Slick Woods isn't Ugly, You Are
https://www.glamour.com/story/slick-woods-profile
By: Brooklyn White
Last week, crusty, cruel Twitter took a dive and decided to call Slick Woods ugly. Woods is an accomplished model who has worked on multiple campaigns with Rihanna, having established a name for herself in less than 5 years. She blew up after a chance encounter on the streets of Los Angeles turned into the opportunity of a lifetime. The 22-year-old has covered Elle Magazine and worked for Marc Jacobs, but her biggest feat yet was giving birth to her first child nearly two weeks ago.
After walking in SavagexFenty’s New York Fashion Week show, Woods went into labor and delivered a son. Anyone who has a child knows what contractions feel like, and how it can be difficult to do much of anything while they’re going on. The fact that she was able to not only walk, but walk in heels while serving face, is a testament to her power.
Shortly after Slick (real name Simone Thompson) dominated headlines for giving life, hurtful tweets regarding her features began to surface. User Boug_Dinero said “Niggas get called ugly on here every single day of the week. Slick Woods is not exempt. She can be confident and all that but she ugly dog. Period.”. Another tweeter, 1DiegoMoney, shared a similar sentiment.
Have we forgotten that Slick Woods was the literal definition of beauty earlier this year? Have we also let European beauty standards and their ability to run fashion and beauty slip our minds? It seems like it, so let’s get into the latter. Having big lips and a wide nose, you know, Black features, has been something that has long been a source of discomfort for Black people. We have been fed images of whiteness for so long to the point that we think that anything outside of that is ugly. The self hate is real, and the self haters are broke.
To make matters worse, brands and “influencers” are capitalizing off of Black looks, without having to invest in Black people. So essentially, we have been made to feel ugly for hundreds of years, but when non-Black people possess some of the same physical characteristics, they are saluted. It is so very dark.
Calling Slick Woods ugly, as a Black person, is to play right into the hands of the powers that be, and also make a fool of yourself. Historically, white people have humiliated Black people for their features, and now, Black people are taking a stab at it. Woods’ beauty is unique and inspires me to embrace my own looks that much more. As a mother to a Black daughter, it is important to me that I let her know that she is beautiful, regardless of what white ideals have permeated narratives. Slick Woods changed her own life, influenced countless individuals, and brought a person into this world. That alone is beautiful.