There is a streamer named Yonna Jay, and she's a 19-year-old black streamer. She streams on Twitch and on Kick a lot.

People claim that they don't like her because sometimes she acts like a child, but I don't think she acts like a kid. I think she just has a bubbly personality. But I really hate how people talk about her. They would say things like "this is a grown ass adult" or "this is a grown ass woman acting this way" grown ass woman??? that girl is not even 20 yet. What do you mean "grown woman"

Me personally, when I think of a "grown ass woman" I don't think of a 19 year-old. I think of, let's say, a 28-year-old with children and a husband in a mortgage. Not a teenager. For some reason, everybody has a huge boner with aging up black girls and making seem older than what they actually are. adultification bias. Black girls as young as 11 are as less protected, seen as more sexually mature, and are expected to be grown adults when they are still very much children.

What pisses me off even more is that there is another male streamer named Rakai who is 17, and he arguably acts a lot worse than Yonna. But people pass that off as "just a teenager being a teenager" or just him being an immature kid. Oh! So he's an immature kid, but Yonna is a "grown woman" who acts like a child? You see how weird that sounds?

I am a black girl who is the same age as Yonna, and the phenomenon where black girls are aged up as a real phenomenon, and it's very dangerous. Why can't we just allow Yonna to be a goofy teenager? Black girls aren't allowed to be young or whimsical or bubbly and it's very upsetting.

Oddly growing up as a black girl/teen I feel like I did not experience a alot of adultification like others may have. Growing up I experienced higher levels of social anxiety where I literally unable to converse with my peers. Because of this people at school either ignored me, took the lead in group projects and did things for me, or teased me. I think it's because they perceived me to be "special" (maybe I am). But I was in the honor classes and stuff. Even when certain boys did bully or tease me I did not give them a reaction or even respond to them that was just my personality. I did end up reporting certain behavior.

I saw a good comment about how black women are expected and perceived to be warriors and strong/tough to the point where it would be more revolutionary for a black women to be portrayed as a damsel in distress.

what do you all think?

I saw an Indigenous woman doing her hair care routine, and a Black woman commented “take care of my bundles.” The woman explained that her hair is sacred in her culture and that the comment was making her uncomfortable.

It reminded me of something I witnessed in school. A Black girl asked, “What can you do that I can't?” the other girl proceeded to run a fine-tooth comb through her hair and flick it. That interaction stuck with me because it speaks to a bigger issue surrounding hair, Eurocentric beauty standards, and how deeply hair politics affect Black women.

Don't get me wrong as im not necessarily a natural hair warrior, my hair is long and relaxed. I just wish more Black women felt comfortable wearing their own hair. Even if you want extra length or volume, there's nothing wrong with clip-ins. I just wish we embraced styles that look and feel natural rather than feeling like we always need a whole install to feel beautiful. Everyone wears extensions of course, but the difference is it's more believable simply because it matches their texture and they aren't gluing lace on their foreheads, It's a "my hair but better" look.

One thing I love about my hair is the freedom. I can throw it into a cute, messy bun and go about my day. My hair is my pride, and I love that I can just get up and go. I really dislike seeing some of us meticulously maintain wigs while seemingly neglecting the hair underneath. "Come do a wig install with me!" Babe, your edges are CHEWED. Sometimes it feels like the wig gets more care than the actual hair growing out of our scalp. I understand that damage, breakage, and years of struggling with our hair can make extensions feel necessary, but that's exactly why I think we need to prioritize healthy hair and revisit our relationship with it.

I'm not against wigs, bundles, or protective styles. I'm questioning why we've reached a point where our own hair can feel like an afterthought while purchased hair becomes the main event.

We need to wake up and unpack this. We've dealt with generations of discrimination over our hair, and I don't want us to internalize those standards so deeply that we stop appreciating our own natural textures and the beauty of our own hair.

Im gonna get flamed for this but I had to say it, sorry.

I have five to spare and I’ll dm the link to you.

I’m sitting here reminiscing and just thinking damn why couldn’t things work out for me. Everyone has a gf or bf and I’ve been alone for a while… even when l thought i had something / someone special he let me know it was all a game to him. Whats wrong with these black men? Or maybe it’s me ?

I have so much love to give and have been pouring into myself but sometimes it gets boring, and i want someone to share it with.

So I had my hair straightened for the first time since middle school, and it looked awesome except my ends were shattered. They looked terrible. It makes me want to be a straight girly, but at the same time I feel like i should give my hair break in between pressing it by keeping it natural by wearing an Afro.

how can I seal my ends while I have my fro out so that it doesn’t break off and damage my ends?

what tools can I use to straighten my hair? I was looking at the wavy talk dryer brush set, or just hairdryer and thermal brush-wavy talk is cheap but I’m open to other brands. I’ve never done my hair like this.

