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The human body can be measured in a thousand ways. 

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The human body can be measured in a thousand ways. 

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"Sarah Baartman - Exhibited as a freak due to her body shape.

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'Trans-racial' is a highly controversial concept, with some people arguing that it isn’t real while others see it as a natural progression of globalisation, with more and more people being born to multiple racial and cultural backgrounds.

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Race is part of the body image conversation, so why don't we talk about it?

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Race is part of the body image conversation, so why don't we talk about it?

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"It’s considered dangerous to reference race for fear of being labelled ‘racist’ - but if we don't discuss it, we can't challenge the accepted beauty ideals"

"You very rarely see a dark-skinned black woman held up in the mainstream media as an example of aspirational beauty. As a result, this lighter skinned young woman, who happen to more closely conform to our current beauty paradigms"

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In the wake of the beyond-the-realms-of-ridiculous debacle that was the Reginald D Hunter 'racism' incident, Independent columnist Archie Bland suggested that we are often unable to distinguish between something that is 'racist' and the discussion of racism itself.

I simultaneously learned a valuable lesson which was : 'Avoid reading things you agree with so intensely they demand a verbal proclamation, whilst in public' (you can have that one for free, reader). I heartily slapped my copy of the Indy, bellowing 'yes!' at an assortment of startled fellow commuters on a packed train from Paddington.

It has long been the case in Britain that it's considered potentially dangerous to make any direct reference to race, for fear of being labelled 'racist'. This has come at the expense of the ability to resolve the racial tensions which bubble under the surface of our polite social veneer. I've observed this in my capacity as a body confidence campaigner. Body image and race are inextricably linked and yet if I say anything which recognizes the same I'm met with looks which veer between 'I can't believe you said that' and 'proceed with caution'.

Often, I'm forced to qualify my opinions with the not-immediately-visually-obvious fact that I'm of what I believe I'm now expected to refer to as 'mixed ethnic heritage', lest I be mistaken for the inexplicably much less palatable 'white girl who wants to make observations about racial issues'. Even then, my views have been censored.

A promotional video I made with one of the world's most prominent beauty brands cut the part of my presentation where I spoke about the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, über-slender beauty ideals where I grew up in Essex and how my own racial background made it impossible for me to conform to those ideals. I was not given an explanation for this omission.

Last week, I debated with the infamous Samantha Brick on ITV1's 'This Morning' and the fray was subsequently reported in the Daily Mail. My original quote was:

" At Body Gossip we work hard to promote a spectrum of beauty. We believe that there are hundreds of ways to be gorgeous, regardless of your shape, size, age or race".

In their long-standing tradition of misquoting what I say during television appearances, the Mail changed the word 'race' to 'weight'.

The above incidents demonstrate how our trepidation in addressing racism in any context can spiral into censorship which prevents us from having an honest and informed dialogue.

In reality, there are myriad ways in which race plays in to the body image debate and they largely go unacknowledged. One example that has stuck in my mind dates back to when I was teaching a body confidence class at an East London all-girls' school, about two years ago. One of my students told me she 'hated' her skin. I asked her why.

" Well" she said " you would probably look at me and think I'm mixed race. But I'm not and I wouldn't want people to think I am".

It transpired that she had been bullied since starting school for being lighter skinned than the majority of her classmates, ostensibly because of some ill-conceived notion that 'all mixed race girls are loose'.

In my opinion it's relatively simple to fathom the logistics of that particular situation. You very rarely see a dark-skinned black woman held up in the mainstream media as an example of aspirational beauty. As a result, this lighter skinned young woman, who happen to more closely conform to our current beauty paradigms, had induced the kind of envy in her peers which they decided only a well-placed rumour could quash.

On the rare occasion we do bestow the kind of aesthetically inspired worship on darker-skinned women that is afforded to their lighter counterparts, it's always with certain concessions and one of those will almost certainly be that she will have chemically straightened hair.

And that's before we even acknowledge the biological fact that certain races are genetically prone to certain body shapes.

When I bang on endlessly about the importance of the 'spectrum of beauty' (I will do it until the world listens. This I pledge), I'm not just factoring shape and size into the equation. Age and race also play a key role (and invariably have a direct bearing on shape and size, in turn). Until we incorporate a range of ethnicities and skin tones into our common idea of how it's possible to be beautiful, body image will never be an even playing field.

