It's no secret -- society often associates beauty with Eurocentric ideals. Even a Google search for "beautiful skin" renders mostly images of white women. Because of this, people with darker skin complexions often go unnoticed and uncelebrated -- but that's changing now.
A group of black women decided to redefine beauty on their own terms with the hashtag #FlexinMyComplexion.
Women (and a few men) of color showed off their photos on social media, flaunting their brown skin. Though the hashtag has been around for a few months, #FlexinMyComplexion amassed more than 85,000 tweets after POCBeauty asked it's more than 26,000 followers to use it and submit photos of themselves embracing their darker skin, according to Clutch .
"I think it’s important for women of color to know if they’re brown/dark they’re beautiful too and deserve to be noticed," the woman who runs POCBeauty told Clutch."Dark skin, in all backgrounds, is beautiful and should be recognized as so.” POCBeauty is a Twitter account that celebrates people of color. The creator remains anonymous because she's constantly harassed for highlighting non-white women, Clutch wrote.
Ironically enough, white women used the hashtag to express that they didn't like that it excluded them. Go figure.
Users, including writer Maisha Johnson, clarified the hashtag's purpose.
"It's not about exclusion, it's giving some space to people who usually don't have space," Johnson told BBC in the video above. "It's not about saying we're more important and you can't participate because you're not beautiful, it's about saying we don't hear nearly enough that we're beautiful and that's what this is about."
Despite the criticism, the powerful tweets show off the beautiful and various shades of melanin. Take notes, mainstream media:
Natural Hair Celebrities
Erykah Badu(01 of15)
Open Image ModalThough she usually wears her hair wrapped in a large headscarf, the singer has got some enviable locks underneath! (credit:Johnny Nunez via Getty Images)
Willow Smith(02 of15)
Open Image ModalViola Davis(03 of15)
Open Image ModalWe love Viola Davis' natural hair so much on her -- she looks so polished and regal all the time! (credit:Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images)
Kilo Kish(04 of15)
Open Image ModalEsperanza Spalding(05 of15)
Open Image ModalOprah(06 of15)
Open Image ModalKandace Springs(07 of15)
Open Image ModalJanelle Monae(08 of15)
Open Image ModalWe can always count on Janelle Monae to wear her natural hair in an awesomely sculpted 'do, which only adds to her cool factor. (credit:Samir Hussein via Getty Images)
Corinne Bailey Rae(09 of15)
Open Image ModalYvette Nicole Brown(10 of15)
Open Image ModalWe love that Yvette Nicole Brown tries different styles with her natural locks, like this one-sided 'do. So cool! (credit:Rich Polk via Getty Images)
Lupita Nyong'o(11 of15)
Open Image ModalThe Oscar-winning actress has become a poster girl for natural hair, proving that short hair can be just as glamourous as long hair. (credit:Steve Granitz via Getty Images)
Alicia Keys(12 of15)
Open Image ModalAlicia Keys' shaved sides and sculpted hair almost make us want to grab a buzzer. Almost.. if only we had her looks! (credit:Theo Wargo/Child2014 via Getty Images)
Tamera Mowry-Housley(13 of15)
Open Image ModalThe "Sister Sister" actress has experimented with her hair, sometimes wearing it long and wavy, but we think she looks great with her natural locks. Her curls are beautiful! (credit:Jon Kopaloff via Getty Images)
Yaya DaCosta(14 of15)
Open Image ModalThe former "America's Next Top Model" contestant has had her large afro for quite some time, and frankly, we can't imagine her with anything else. It just looks so good on her! (credit:Bennett Raglin via Getty Images)
Solange Knowles(15 of15)
Open Image ModalThe ultimate cool-girl, Solange has been rockin' the natural look for a few years now, making us all envy her naturally curly locks. (credit:Scott Barbour via Getty Images)