Nearly everyone wants to have healthy, beautiful skin, but most importantly everyone wants to feel comfortable and safe living in their own skin. That said, how does one achieve comfort in their skin when the very color of it determines how you are treated in society, privileges you are entitled to and whether or not you live or die when stopped by the police? For men of color, this is their everyday life and a separate weight they carry around than their white counterparts.
The trial for Derek Chauvin, who murdered George Floyd by kneeling with his knee pressed into his neck cutting off air supply for nearly 9 minutes, has begun in Minneapolis, MN. During the trial, another unarmed Minneapolis man was gunned down 15 minutes away from where Floyd was murdered. It was a traffic stop by a police who allegedly drew her gun instead of the taser gun she was “really trying” to reach for, killing him as he turned to walk back to his car. All of this fuss over missing tags and fumbling with the air freshener in his car led to an innocent man losing his life. As a matter of fact, there hasn’t been any slowing down in police killings of unarmed black men since George Floyd’s senseless and unlawful death last summer.
While we curate skin care products to improve skin health and appearance, as well as to make men feel good about themselves, we understand that for many of our customers their skin is not just a target for imperfections such as acne, razor bumps and ingrown hairs, but the police. We understand how hard it must be to face hate and abuse almost everyday for no other reason than being non-white.
Being a man is already pressure having to live up to societies expectations of what a man is supposed to be; however being a Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, biracial or multiracial man can make life uncomfortable and often times unsafe. Throw in sexual orientation preference and gender identity and it is no wonder men don’t spend as much time on self-care as women because they have it hard enough just trying to survive.
The police oath of honor is as follows: On my honor, I will never betray my integrity, my character Or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always maintain the highest ethical standards and uphold the values of my community, and the agency I serve.”
Sadly, this oath of honor often like marriage vows isn’t being upheld by those who swear before it. It sure hasn’t been held up by any of the officers who have used their badge to fuel their racist endeavors we have countless murders of men and women of the BIPOC communities dead because of those officers. As far as trust, what trust? Our basic human rights have been disregarded for far too long so it is obvious the “public” they are referring to includes those of their own community. Change and accountability must happen now and no longer at the expense of our black and brown bodies.
I believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. I believe we will all be able to feel more comfortable and SAFE in our skin. But for now, men do yourself some good justice and set some time aside each day for a daily mantra and some self-care to balance your chakras and purify your energy keeping those toxic cops away! We need you here!
