Atlanta Daily World

SEEING
AND
SAYING
By
WILLIAM
A. FOWLKES

Our
Girls
Are
Beautiful!

WE HAVE
THE
prettiest
girls
of
any race
in
America!

If you don't believe it get in position to be around any of the
social functions of the majority where their best is displayed. Despite the finery, the clothing, the girls of color in comparable groups
form the most imposing array of beauty.
And, they knew it!

This subject comes to mind during this season of annual celebration by Negro beauty
culturists, who virtually have achieved miracles in transforming descendants of African
sons into the rainbow of Western culture,
with the help of sociological factors involving the majority, of course.

Nobody likes offensive qualities in personal appearance and body odor, uncleanliness
or unkemptness.
Some of these conditions

I mean convenience or passing many
of the Jim Crow and discriminatory laws that followed in the
wake of Reconstruction Days.

The beauty culture industry, which today ranks high on the
list of American enterprises run by and for our people and the
general population, should be paid high tribute for aiding in the
elimination of much of the repugnancy of many of our folk.

Nobody of good sense and taste is interested in becoming
colorless.
However, nobody can doubt the good in pride
and self-respect that has come to the group from cleaning up,
pressing up, straightening up, slicking up and smoothing up
its features.

Sometimes it is overdone—take this straightening of the
hair by some of the "borderlines"—but for the most part the
urge to look better can be associated with the attempt to act
and be better in one's relation to his fellow man.
Self-respect runs parallel to respect of others, if not a little ahead of
it.

This columnist would venture to say that the improvement in
the personal appeal of the group has been as great a factor in its
racial advance as some court cases involving the rights to citizenship.
The quality of being admired and accepted as worthy and
desirable is of the highest order and command.