▁and ▁cele brit ies ▁that ▁were ▁once ▁rare ▁and ▁symbol ic ▁have ▁become ▁common place . ▁ ▁The ▁" Black ▁is ▁beautiful " ▁cultural ▁movement ▁aim ed ▁to ▁disp el ▁the ▁notion ▁that ▁black ▁people ' s ▁natural ▁features ▁such ▁as ▁skin ▁color , ▁fa cial ▁features ▁and ▁hair ▁are ▁inher ently ▁ugly . ▁John ▁S we at ▁Rock ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁coin ▁the ▁phrase ▁" Black ▁is ▁Beautiful ", ▁in ▁the ▁sla very ▁era . ▁The ▁movement ▁asked ▁that ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁stop ▁straight ening ▁their ▁hair ▁and ▁attempting ▁to ▁light en ▁or ▁ble ach ▁their ▁skin . ▁The ▁prev ail ing ▁idea ▁in ▁American ▁culture ▁was ▁that ▁black ▁features ▁are ▁less ▁attract ive ▁or ▁des irable ▁than ▁white ▁features . ▁ ▁Imp act ▁on ▁arts ▁and ▁culture ▁The ▁Black ▁Power ▁movement ▁produced ▁art istic ▁and ▁cultural ▁products ▁that ▁both ▁emb od ied ▁and ▁generated ▁pride ▁in ▁" black ness " ▁and ▁further ▁defined ▁an ▁African - American ▁identity ▁that ▁remains ▁contemporary . ▁Black ▁Power ▁is ▁often ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁cultural ▁revolution ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁a ▁political ▁revolution , ▁with ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁celebr ating ▁and ▁emphas izing ▁the ▁distinct ive ▁group ▁culture ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁to ▁an ▁American ▁society ▁that ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁domin ated ▁by ▁white ▁art istic ▁and ▁cultural ▁expressions . ▁Black ▁power ▁util ized ▁all ▁available ▁forms ▁of ▁folk , ▁literary , ▁and ▁dram atic ▁expression ▁based ▁in ▁a ▁common ▁ancest ral ▁past ▁to ▁promote ▁a ▁message ▁of ▁self - actual ization ▁and ▁cultural ▁self - definition