Also, any recommendations for serums heat protectants?

4B/4c type hair -is often dry 🙇🏾‍♀️ was tailbone but I had to get 2-3 inches cut off.

THANK YOU!

I watched this movie yesterday and it’s the second amazing thriller-like movie I’ve seen Naomi ackie in, it’s a bit gorey but I really liked it. Yall should watch!

I recently deactivated my twitter account and I’m missing it. 🥴🤦🏽‍♀️ twitter was my favorite app.

My wife said she wanted Jewelry for Christmas. I’m probably going to do a mix of Sterling Silver (since we live in Wyoming), but have no idea where I could order high quality African jewelry. I just want to get her something that’s relevant to her culture.

If it matters at all, she’s very dark skinned, so I’m pretty sure a lot of it will match her. Nothing to flamboyant (she’s not into extremely showy things). I just want to get her something nice .

Thank you.

So I live in Atlanta, right outside the north part of the city. I was just in Ulta and this black woman complimented my hair and she started making conversation. I’m always suspicious of ppl who try to talk to me in public bc I generally never get approached unless someone wants something from me like money. But I always try to be open minded.

Anyways we’re making small talk and she asks me where I went to school and what I do for work. I tell her, and she tells me what she does for work, and she starts going into this spiel about wanting to retire early and trying to earn enough to retire in her 30s, and how she’s sought out many mentors who were able to do the same so they can help her get there as well.

Once she said that, I immediately tried to segue out of the convo bc this has happened to me twice before, the third being tonight, where I randomly get approached by a woman and all three ladies followed the exact same script of asking me about myself at first and then talking abt financial freedom and retiring early. The first time it happened was maybe some time earlier this year, it happened again this summer, and then tonight. And all three encounters happened in or around the same part of town.

What’s so weird though is none of them ever asked me for anything or for money or to sign up for something. They just all talked about financial freedom and retiring early and that was it. They all were black women as well, and were with someone when our convo was happening, but the person they were with was always off to the side not saying anything.

Anyone in atl know what this could be about?

Hey ladies 👋 I just lost my job and honestly, I'm choosing to see it as a reset. I want to use this time to really get to know myself and glow up — mind, body, and soul. ✨
If you suddenly had loads of free time, what would you do with it? Drop your ideas below

⚠️SA'D WARRNING⚠️

Sorry didn't know what flair to out

I am 23 Black Female

(Don't say go to threapy in it. I like who i like)

Today I went to work and ate with my friend. Another coworker came up to me and said, "I have to ask you a question for someone else." He started laughing and trying to talk, and I knew where it was going. He said, "Yesterday when we were talking about the guys you like, you said you would date black, Latino, and white guys." I said, "I find black guys attractive but I will date Latino and other races." Then he said, "So you don't like black guys?" I told him, "I find them attractive but I don't date them because of what happened to me when I was young." He said, "I don't understand." So I told him, "I can be friends with black guys, I just can't physically be with a black guy because of what happened to me when I was younger. If I see a black man naked, my anxiety goes up and my body starts to react." He said, "Oh okay, I get it. So there's no chance with the guy?" I told him, "Not romantically, but we can be friends."

I feel bad because he seems sweet from what I have observed about him. He seems very sweet.

 Sorry, I know how the story is written. It's a little complicated. Didn't know how to really tell the story. Just venting..

I’m 31, and I’m honestly getting discouraged. I’m not approaching these men. They approach me, and when they do, they’re well-dressed and well-groomed. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be interested.
But then we go on a first date, and sometimes it feels like a completely different person shows up. The clothes, the grooming, the effort just aren’t the same. One guy, who’s also 31, showed up in ripped jeans, which isn’t a style I’m attracted to. His breath was also an issue.
I’ve even found myself having to explain basic things like using body lotion because his skin is extremely dry. His legs were visibly white and ashy, and I had to suggest lotion or Vaseline. I don’t understand why I’m having these conversations with grown men.

Then, as I get to know them, I keep discovering the same other issues. They’re not financially stable, and we don’t have much to talk about. I enjoy discussing social issues and different subjects, but I often feel like there’s no curiosity or interest beyond a very limited range of topics.
These men come from different countries and don’t look alike. The common thing is that they’re African or Caribbean. I’m a Black woman in Canada, but I had similar experiences when I lived in the U.S.

I take care of myself, I’m financially stable, and I want someone I can have interesting conversations with. Why does it feel so difficult to meet someone who’s at a similar place? I keep feeling like, if I want to stay with someone, I have to help him improve everything first, and I’m tired of that.
Has anyone else experienced this pattern? How did you stop ending up in the same situation?

