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Culture May 6, 2020
Dear Black women, it's not you, America has the problem.
Racism, colorism, misrepresentation in film, the media, and entertainment, name-calling, discrimination, bullying… it’s no wonder the bleaching of skin is an epidemic around the world! Dark-skinned women seem to be only blooming in the shadows.
The mistreatment of darker-skinned Black women in America is an issue many fail to recognize. For some, it is due to pure ignorance. However, for much of society, the issue lies deep-rooted in America’s heart and history.
Some of these issues may make you uncomfortable. But push through anyway.
America must reclaim all of its women.
You may be asking, “What’s wrong with a preference?”
The answer is absolutely nothing!
At first glance, many would reply to this article with that very popular argument. The phrase may be true for some, but tying in America’s history makes it an untrustworthy response.
During American slavery, slave owners only allowed the “privilege” to work inside the house to fair-skinned slaves. Meanwhile, the darker slaves labored outside in the heat picking cotton.
The oppressive society celebrated lighter-skinned individuals as more attractive and of higher status.
During slavery, this favoritism not only created a fetish in the mind of the White slave master, but it also caused discord among the fellow slaves!
And now, the war between light-skinned vs. dark-skinned is still a battle within the Black community today!
In fact, modern society perceives darker-skinned women as more violent. Studies show that darker-skinned women receive harsher punishments when convicted of the same crime as lighter-skinned women.
Our patriarchal culture views darker-skinned women as dirty, unintelligent, and overall less desirable than fairer-skinned ones.
So, is it really “just a preference?” Or is it residual from past mindsets, that must be unlearned?
Dark-skinned girls beckon a different kind of confidence. A more tenacious, “kiss my ass” type of confidence.
Why, you ask?
Because much of the world is telling them that they’re ugly!
How many beauty adds and music videos do you see feature dark-skinned women? Hardly any. The darker a person’s skin is, the less the beauty industry deems them attractive.
Check out this old nursery rhyme:
“If you’re black, stay back;
If you’re brown, stick around;
If you’re yellow, you’re mellow;
If you’re white, you’re all right.”
Need I say more?
You may be wondering, “What does getting married have to do with anything?”
The disheartening fact is that there is evidence that darker-skinned women are less likely to get married than their fairer-skinned counterparts.
A study published in “Science Direct” called, “Shedding Light On Marriage” showed just that!
But, here’s the thing: the research did not prove that dark-skinned women will never get married. But it does provide an explanation as to why we have a harder time getting to the aisle.
Many of the female Black leads in movies are women with fairer complexions.
Actresses such as Zendaya and Amanda Stenburg are very talented! But here’s the thing: their roles perpetuate society’s image of what a beautiful Black woman should embody.
Hollywood generally casts actresses such as Viola Davis and Lupita Nyong’o, in roles that only portray strength and many times, one-dimensional characters.
Writers often subject dark-skinned women to stereotypical personality types like a slave, the overweight mammy, or my absolute favorite, the ghetto chick.
The struggle of the dark-skinned woman is a grievous plague that the All Lives Matter group and the “I see no color” folk cannot cure. These pains must be faced head-on with truth and transparency.
Look: we have come so far from where we began. I have hope that one day we will destroy colorism in America!
But first, dark-skinned women, we need to love ourselves! Love on ourselves and each other. Then watch the world follow suit!
