Black Is Beautiful

“To be young, gifted, and black. That’s all.”

In a moment of revelatory inspiration following the death of her close friend, civil rights activist, and playwright Lorraine Hansberry, Nina Simone came up with the tune for her new song. This song, titled “Young, Gifted, and Black”, soon became an anthem for various peoples of color, and was also adopted as the official theme song of The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People in the U.S.  

Being a young, brown woman living in a post-colonial country, this song instantly struck me, and it was apparent to me why the title of Lorraine’s play would stand out for Nina Simone, too. A cursory survey of her life and experiences, however, allows a deeper understanding and appreciation of where the song comes from. Simone, since she was a young girl, was undoubtedly gifted. Yet, her life was filled with self-doubt, and even self-hatred at times, because she was growing up in a world that had enslaved black people and that had failed to recover from the mindset that led to that enslavement, even in the twentieth (and now, twenty-first) century. One of the most eye-opening instances of this was her rejection from the Curtis Institute, despite her undeniable talents (confirmed by the honorary degree awarded to her by the same institute, decades later). As a famous and successful celebrity, she was still facing problems, that ranged from being told she was not pretty enough, to being shunned for the expression of her political views. It took immense effort to transform the little girl never believing in herself and her abilities, into a strong, confident black woman comfortable in her skin; this song was a reminder to herself and a message to all black children, who would inevitably be going through the same feeling she was made to grow up with.

Scholars of Africa and the African diaspora have highlighted this theme frequently, in different ways. Fanon, for instance, talked about the black body at length, including the third-person consciousness through which a black person sees their own body and how they judge themselves by a white person’s lens. Similarly, the proponents of Negritude sought to teach people about the originality and beauty of black people. This theme, moreover, was not limited to scholars. Closer to Simone’s context, many other artists and celebrities reiterated the same idea, such as the greatest boxer in history, who would often be heard telling people, “I’m black, and I’m pretty.”

It seems simple enough, but only those who live their lives being forced to feel inferior due a higher amount of melanin in their skin, including Simone, can truly appreciate its meaning. This song is for those who have been deprived of what was rightfully theirs and have been punished because of their skin color. This song reaches out to those who are told they are not good enough. This song seeks to wipe away tears of precious, little girls of colour, on whom Eurocentric beauty standards are viciously imposed. More importantly, it stands to teach the new generations their true place in the world. One can only imagine what it would have meant for young black children at the time, and in fact even today, to hear these words from Simone herself – a woman who managed to make a place for herself in, or rather despite, the white world. A woman who was unapologetically black. This song encapsulates the infinite hope that was embodied by Nina Simone.