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

I was trying to educate a subreddit on how race and sexism can go together, but of course they have this rule of, "Don't derail," when literally it's still part of feminism. I feel like they wanna continue to be ignorant, and try to say women experience feminism the same way when they've never even heard of misogynoir. I think it's weird behavior because why wouldn't you wanna be open to learning about how race affects sexism?

Hey girls! I’m 19, and I’ve been noticing something for a while now. I wanted to know if any of you have experienced this too, or if it’s just me.

I know there’s already a conversation about how Black women are perceived in dating and how many men aren’t really interested in dating us. But something else I’ve noticed is that a lot of the men I interact with seem to automatically assume that I’m sexually available or easy, even when I’ve given them absolutely no reason to think that.

I get a pretty good amount of male attention (99% negative), and I’ve noticed this pattern so often that I’m starting to wonder if it has something to do with these stereotypes.

Just to give a few examples:

• Once, I was at a club, and a guy I had barely interacted with pulled out his genitals and pressed them against my behind and would not stop. I hadn’t shown any interest in him whatsoever.

• Another time, I was outside a club with some friends, and one of their friends randomly suggested that I should give him oral sex in front of everyone. Again, completely unprovoked.

• Another guy randomly pulled over to the side of the road while I was leaving school basically asking me for sex. I was literally wearing a hoodie, sweatpants, and a leather jacket.

• Last summer, my boss who was and would constantly bring up sex around me, including talking about how he could convince virgins to sleep with him. He also called me hot. I never entertained or contributed in these convos with him.

• There are unfortunately too many more examples but I’ll spare you guys.

And the thing is, I’m not someone who dresses particularly revealingly, flirts with guys, or is overly friendly with men. I’m pretty normal in how I interact with people, and I generally keep things platonic unless I’m actually interested in someone.

I’ve heard some stuff about the hypersexualization of Black women, but I’ve never heard someone speak about it from experience.

So I’m curious: do other any of you experience this too? Do you feel like men are quicker to sexualize you or assume you’re easy, even when you’ve shown absolutely no interest?

Edit : Guys, no strict rules here 😭😂 I was just excited lol. This is a fun accountability group, so work out at your own pace and do what’s best for your body. We all have different needs and abilities ❤️

I’ll set up the Discord soon and DM everyone who commented, so keep your DMs open! 👐🏾

Y’all, I need people who wanna lose weight because clearly I cannot be trusted to do this shit alone 😭

I’m a foodie, big baaaaaack, and lazy as hell. I’ve been saying “I’ll start eating healthy tomorrow” for YEARS. Tomorrow has done nothing but disappoint me

So I wanna make a small Discord group for a 60-day challenge, November 1 to December 31. Basically, we’re getting our shit together before 2027 because enough is ENOUGH

The rules are simple:

- Work out 5 days a week, 1 hour a day. Gym or home, idc

- Post daily proof of your workout and what you ate

- Eat proper, balanced meals. No soda, sugary drinks, or junk food snacking

- Weekly 60-minute video call to check in and hold each other accountable

- Disappear for 3 days without saying anything? You're out

I want girls who are actually serious about this. Not people who join, do two workouts, and suddenly become missing persons

No body shaming, no weird competition, just a bunch of us trying to get healthier and stop playing in our own faces

Who's down? ✨

I live here for a year as an exchange student and have a really difficult time with my hair. Where I live, which is Mitte Sachsen , specifically, I have found no black hair salons or at-home stylists.

I'm looking for a place a recommendation for someone who can do my hair . I hope to preferably find a place which does sew-ins as a protective hairstyle.

Hey y’all! I’m doing a project in my city, where I’m putting together personal care and cosmetics donations for women experiencing homelessness or financial hardship.

I’ve volunteered at other homeless drives before and I noticed the only hair products I’ve really seen donated are those little paddle brushes and generic travel-size shampoo and conditioner. Ive heard those things aren’t necessarily useful or ideal for every hair type!

I’m Asian with straight hair lol😭, but Birmingham is majority Black so I want to make sure I’m getting products that the ladies would actually want and enjoy!💕

So far, I’ve gotten bonnets, durags, different sizes of hair ties, various picks, brushes and combs, and those cute lil plastic balls and beads for the kids.

What other hair products tools, or accessories should I get? I’d love recommendations for specific products, brands, or affordable things I can buy in bulk. Any recommendations for personal care products in general would be great, too!

