LAMBB, short for Look at My Black Beauty is a creative association of women of colour who are striving to redefine what the media portrays as the definition of beauty. Their short film, Future First, is the latest creative statement piece, interpreting a black girl’s response to cornrows being called “boxer braids.”
The spoken word starts and ends with “Dear Beautiful Brown Girl,” and reclaims the place of black women, not as victims of cultural appropriation but instead pushing the culture forward as our own.
Written as an open letter to all black women, it passionately tackles the subject of hair and perceived beauty while giving the power back to black women to own their culture, without having it rebranded for mainstream fashion purposes.
It delves into the story of being a young girl and the mother-daughter ritual of hair braiding; something that the vast majority of black women can all relate to.
“But there will come a time when you breathe easier, in and out like first breaths…”
Through film, visuals, essays, poetry, documentaries and articles, they teach, protect and encourage women of colour to be comfortable with taking up space. Instead of being a “beauty brand” they are subverting what it currently means to be beautiful and, by default, going against the grain of mainstream media.
They tackle conversational issues and aim to make a memorable impact on women and especially girls of colour to encourage them to realize that they are beautiful but underrepresented.
This latest piece, which reminds us of another ode to Black Girl Magic, is a touching film with a powerful message, teaching black women to love ourselves and reclaim the beauty that has always been rightfully ours. Its moving visual with spoken word overlay reminds black women that “we are the past, present and the future.”
See the feature for yourself here…
Written and directed by Naomi Grant.
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