No one should be judged by skin color, but almost five decades after Dr. Martin Luther King’s death and 150 years after the abolition of slavery, it is evident there is still a problem. The argument is not that the issue is external, but is yet internally decomposing a once unified community, now divided as: dark skin versus light skin.
There is a quiet “girl fight” if you will, among adult black women. The exchange of a superficial “hello” with underlying attitudes like, “Who does she think she is,” based off skin complexion alone and yet black men play a starring role in this conflict as well. Where did this attitude of color come from?
Historically, during slavery lighter skinned slaves were favored and worked indoors, while darker skinned slaves were frowned upon and performed laborious tasks outside. After slavery, many former slaves proceeded to cultivate this destructive mindset. According to a 2010 study by the Journal of Black Studies, “African Americans today continue to place a premium on a lighter skin type seeing the different shades of brown as varying degrees of status, acceptance, and achievement.”
How do you see yourself? What view do you have of the black women in the room? Using the terms in the chart on the right, describe yourself or the names you have been called. Light Bright, s*xy Red, Mocha, Dark Chocolate, Vanilla, Red Bone, Brown sugar, High Yellow, Pretty Red, Caramel, Doo doo Brown, Midnight. Which color terms are conversely viewed derogatory or positively? Of the models pictured, who would get more attention? Why or why not?
The “black is beautiful” phrased in the 1960s-70s, was introduced to alleviate internal racial disparity and it embraced darker skin women, whereas today, lighter skinned women are commonly favored. If lighter isn’t necessarily premium, than darker is intimidating, why are so many black women bleaching their skin? This is even showcased through various forms of media in music videos, news outlets, car shows and ministry.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson who said:
“If you can control a man’s thinking, you don’t have to worry about his actions. If you can determine what a man thinks you do not have to worry about what he will do. If you can make a man believe that he is inferior, you don’t have to compel him to seek an inferior status, he will do so without being told and if you can make a man believe that he is justly an outcast, you don’t have to order him to the back door, he will go to the back door on his own and if there is no back door, the very nature of the man will demand that you build one.”
I understand that simply as we must control our thinking and do some serious soul cleansing. We cannot bring a collaborative effort of unity into the community quietly throwing shade. I mean we blanket things like “oh, for her to be dark-skinned, she’s pretty” or the notion black men desire light-skinned woman on their side as though it’s symbolic of high status in the guy code. Are light skinned men deemed weaker than dark skinned men?
The study concluded the findings “were color names and color notions within black culture have not changed and that they are subtle [and] carefully hidden. How do we eradicate these attitudes of color? The issue has been exposed and our children are watching…now what?
