She's Beautiful: A Challenge

So there are multiple challenges that have been coming up lately. There's been a "Ice Water Challenge", a "Gospel Challenge", and a "Grown & Sexy Challenge". However, most of these challenges are for Facebook; you have to tag a friend to participate. I'm starting a new daily challenge that will build self-esteem in places it's needed. You ready...

I challenge you to
                                TELL A YOUNG GIRL SHE'S BEAUTIFUL.

You heard {in this case, saw} what I said. I want to challenge everyone to tell a young girl she is beautiful... Not just any young girl but I challenge you to tell a young BLACK girl she's beautiful. Want to know why?

Background Story/Idea

I was at work today and I saw the cutest little girl who had a bow to match her dress perfectly. She had her hair in the cutest and neatest ponytail and had adorable bright eyes that gleamed from the distance. Don't all precious little girls have that? I was about to approach her and tell her that she was so pretty until I stopped myself. I realized something I never really thought of before. I approach and tell little girls just like that one that she is beautiful and not to let anyone else tell her otherwise. I'm a firm believer that people not just children believe a compliment like that heard from someone other than a member of their own family. Think about it, you wouldn't listen to your mom when she told you that dress looks terrible until another outside source tells you the same. But also think about this, how many times have you (myself included) have told a little girl, dress and bow matching perfectly or not, that she is beautiful? How many times have you said that to a little Caucasian girl versus an African-American girl? I have been guilty of excluding them from these compliments too. Even thinking about it earlier, a little African-American girl needs to hear it the most.

Now I'm not being discriminatory or racist and I apologize if I do. But if you have studied Black Feminism or you are a black woman yourself, you would understand why I would challenge this. How many times do you think that little girl had compliments today? How many times do you think she was told she was pretty or beautiful?? If you guessed or assumed a bunch of times, so did I. But as a child and once a young black girl, I felt less than a white girl and jealous towards them because they had cuter clothes than me or higher self-esteem and that resulted from them getting compliments and being told they are beautiful and pretty on a regular day basis. Black girls are taught that we don't need anyone and can do things on our own but why should that include telling ourselves that we are beautiful? Looking at the media or our Caucasian peers growing up held us back from gaining that self-confidence. Going forward with this challenge will change all of that, in my eyes.

Looking back at that moment where I decided not to approach the little girl at work today, I'm glad I did. I'm just one less person to her and one more person to another little girl that NEEDS my compliment. Whether you believe it or not, tell an African-American girl she's beautiful... that's it! Not much, just the smallest thing. And it's the smallest things that add up.

Empowering Self-Esteem for Future Generations starts here.

Side note: I'm not saying exclude other girls from compliments. Just think about the influence a simple compliment has on a young girl's life. Compliment Influences Confidence