Afro Puffs and Ponytails: Celebrating African-American Girls

Growing up as a little girl I did not see any images of strong, intelligent, beautiful Black women in the media, which in the late 1970’s had an impact on the way I saw the world. I attended an almost all white, private school. In fact, the first time I attended a class where there were other Black students and a Black teacher was when I attended college at the

University of Oregon. So, I grew up always feeling a bit on the outside of things as a Black girl. All of my friends were white girls. I even remember that the Black dolls that were made in those days were all ugly. We all preferred to play with the white Barbie dolls because they represented the cultural definition of beauty.

While I had what relatives called, “good hair,” (don’t get me started on that) it was thick and when I wore it out, all people could say was, “Wow! You’ve got a lot of hair.” Thank God my mom kept my hair and my sisters’ hair in its natural state. She just lined us up in the mornings and braided our hair before school. I usually ended up with two, long ponytails, which my white friends loved to touch and play with because my hair felt different from theirs.

When you grow up with the image of a very white skinned, Blonde, thin, fragile woman as the epitome of beauty, and you were born with brown skin, thick lips, thick hips and kinky hair you internalize those feelings of being less than beautiful and on the outside of what the culture considers to be attractive.

As a mom now, I am thrilled at all that is available to celebrate the beauty of our young Black daughters. I am happy that my girls are growing up in a world with an African-American president with two beautiful little girls and an amazing wife–something that I never dreamed I’d see in my lifetime. Now there are images in the media of beautiful, strong, intelligent, creative Black women to inspire young girls. They can grow up with more than just the visual image of a skinny white model to compare themselves to.

An amazing website that celebrates the beauty, accomplishments and special challenges that Black girls face in this culture is called Afro Puffs and Ponytails. One of my clients created this website that has grown into an incredible resource for organizations that serve young Black women and their parents.

On Afro Puffs and Ponytails you’ll find a state-by state listing of programs for African American girls, African American high achievers, photos, articles about hair and skin care, parenting advice and words of encouragement.

People have argued about there should not be a special website just for African American girls. It’s not about racism or excluding girls from other races, it’s about celebrating young women who have been ignored and who have been compared in an unfavorable light to other cultural stereotypes in the past. Yes, we should all live and work and play together. That’s a given, but AfroPuffs and Ponytails is there to inspire those girls who might sometimes feel on the outside of things and who might benefit from being inspired by other young African American women who are doing amazing things in this world.

As a Black woman who did not grow up in a world where Afro Puffs and Ponytails were celebrated, I can enjoy and embrace a website that has nothing but images of beautiful, Black girls. It’s almost like the little Black girl inside of me is cheering because she finally feels validated.

My girls and I love this website, and I’ve been talking about it whenever I get the chance. If you’re an African American woman with daughters, check this site out, and then encourage your daughters to visit as well. Every time I browse through the pages I smile and it makes me so proud to be a Black woman.

Uncategorized African American girls, empowerment, inspiration