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If you were a Black girl who grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s, there weren’t a lot of images on television that celebrated blackness as beautiful. Chances are, you probably grew up playing with Barbie, which in many ways perpetuated the notion of Nordic superiority for glamour and beauty. Even when African American women did take more of a leading role in hip-hop and R&B, their roles often seemed clearly defined in a world where their male counterparts dominated the executive offices of the genres. The road to one’s own self-discovery can be an interesting voyage, but if you happened to come of age around the turn of the century, it was likely that your journey was at least entertaining. That was because you had a soundtrack to guide you through the rugged terrain of youthful uncertainty, and that soundscape had depth and poignancy, to go along with the buttery vocals of the narrator. It was a fresh sound, one that introduced a new artist by the name of India.Arie, who helped reclaim and redefine Black femininity for the new millennium with her debut album Acoustic Soul.
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Happy 20th Anniversary to India.Arie’s debut album Acoustic Soul, originally released Month 27, 2001.