This isn't an agreeable concept for the body-elitists of this world. They're much more comfortable with the idea that our outward appearance is something over which we have ultimate control. They believe our bodies can always be moulded by dieting, exercise, beauty products and a will of iron - and therefore any woman who doesn't approximate our constructed sociological notion of attractiveness must be 'lazy'. If we acknowledge that a huge chunk of our appearance is determined by our genes and more specifically by our ethnicity, and continue to endlessly criticise women for not looking how we'd ideally wish them to, we start to appear...well...racist.

It is NOT racist to acknowledge that particular ethnicities are more likely to have a particular body type. What IS racist is to silently but powerfully expect women of all cultural backgrounds to conform to Caucasian beauty paradigms.

Let's talk about that...

The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.

Sign our petition here

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Race is part of the body image conversation, so why don't we talk

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In the wake of the beyond-the-realms-of-ridiculous debacle that was the Reginald D Hunter 'racism' incident, Independent columnist Archie Bland suggested that we are often unable to distinguish between something that is 'racist' and the discussion of racism itself.

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"Calling on individuals to share their experience with race and what it means to them. Through photos, videos or text across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the online community is encouraged to respond to the call-to-action: Science defines you by your DNA. Society defines you by the color of your skin. How do you define yourself? #IDefineMe

http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/12/national-geographic-publishes-the-race-issue-a-special-edition-single-topic-issue-exploring-race-and-diversity-in-the-21st-century/

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Historical arguments exists debating the relationship between race and physical and mental abilities

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Historical arguments exists debating the relationship between race and physical and mental abilities

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"Arguments exists that the body shape (head/brain) and colour have a direct impact on psychical and mental ability."

"Are African-American people genetically more stronger and thus better at physical labour or sport?"

"Do white people have a higher IQ as a result of perceived brain mass and increased intelligence?"

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"The artworks in this exhibition address the body as a site of personal agency, political activism, and vulnerability, while acknowledging that these topics are not necessarily discrete."

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Exhibit: The Body As Site Of | Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America | Brown University

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The artworks in this exhibition address the body as a site of personal agency, political activism, and vulnerability, while acknowledging that these topics are not necessarily discrete. Human experience rarely unfolds in only one plane at a time and thus identity is complex.

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Fortunately, in modern society there has been a growing movement for equality and non-judgemental attitudes where physical differences of both race and the body are are accepted and in some cases idealised. Kim Kardashian presents an interesting case with some arguing that she has challenged the sterotyping of the past in regards to her body image, whilst others argue that she enhances the racial profiling by numerous examples of cultural appropriation in the public light.

The #IDefineMe movement provides a positive example of an initiative which challenges past predjudices and encourages people to step out and discuss what their race means to them. In particular it challenges although science defines you by your DNA, and Society defines you by the colour of your skin, it is the individuals must define themselves. The most effective way to achieve and overcome past and current prejudice is by challenging society to open communication and share experiences about race and the body.

Reference

Anderson Mary, and Dionne Evette. 2018. "8 Times Kim K Appropriated and Dismissed Black Culture." Revelist, 2018. https://www.revelist.com/style-trends/kim-kardashian-black-culture/11408

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This padlet has explored only a few of the many issues around the relationship between race and the body. Both are intrinsically linked in society today. With expanding populations and globalisation, everyday relationships can last mere minutes. Often a persons appearance is the first impression made and both race and the body provide distinct visual differences which form this impression. Sadly, more often than not prejudice follows this impression. Historically, issues with race and the body have often been as a result of fear of the unknown leading to ridicule of what is seen to be not the norm of society. As seen with Sarah Baartmanm, her race and unique body shape led to her being exhibited as a freak in 19th century Europe. This case also provides clear evidence of  historical colonial dominance treating ethnic minorities as the "exotic other, which upheld the ideologies of both European imperial dominance and racial hierarchy." (1990, 6) Furthermore, as shown with the video post, historically there have been scientific arguments that the physical genetics of a person directly impacts their physical and intellectually ability. This racial profiling has created stereotyping and grouping in modern day society that has been difficult to overcome.

Reference

Zeynep Celik and Leila Kinney. 1990. "Ethnography and Exhibion at the Expositions Universelles," Assemblage 13 (34):6