By Chantel Gillus (’24), Staff Writer
Black women are known for setting the tone for everyday fashion all-year round, but what about on the spookiest night of the year? Halloween is a chance for people to become their favorite characters, celebrities, or execute creative concepts. It is a way for people to let their imaginative ideas come to life. Halloween is a time where Black people, more specifically Black women, are able to embody characters through which they feel most represented, seen, and empowered.
There are numerous iconic costumes that Black women wear of other Black women. Most of these costumes are recycled each year, but each wearer adds their own flair. Some of these popular costumes include: Isis from Bring It On, Storm from X-Men, Penny Proud from The Proud Family, Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, the princess of R&B, Aaliyah, R&B/Hip-Hop group TLC (for friend group costumes), and many more.
These kinds of costumes are popular with everyday Black women, but Black female celebrities also like to get in on the fun of becoming a fictional or real-life character for one night. It is interesting to see celebrities’ take on Halloween being that they are public figures themselves. Hence, Black women around the world dress up as Black celebs for Halloween.
In 2017, Beyoncé dressed up as raptress Lil’ Kim in five of her most notorious looks, including her green ensemble paired with a short platinum blonde wig from the “No Way Out Tour” in 1997. Queen Bey paid homage to the original Queen Bee, and did it fabulously of course. Other iconic costumes in the recent years consist of: Lupita Nyong’o in 2018 as Dionne from Clueless; Saweetie in 2020 as Destiny’s Child from the “Bootylicious” video and single cover; the City Girls’ Yung Miami in 2021 as Aaliyah’s Queen Akasha in Queen of the Damned; and both iconically and ironically, Gabrielle Union in 2019 as her own character Isis from Bring It On alongside her daughter, Kaavia.
Just last year, Chloe and Halle Bailey, the singing and acting sisters, made their lasting imprint on the celebrity Halloween scene. Halle went as Janet Jackson from her Discipline album cover, while Chloe had a few costumes. One of them being Betty Boop, which was momentous being that in recent years it’s been revealed that the real-life Betty Boop was actually Black. In 2020, Ciara recreated Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy album cover, Megan Thee Stallion’s “Girls in the Hood” single cover, and an eccentric Nicki Minaj cheetah print red carpet look from the Grammys in 2011. Fans become especially happy when celebrities dress up as or pay homage to other celebrities because their twists on their peers’ revolutionary ensembles are always exciting.
Not only do these women dress up as characters from films, televisions shows, and/or as fellow Black female celebs, but also they portray mythical creatures or invent their own concepts. In 2018, Zoë Kravtiz dressed up as a freshly awakened vampire in pajamas, a robe, and slippers with a coffee in hand. Lizzo flew in on Halloween as the fly on Mike Pence’s head during the Vice Presidential Debate in 2020. In 2012, Rihanna hilariously dressed up as “The Weed Fairy,” which sparked controversy and raised many eyebrows. Although, it’s not unlike “Bad Gal Riri” to have a costume that pushes boundaries and is risque but still very unique. Megan Thee Stallion was also a fairy while celebrating “Hottieween” (a play on words with her Hot Girl brand), in 2021.
Through dressing up and uniquely personifying Black characters, Black women enable themselves to feel free and become someone who makes them feel powerful. Black women are already powerful beings to begin with, but Halloween allows them to tap into their artistry and liberation. Black women get to portray other Black characters whom they feel inspired by and/or introduce positive depictions of Black women.
Halloween allows Black women to transform into characters that are not always seen and/or accurately represented in the media. We, as Black women, get to create and be our own representation on “Spooky Night.” We get to tell the world that we are not a monolith and show off our multifaceted identities through innovative and diverse looks of different characters. Black women get to be the choosers, and we choose to embody our culture in a way that does our Black femininity justice.
Black women have a history of being victims of misogynoir and hypersexualization. We have been controlled by men of our race and others outside of our race, and told how we should conduct ourselves. Black femininity to “them” is being submissive, unassertive, dependent, yet hyper-sexual. Black women are expected to be super-sexual beings, but when Black women embrace that side of themselves, they are unfairly scrutinized. We are “supposed” to give our all to men, but leave no space for ourselves. Our identities have been unwillingly chosen for us.
However, Black women are redefining Black femininity, and it means something different to each woman. We are beginning to put ourselves first and not bend our backs to conform. If we want to be soft, sensual, strong, or all of these at the same time, we should be able to decide that for ourselves instead of being forced to. We get to choose who we are.
On Halloween, we can choose to be weird, scary, seductive, haunting, or all of the above, while still looking and being beautiful. Halloween is a night for Black women to display a different side and fully embrace their bodies, even when society condemns them for doing so. Halloween for Black women goes beyond the surface of putting on cute costumes. Rather than portraying the stereotypical Black sidekick, on Halloween, and everyday, Black women are the main characters.
