Introduction

This chapter explores the history of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to contextualize the importance of Black Is Beautiful, and examines if this campaign changed black women's experiences of beauty through the black feminist framework. The Civil Rights Movement, which created a cross-generational coalition that included the younger members of the Black Power movement, sought to challenge not only racism but also colorism, which was consequences of European colonialism, slavery, and the prestige hierarchies. The idea of self-governance is a part of the decolonization movements of independent nations that opposed European colonialism in many African and Asian countries and came together to form the first global Afro-Asian conference. The chapter shows that the black feminist movement grew out of the Civil Rights Movement, stemming from groups such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and the Black Power movement. It also examines the impact of the Black Is Beautiful campaign as an aspect of wider black freedom struggles.