Pretty Period is a grassroots type art and lifestyle movement started by professor, scholar, and producer Dr. Yaba Blay. The website displays striking images of black women of all complexions, living in their respective walks of life.
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As per her website, Blay says this soon to be transmedia project was created as a visual missive in reaction to the oh-so-popular, yet oh-so-offensive “compliment†— “You’re pretty for a dark-skinned girl.â€
Blay’s speaks on behalf of all women who may be faced with this statement at some point in their life, responding to the insensitivity and controversy of the  remark with ,  “No, we’re pretty. Period.â€
“I’ve spent many years researching and writing about Black
body politics, particularly as it relates to skin tone i.e. colorism and skin color politics. For the most part, when we talk about skin color politics, we focus primarily on the sociopolitical DISadvantages that come with being dark-skinned in a society that continues to privilege and prioritize White/Western standards of beautyâ€, said Blay via Yabablay.com, “Take for example, Bill Duke’s documentary, Dark Girls. Although it was a necessary documentary and indeed resonated with some my own experiences, something about what I saw in the documentary bothered me. Not because it wasn’t true, but because it was the only truth I have long seen discussed.â€Pretty Period, profiles black female artists, entrepreneurs, journalists, philanthropist and virtually any other profession where women of color are making moves and embracing the skin they’re in.
Blay offers the opportunity for all women to become a part of the movement, simply by using the hashtag #PrettyPeriod on Instagram, or by filling out a submission form on the sites platform, but read carefully, strict criteria applies.
For more information on this artsy take on the complexity of color click here.