https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS53zuf_X10
Akili Lumpkin, 14, never wears makeup.
But not all girls her age, or perhaps older and even younger, are that comfortable or confident in themselves to do that.
Last week, the freshman joined her self-defense class at Oak Park and River Forest High School for “True Colors Tuesday,” encouraging not only the students but also adult female staff in the building to come to school for one day without any makeup. The idea is to celebrate and accept one’s inner beauty.
“I feel like some girls use makeup as a mask or to make themselves feel pretty and more important,” said Lumpkin.
True Colors grew out of discussions from their self-defense class. And this class isn’t what many might think of when they hear “self-defense.” There’s no kicking or kung fu going on during these daily OPRF courses, which includes classes for both boys and girls. Students instead talk about issues like bullying and body image. The boys also talk about how to refrain from fighting to settle differences with peers.
In the girls’ class, they talk a lot about how others see them and how they view themselves.
“It’s about embracing who you are on the inside,” said Jennifer Kanwischer, who teaches one of the girls self-defense classes and whose students came up with True Colors Tuesday.
Kanwischer said all of the students in the self-defense classes participated. The girls promoted the activity around school and got other students to participate. Some of the female faculty and staff joined in. But not everyone was comfortable going makeup-less, Kanwischer said.
She recalled receiving an e-mail from a colleague at the school, saying she wasn’t going to participate and joking that she was already trying to be not so scary to the younger kids. But even those who didn’t join in expressed respect and support for those who did, Kanwischer said.
“It did raise awareness. It wasn’t about pointing the finger at anyone or saying that wearing makeup is a bad thing. It’s just about going outside your comfort zone.”
Still, it was hard for some, she said, both adults and students. One girl, for instance, came to class wearing her makeup as usual, having already decided not to participate. But she reluctantly decided to remove her makeup.
“She went into the bathroom and came back, and she was scared to come in class. But everyone encouraged her and told her, ‘Oh, you’re so pretty.’ You could see that she got more comfortable,” Kanwischer said.
It wasn’t easy for Allison Dee either. The 14-year-old freshman likes to wear a little makeup, but she too decided to step out of her comfort zone.
“I felt like the odd one out. But because some of the people did it, I felt better about it,” she said. “I normally wear makeup; I feel kind of insecure without it. But I really liked the fact that it was this class’ idea. People should have done it a long time before.”
Kanwischer said the girls would like to have another True Colors day. Some students Tuesday even went further, coming to school in sweats and ditching the name-brand clothes.
“It took away the social status — how much money does this student have versus others,” she said. “Students said, ‘I don’t want to wear any name brands today. I just want to be me.'”
