Black and Ugly Howev'A: Overcoming Social and Emotional Barriers in a Culture Shaped by Colorism

By Raymona Felder

"You're pretty to be dark-skinned." I have always wondered what that meant. That dark-skinned women are ugly? That being pretty and dark-skinned is an exception? There are so many women all over the world that have probably heard this before and wondered the same thing. But... It is not an exception, it is all about you! Knowing who you are, loving who you are, making standards for your life, and setting boundaries are all part of what gives you power for everything that you do.

I knew I was worth more and I knew that my life had meaning and purpose. That's when I began to search for my true identity by listening to my inner voice, dictating my own worth, and turning love inward. I learned how to embrace authentic power of the human spirit. I have learned to turn my inner ugly into my inner beauty, I own it, and now I want to share it with you.

Everyone has a story and things that have had to overcome, but when you can claim HOWEV'A over the situation that is when you can claim your victory!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359390670

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Copyright © 2018 by Raymona Felder

Black and Ugly, Howev’A™

USPTO Trademark #: 4265474

All rights reserved. No part of this publication or conceptual framework therein may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permissions of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Published in the United States by Raymona Felder, Founder of Inspired with A Vision Transitional Center for Women LLC., Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

ISBN: 978-0-359-32583-2

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper.

www.raymonafelder.com

(For all wholesale purchasing and copyright permission requests, reach the publisher via website listed above.)

Dedication

I warmly dedicate this book to my loving parents, Mr. Raymond and Mrs. Evelyn Felder, to my five fabulous children, Damondre, Da’Shiyyah, Ray’Kyiel, Rayiyyah, and Tyler, and to my two adorable grandchildren Janiyyah and RJ.

I would like to thank my sister Judy for always giving me great advice and pushing me to be and do my very best in anything I do.

Thank you for believing in me and breathing life into me!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BLACK And Ugly Howev’A™

PREFACE BY STACIE JOHNSON M.A, E.D.D

CHAPTER ONE:

DEAR BLACK PEOPLE

CHAPTER TWO:

UGLY AS EVER

CHAPTER THREE:

REALITY IN SOCIETY

CHAPTER FOUR:

DARK-SKINNED WOMEN ARE NOT ALTERNATIVE

CHAPTER FIVE:

HOWEV’A

CHAPTER SIX:

ENCOURAGE YOURSELF, EMBRACE YOUR POWER

RAYMONA FELDER

PREFACE

Power-packed, explosive life changing experience! These are the very words that will enter your heart after you walk through the processes of Raymona’s life as she shares her story. Black and Ugly, Howev’a ™ is not just a book but it is a real-life account of how one black woman overcame a life of adolescent bullying, emotional struggle, survival being a woman of color, and even imprisonment. This book will set your soul on fire and ignite you to embrace change in yourself. Raymona not only walks you through the different paths of her life, that she was forced to take to survive, but she paints a vivid picture of how being a dark-skinned woman played a major role in her emotional, psychological, and mental abuse from others. She revealed how being called black and ugly affected her self-esteem, social status, and destiny. However, Raymona took those foundational experiences of terror and turned them into treasures of learning and growth.

Black and Ugly, Howev’a™ exposes the truths about the color complex that originated from slavery and is still active today known as the brown paper bag test. This color test was used in the early 1900 to determine if a black person was sufficiently white enough to gain admittance or acceptance. Raymona reveals the stigma of how women of color did or did not receive proper merit by being compared to a brown paper bag. Black and Ugly, Howev’a™ is for those sistas of color who have struggled internally and externally with colorism. Women like you and me who have been classified and judged and even stereotyped not only by the color of our skin but by the style of our hair. Black and Ugly, Howev’a™ applies a real talk application around the Afro that seems to represent too much power if worn by people of color, or the cornrows/braids that holds a representation of being to ethnic or even called too ghetto. Or maybe it is the weave that is long and curly, then it is considered too sexy, or the short pixy cut that represents some sort of authority and seriousness. Whatever the color of your skin or hair style you rock, Black and Ugly, Howev’a™ will help you discover how to overcome the barriers of colorism and become liberated in the skin you are in! This book helps you walk through the process on how to own your Blackness and develop a crazy confidence in who you have been purposed to be.

Black and Ugly, Howev’a™ is for any woman who has the deepest passion to change, who is