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Next Gen Naturals: The New Digital Discourse on Black Hair and Beauty
Recently, I came across a video from a content creator who is making waves on the TikTok app because of her unique and straightforward approach to Black Feminist activism and the politics of desirability. Known as Lip Gloss on TikTok and YouTube, many of this creator’s videos focus on the role that intersectional identity plays in how we understand attractiveness, social acceptance, and capital. Seemingly following in the footsteps of cultural critics like Audre Lorde, Sonya Renee Taylor, and Tressie Mcmillan Cottom, these videos expose the many ways Black women do not fit into the beauty standards of society but can still embrace self-care, acceptance, forgiveness, and joy.
And while the arguments and topics in her videos are well documented within the realm of feminist theory, philosophy, and performance activism, what is fascinating about her content is the responses from viewers. Because the content creator is relatively young, and the demographic of the TikTok app is even younger, sitting in on her mini-lectures feels like attending a consciousness-raising…