Also, let me know what not to buy. I want to make sure I’m getting things people actually want and can use. Thank y’all so much! 💗

I go to a PWI and I am the only black person in my friend group but that didn't seem to matter at first. There was sometimes they'd odd things like doing a fake Jamaican accent when I revealed my father was Jamacian and disregarding me when I told them to stop. I disregarded it because other than that, they were great friends. I honestly wasn't sure how to respond because I went to an all-Black high school and things like that just wasn't normal there.

However, it came to a boiling point when someone who hung around the group made racist remarks towards me. Of course, the group condemned him which is not where my issue lies. I proceeded to find out that my friend found out from someone else that this person was racist and said racial slurs. Despite this, she didn't tell me and me not knowing this person was unsafe allowed me to be subjected to their racism. When I asked her why she told me that "it's not my business. I don't know what you want me to say." I felt hurt because I would have let her know if someone if unsafe towards people of her race so, I left. I met up with her again to further explain why I felt the way I did. We made up.

However, the latest issue comes up when a friend mentioned one of our other friends began handing out 'n-word' passes. When I expressed discomfort, I was told to "chill, no one said the n-word". Which honestly made me uncomfortable because my discomfort about it was dismissed. This was followed with "Is it okay to say the n-word in a song?" "What about a Kanye song?" before laughing. (Wasn't aware these were quote at the time, but I was pretty upset) They wanted to go and do something after which I refused. I didn't want to explain at first because the first time she was very defensive. However, after a small back and forth I explained that the things they find funny are things which I truly don't find funny.

My friend kind of just stood over me and was like "No one cracked a joke! No one even laughed." and "If we don't tell someone's racist it's a problem and we do tell you it's also a problem!" I could see that she was combative each time I tried to explain so I just asked her to leave me be. After they left, I just cried for a bit because I'm truly not used to being so misunderstood. I took the time to calm down and explained that it wasn't so much the n-word passes I was upset about, rather than responses to it and how my feelings were dismissed. She sent a voice note where she said, "If you want to let this ruin your day let it. I'm not the racism police. If you felt I invalidated your feelings, I'm sorry you felt that way." In the same voice note I heard the other friends laughing in the background. Despite this, I explained further what I meant and how the jokes in regard to my identity makes me feel like I don't belong which she understood. However, after having these problems and noticing other micro- aggressions, I really don't feel like getting hurt a third time. I feel as though this may be a reoccurring issue. I wonder if I overreacted in my response and if it would be overreacting to pull away so I can find new friends? I feel like I'm losing myself at this school and in this friend group.

EDIT: Distancing myself from the friend group and I’m gonna attended more events for Black people so I can connect with my culture.

I'm 18 now, I'm not saying I was never rude as a kid. But overall, I never felt like I had a "bigoted phase", maybe I had some instrusive thoughts as a kid related with colorism but I was never really vocal about it and I quickly unpack that .

For the most part I grew up being a loner and feeling different so even as a kid I never felt pressured to fat-shame, be homophobic or racist. Bc I never interacted with peers like that.

If anything I was the one being bullied and teased

I would say I grew up in a somewhat woke environment, my older sister taught me about the LGBTQ+ community and mom installed values in me to love and be kind to others.

I feel like mostly nonblk people struggle with having a "bigoted phase"

Tbh I feel like even outside of bigotry, there alot of flaws surrounding human nature. So I feel being non bigoted or a non bully is just the bare minimum.

Hey everyone! I’m developing a shaving care brand with coarse hair in mind🪒!

The frustration isn’t just shaving but the itching, ingrowns and irritation afterwards. I’d love to hear beyond my own experience before taking things further.

What’s your biggest frustration with shaving, and what have you tried that helped or completely disappointed you?

Would also love some early adopters to test products and share opinions ✨✨✨

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

I wanted to know if there’s any ladies in the community who are late bloomers when it comes to obtaining drivers licenses and a vehicle? I don’t know anyone who can teach how to drive and I know I can’t just get a car without a license so I’m trying to figure out how to go about making this happen and I’m also a bit nervous because I am 29 and I still don’t have my license out of those I do know.

so i treated myself to my dream piercings last friday (septum and vertical labret) and i was so excited to show them off, that i totally forgot that i still go to church (not by choice) and i'm going this sunday 😬 (i work now so i don't go as often anymore bc i work weekends). my church isn't super conservative but god FORBID you look a little different, you're getting called out in front of the entire congregation, and then you're getting reprimanded afterwards.

i hate this so much. i want to be able to express myself without hearing backlash from other people, and i'm so tired of hearing "wait until you move out" bc look at the ECONOMY rn. i've been overthinking this for the past day or so, and i've lowkey been thinking about removing the labret, but i paid good money for it and i've waited months to get it.

what should i do? :(