On Being A Dark Skinned Black Woman
Colorism is tricky because it masks itself in the language of choice. “I like to date light skinned girls,” one guy said. Though really it is a preference derived from social pressure. Whiteness dominates and is seen as the most powerful, most influential, most useful, and for as long as this holds, aspirations of beauty will flow in its direction. Colorism is something people of colour do to themselves (though not by themselves) because the need for acceptance can be so overwhelming.
Unfortunately, I understand why — plagued by a world that praises lighter skin — people burn lightening chemicals into their skin. Living in a world that routinely excludes you is difficult. It is tough to have to remind yourself that contrary to popular understanding, you exist, you matter. It doesn’t surprise me when people turn on their blackness.
“When I get lighter, I’ll apply for a better job,” one woman said.
“We’re relieved he’s not come out as dark as the rest of the family,” I’ve heard. And I understand. Deflection can be a survival mechanism.
While I wear my blackness with pride in many ways, I have a difficult relationship with it aesthetically. I am a dark skinned black woman, negatively visible or invisible, defensive and defenseless.
In the morning mirror I stretch my face into a mask of exaggerated ugliness; I make a snout of my nose, fold my lips awkwardly, suck the air out of my cheeks. I imagine myself dipped in a rainbow of absurd colours — red and orange and pink and green.
“You are fine as you are,” I tell myself, never fully rid of doubts that I would look better if I were somehow different (I hate admitting that).
Even though I understand how tenuous commercial representation is, I play the game; it is a numbers game: two dark skinned ladies on posters in my tube carriage; zero in the glossy magazine I pick up on the way home from work; one in a mid-evening television advert for car insurance. I tally up the numbers at the end of the day. Sadly, I never get past 5, but I always count. I am always annoyed with myself for counting.
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There is actually no such thing as a so-called “Light-Skinned
Black” person … but rather … such individuals and groups
are actually people who are of a ‘Multi-Generational
Multiracially-Mixed’ (MGM-Mixed) Lineage that some may
have been pressured or encouraged to ignore or downplay.
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4160
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People of Mixed-Race lineage should NOT feel pressured to
‘identify’ according to any standards other than one’s own.
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4157
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The legal -application of the racist-’One-Drop Rule’
(ODR) was banned in the U.S. way back in 1967.
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4162
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http://www.facebook.com/groups/253286018082418/permalink/253341891410164
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4187
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http://www.facebook.com/groups/253286018082418/permalink/253341281410225
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Listed below are related Links of ‘the facts’ of the histories
of various Mixed-Race populations found within the U.S.:
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There is no proof that a ‘color-based slave hierarchy’
(or that ‘color-based social-networks’) ever existed
as common entities — within the continental U.S.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4154
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4153
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It was the ‘Rule of Matriliny (ROM) — [a.k.a. 'The Rule of Partus'
(ROP)] — and NOT the racist-’One-Drop Rule’ (ODR) — that was
used to ‘create more enslaved people’ on the continental U.S.
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This is because the chattel-slavery system that was
once found on the antebellum-era, continental U.S.
was NOT “color-based” (i.e. “racial”) — but rather
– it was actually “mother-based” (i.e. ‘matrilineal’).
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http://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/309460495741441
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There were many ways (and not solely the sexual assault
and sexual exploitation of the women-of-color) in which
‘white’ lineage entered the familial bloodlines of
enslaved-people found on the continental U.S.
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4238
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4239
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4240
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An ‘Ethnic’ category is NOT the
same thing as a “Race” category:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4236
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http://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/300777016632181
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Other Topics:
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https://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/279223868853420
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https://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/164203590359746
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http://www.facebook.com/notes/%C2%ADallpeople-gifts/the-facts-on-m%C2%ADixed-race/321878451159708
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i am a fair skinned african, with what maybe foolishly called european features, without a trace of “massa’s blood”. i never thought of the skin colour ish until i came to russia. the funny thing is that the africans around have this feeling that am “accepted” hence am always pushed to the side when race issues are brought up-it hurts cos i spend every quart of my strength trying not to live of up to russian stereotypes of black pips(which is the worst so far). am called uppity on both sides. refusal to attend an african party earns me uppity, refusal to the b embarrassed by russians earns me uppity. am so miserable around here. if i werent a government student i would b home by now.
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@ Chike:
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It’s interesting that you refer to those of us
who are non-Africans by the term of “massa”.
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Also interesting is that — you apparently have so little
respect for yourself that you would willingly submit
to viewing yourself as a ‘slave’ (the proof of which
is your reference to us by the term of “massa”).
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ALSO — while there are many “fair skinned
Africans” (ex. actress, Charlize Theron /
socialite, Therese Heinz / etc.) — THERE
IS NO SUCH THING AS A so-called
‘FAIR SKINNED BLACK’ African.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4160
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Thus — unless you are an ‘African’ who is either of
‘European’ or of ‘Asian’ Ancestry — the only way
that you could have a “Fair Skinned” complexion
is that you are a person who of Mixed-Race (either
FGM-Mixed or MGM-Mixed) Lineage (i.e. ‘Coloured’).
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Also — it may come as a surprise to you to discover
that the definition of “light” skin and “fair” skin used
by MOST ‘Black’ Africans — is NOT seen as such by
the rest of the world (ex. India, Pakistan, Brazil, etc.)
.
– AP Gifts
[soaptalk AT hotmail DOT com]
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This Black man loves Dark /CHOCOLATE GIRLS always have.. always will..!
@AllPeople (AP) Gifts [soaptalk AT hotmail DOT com] – Your comments show that you are VERY ignorant, and they are getting on my nerves. You sound like one of those people who doesn’t know anything about any country in Africa (you even sound like one of those who thinks of Africa as a monolith).
YES Africa (just like Europe) is made up of different countries, and in those countries are different types of people. Chike is correct.THERE ARE light skinned Black Africans in existence, who DO NOT have any lineage from white people. My parents are from Nigeria, and my mother is light skinned. If you knew about the Igbo tribe of Nigeria, many of them are also fair skinned. Also, human civlization began in Africa, so everything (genetics) originated from there. Don’t be one of those fools who thinks everyone who is a “true African” is dark skinned with kinky hair, wide nose, and full lips. Africans have many different physical characteristics which WERE NOT derived or passed to them from any other kinds of people.
So, instead of spouting off BS, please do some actual research on the topic. Just because you haven’t met any one from any country in Africa who is light skinned doesn’t mean they don’t exist.