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We hope you’re in the mood to cry today since this next video will have you feeling all the feelz .
After a four-year-old went viral for calling herself “ugly,” the former First Lady offered her the sweetest response.
Earlier this week, a video of a four-year-old girl calling herself “ugly” broke the world’s heart.
The little girl, Ariyonna, had been getting her hair done by Atlanta-based hairstylist Shabria when she saw herself on video and said the harsh words.
After gasping over what she heard, she comforted the little girl right away.
“Don’t say that, don’t say that. You are so pretty,” she began.
When she kept complimenting Ari, saying that she had the “cutest little dimples,” the girl broke down in tears.
“You’re going to make me cry! You’re not ugly,” she said as she embraced Ariyonna.
“You have this beautiful chocolate skin, like, you are so gorgeous. You’ve got two dimples,” she said.
Thankfully, the video ended in the sweetest way: she got the four-year-old to smile.
“You hold your head up,” Shabria said.
It didn’t take long for the video to go viral.
After it was shared on Twitter on March 10, its racked up more than 10 million views!
Soon, people from all over the world rallied together to show this little girl support.
The acts have been so touching.
Here’s a choir who wrote and sang this beautiful song for Ari.
They got the idea from Michael Cherry after he asked people to make artwork for the child.
In case you didn’t know, he’s the film director of the Oscar-winning short film, Hair Love, which is all about an African-American father, Stephen, trying to do his daughter Zuri’s hair.
Ari’s comments have sparked an important conversation on the lack of diversity in the world.
People think she didn’t feel beautiful because she hasn’t seen enough people who look like her on TV, movies, or in books.
Thankfully, Cherry worked to change that as so many people made artwork for Ariyonna.
As it turns out, Matthew’s not the only celeb to get involved.
Viola Davis, star of ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder , also shared some inspiring words.
“THIS is the motivating factor for Black women to leave a legacy… of WORTH of BEAUTY!” she began.
“We are fighting hundreds of years of brutal conditioning of being considered less than. It is sprinkled in our language, behavior, laws, music…etc.. and trickles down to our youth.”
She continued:
“I’m speaking LIFE into Ariyonna. From a sista who looks a lot like you….you were born worthy therefore you were born beautiful! @lilwavedaddy”
Viola’s post prompted Laverne Cox to share her own thoughts.
The Orange Is the New Black alum titled her post as “Teaching our Black Daughters Their Beauty and Worth.”
She began by writing that “Viola Davis wrote here what I was too overwhelmed to express.”
“Bell hooks once wrote loving Blackness is a revolutionary act. Inspired by her words I have said loving transness is a revolutionary act.”
“My trans politics are rooted in intersectional feminist politics taught to me by black women like bell hooks through her books. Teaching stunningly beautiful brown girls like this one to see her profound beauty and worth is our work. Let’s get busy.”
And last but certainly not least, Michelle Obama even offered a sweet response to the little girl calling herself “ugly.”
“Ariyonna, you are gorgeous,” she wrote after reposting the heartbreaking video.
“In a world that sometimes tries to say otherwise, I want to tell you—and every other beautiful, intelligent, brave black girl—just how precious you are. #blackgirlmagic.”
SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK, MICHELLE.
We have a feeling that Ari is going to be alright <3
Both Ariyonna and Shabria have been enjoying their viral fame.
The girls recently went on The Tamron Hall Show to discuss the vid.
But we all know that nothing can top Michelle Obama personally reaching out.
Kudos to Michelle for that and, of course, to Shabria, the hairdresser who proved that a few words of kindness can truly change a person’s life <33
