AND PROUD

I wrote this on Nov. 28,2006.


I am half amused at the way the “western culture” has seeped into ours and left us in my opinion half stupid…
I am not saying that all the influences received are bad, I am only saying that we should be able to tell which is good and which is bad…
I love my hair for instance…I cut it off a while ago and grew it natural…my hair is truly African…beautiful with really tight curls…although I have now relaxed it with chemicals, it doesn’t make my natural hair ugly…
I am a very very curvy black woman…with plenty hips and a nice big bottom (as if I can see it)…I have a full bust and a rounded tummy…I look nice in clothes and I feel absolutely gorgeous in my native wear or any African print…
Now I am considered to be an OROBO (fat) and I am told by health experts that I must weigh 60 kilos in order to be healthy…plus or minus that will mean being a size 10...hmmm…where will my breasts go? or my hips?
When I get pregnant, my beautiful hips will hold and love my baby…when I get into labour, it will expand beautifully to give my baby space to struggle into this world…yet I am told that the only way to be attractive is to lose my hips…
And I wonder….
How will my body cradle my child? How will my cervix expand enough? How will my breasts be?
I am not saying that it is bad to be LEPA (slim), I am saying that every woman has a right to be different…
I have never and hopefully will never be termed as vulgar in the way I dress; my breasts are well hidden, and yet can be seen…
All in all, do I have to be like Victoria Beckham to be termed as beautiful? She looks good in her own way, but I prefer Patti LaBelle, she is a curvaceous black chick…
I do not plan to have a caesarian section to have my baby with my womb accessed via bikini cut so that I can show my body off to all and sundry in my bikini…
I want to push and feel the full impact of labour…
I want to fill my clothes and look stunning when I step out…
I never want to wear Banana Republic’s size 0 jeans (tufiakwa)…
I love my size 16 jeans…
I love my breasts…
I love my hips…
I love myself…
Period