What If We Were All Beautiful?

Text and podcast: Jasmin Slimani
Illustration: Kathleen Diémé
December 15, 2023

In this auditive article, which I refer to as a podcast, I will examine the future of beauty ideals through an Afrofuturistic approach. In other words, I will reimagine a future where everyone is encouraged to see their beauty, thereby redefining what beauty ideals can look like in a liberated society, in a utopia. To reimagine a future where no one would feel the need to question one’s ability to be beautiful and where everyone would recognize the beauty that everyone possesses. This reimagination will be done with the help of an Afrofuturistic approach and from three different aspects, race, beauty industry, and technology.

The approach used in this podcast is Afrofuturism, which was first coined in a 1994 article called “Black to the Future” by author and cultural critic Mark Dery. It is essentially a way of finding meaning in an imaginary future, “where African-descended peoples and their cultures play a central role in the creation of that world” (Bruce 2020). Afrofuturism offers a way out of the present oppressions and instead offers a space to imagine and dream of a future where anyone and anything can flourish without exploitation (Trasher 2015). Further and as argued by the author, filmmaker, and futurist Yatash Womack, Afrofuturism is essentially not only for the African diaspora to utilize, but preferably something all can adapt, be inspired by and to “break free of their own set of limitations” (Womack 2013: 192).

If we can see past all obstacles that present themselves today, which is asking a lot, I think we can with the assistance of Afrofuturism find beauty and above all hope in the future.

With this approach in mind, I further analyze how beauty could look in a utopia, beginning with looking into race, like the Eurocentric beauty ideal and colorism within beauty, followed by looking into the multibillion-dollar business aspect of beauty and finally addressing technology and beauty practices, such as the rise of AI. All these three aspects I see as hindering us from being able to embrace our minds and bodies fully, but I can envision a utopia where we would not need to dwell in the uncertainties of today. Therefore, we can imagine a futuristic utopia of beauty ideals where racial identity is never limited, a future filled with self-expressions that can take creative forms, in a supportive environment without secondhand monetary gaining in mind and a future where technology and nature can live in harmony and support authentic inclusivity.

All in all, looking into the future and imagining a utopia seems in today’s climate to be impossible. The list is long of everyday worries, from the hostile political climate to the worrying reality of climate change, truly contributes to the whole idea of a utopia seeming too unreal to even imagine. However, by seeing one’s active role and belongingness in the future, with the help of speculative fiction and Afrofuturistic practices, we can embrace ourselves. We no longer need to see ourselves through the eyes of the oppressors, but we can rather thrive in an accepting society where beauty would be equivalent to humanity. We still have a long way to achieve this utopia, but we can already work towards it when we know what collective goal we want to achieve. If we can see past all obstacles that present themselves today, which is asking a lot, I think we can with the assistance of Afrofuturism find beauty and above all hope in the future.

An Afrofuturistic exercise

I want to encourage us all to imagine a beautiful and flourishing future, filled with inclusive beauty practices. Let’s say a future or rather a utopia in 500 years' time, in the year 2523. What will it look like? How do we express ourselves, through clothes, ideas, speeches, and hairstyles? How have we incorporated technology in a sustainable way? What is a society without exploiting corporations? How does a society without social borders that divide us function? How does a society function without beauty standards? What will beauty mean in the year 2523? And can we all find ourselves beautiful in this time?

Thank you to Otto Laitinen for assisting me with the podcast recording and supporting me along the writing and editing process.