beautifulWhen Psychology Today blogger and author Satoshi Kanazawa wrote recently that, based on his assessment of research data, Black women are less attractive than non-Black women, there was (no surprise) an explosive response. His post has since been taken down from Psychology Today and several bloggers, many readers, and scores of people on sites elsewhere have refuted his claims. Fellow PT blogger Nathan Heflick does a great job of encapsulating the criticisms psychologists have of Kanazawa, his process, and his conclusion. While Heflick says we do need to publish controversial data, he also asserts that Kanazawa has overgeneralized (and that it’s not the first time for the evolutionary psychologist), did not take into consideration how individual and cultural perspectives skew how women are viewed and, point blank, has misused science. There’s a lot to this story. And there is certainly a lot more conversation to be had about Kanazawa’s conclusion, the research he assessed, and even our individual biases in how we view women. But, first, I vote that we pause. I think it’s the perfect time to set aside Kanazawa’s racial commentary and even the rebuttals by (yes, male) psychologists. I’d like to invite a woman who has collected her own data on beauty and women to respond. Cue Karen Walrond, photographer, blogger, and author of the stunning “The Beauty of Different: Observations of a Confident Misfit.” Karen has captured many women’s faces and stories and, in her award-winning way, had this to say about the Kanazawa claim: Article by Jessica Ashley for Yahoo! Shine

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