(ThyBlackMan.com) Lately there has been a very hot debate regarding the rise of people getting tattoos, especially in the black community. Some people find them unattractive, while others view them as art work or self-expression.
I was asked if I like guys with tattoos. Personally it does not matter either way, as long his body is not covered with them. But again this is solely my personal opinion, which of course has no bearing on what others choose to do with their body.
So now a number of questions floating in my mind have left me wondering if tattoos take away or add to a black man’s sexual appeal. Are women attracted to men because of the so-called bad boy appeal that tattoos exude? Are black men getting tattoos more than ever because it adds a certain swag factor? 
I suppose the reason for getting tattoos varies as much as the tattoos themselves. With the onslaught of people stepping into tattoo shops one might think this was something entirely new. However, this is not the case.
The art of wearing tattoos is nothing new. As a matter of fact tattoos have been worn for thousands of years. It has been said that mummified bodies from different cultures have been discovered in different parts of the world.
Tattoos were found on Egyptian and Nubian mummies dating from about 2000 B.C. The frozen and preserved body of a man was located at the border of Austria and Italy, high up in the Alp Mountains. That body was more than 5000 years old and was tattooed with 58 tattoos. So it seems that tattoos have been around for quite a while. https://www.msu.edu/~krcmari1/individual/history.html
Did those men get tattoos simply for the swag appeal? Who knows? Their tattoos may have showed off their male prowess or they may have been used to attract a female suitor. Much like today.
My grandfather God rest his soul wore a tattoo of an American eagle on his arm. He was not an athlete, rocker or thug. He was a family man, a gentleman and a very intelligent man. So if a person is to be judged by their tattoo I wonder what was said about him.
Since tattoos have been around for quite a while I wonder why have they become such a big deal and in some cases taboo with some members of our community. Could it be due to celebrities (especially rappers and athletes) wearing them more? Could it be because people have chosen to wear tats in some places that are considered inappropriate such as the face and neck?
In the end should we be concerned with brothers that to choose to wear tattoos as if they are personal accessories? If a man tattoos himself for swag appeal, self-expression or just because it’s the-in-thing to do, should others really be concerned even when it does not affect them?
Whatever the case may be I am certain this is one argument that will continue to be a point of debate for years to come?
Staff Writer; Eleanie Campbell
