The prejudice Flo-Jo faced is still an issue today - and goes far beyond just one’s own appearance. Tony Duffy/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images “I just wanted to bring in my personality and the that I wore off the track, onto the track,” she said in a 1992 interview with sports journalist Ann Liguori.Īside from the larger fact that fake nails have long been popularized by the black community, Flo-Jo had been a nail technician and chose to keep hers long partly as an homage to the side-hustle that paid the bills before she was a world-famous athlete. And while media scrutiny of her acrylics and overall appearance became a dominant narrative during her historic career, Flo-Jo herself always responded with soft-spoken grace whenever questioned about her style on the track. Despite being named the fastest woman in the world during the 1988 Olympics, local and international media at the time seemed more focused on criticizing her decadent four-inch nails, than highlighting her extraordinary athletic abilities. Complete with both main characters sporting bold hairdos, gold teeth, and over-the-top outfits and accessories, B*A*P*S leaned into, and then reinforced, every stereotype about lower income African-American women there was - including wearing acrylics.Īnd while the film premiered after her time on the track, these are the same negative connotations that plagued legendary olympic runner Florence Griffith-Joyner during her prime. In the film, Berry plays the role of Nisi, a waitress from Georgia, who with her best friend, wants to open the world’s first combined restaurant and hair salon. These depictions, captured in films like Halle Berry’s 1997 classic B*A*P*S, have helped to cement an association of black woman’s nail style with her income level, her social class - and ultimately, her worth. “You’ve got the image of your ratchet girl, finger in your face, bubblegum chewing - it kind of has that connotation to it." “To an ignorant mindset, acrylics has almost this sense of the ghetto,” she says, going on to explain that this notion is perpetuated by how black women are depicted in popular culture. The image of the long, acrylic manicure, covered in extravagant nail art has become tied up in the racist stereotypes often pushed on lower income black communities, Chicago-based nail artist Spifster Sutton tells me. Yet, these same negative labels are rarely attributed to white women who wear similar styles. Those of royal descent, like Queen Nefertiti, were also known to paint their finger and toenails red, symbolizing their high status in society.īut despite the cultural and historical significance these nails have long held in our community, acrylics are still often labelled as tacky, impractical, or unprofessional when worn by Black women - a stereotype that is rooted both in classist ideals and misogynistic tropes. As far back as 3000 BC, Egyptian women were believed to have worn artificial nail extensions made of ivory and bone. Janet Jackson arguably popularized the pierced nail look after wearing acrylics with hoops in each nail in the visuals for her 1998 hit “What’s It Gonna Be." But even long before the '90s, fake nails were a part of black women's aesthetic culture. SWV singer Coko, for example, was known for wearing her trademark extra-long set during this era. But sadly, just like many other beauty statements popularized by black women, society hasn’t been as open to seeing us positively express ourselves through these nails as it has to our white counterparts.Īs a child of the '90s, I remember seeing black women celebrities use acrylics to create some of the hottest trends of the decade. One of these women was my own grandmother, who used to do her own nails right in the comfort of her bedroom. Or, if I’m feeling spontaneous or going on vacation, I’ll opt for a sharp stiletto, and maybe even slap on a couple of rhinestones on each nail for good measure.īut while some may think of fake nails as just another manicure style, I see acrylics as both an outlet for self-expression and a way to pay homage to the many Black women that I saw flaunting their own bold sets as I grew up. Nowadays I'll go for a coffin style shape - long, and usually in a tan or nude color. Eventually though, I started to trade in my former go-to style for some far more edgy, daring looks. I loved those French tips, and from that day they became my signature look for years, making an appearance at every special occasion or whenever I had a little extra cash to spend on myself. It was for my high school prom, and I'd decided on a short, square French tip with a pink base to accentuate my purple taffeta dress. I still remember the first time I got an acrylic nail set.
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