Colorism

Colorism has been a persistent problem since slavery. For years I have come across black men who prefer light skin women and dark skin women who don’t like light skin women. I know everyone has his or her “type”, which is fine but to belittle someone else because of his or her skin tone is not okay.

I was speaking with a dark skin man recently and he told me that he wants a “Spanish in the face looking woman with a black woman’s body type”. And I asked him why, he told me because he wants his kids to be light. I asked him why again and he said because it would “better.” I told him he didn’t like his skin complexion if he thinks lighter skin is better and that he’s ignorant and racist in my eyes. Now I see why some dark skin women have issues with their skin tone because those men make them feel less than worthy. They are made to feel insecure within themselves and feel they must compete with women who look like me. Those men like that don’t value their own complexion, they look at themselves as being beneath everyone else unless they have lighter children or a lighter significant other. I’ve had a girl tell me once that I’m lucky I’m light skin and I didn’t even know how to feel. But all I could tell her was to love herself.

There are women bleaching their skin and thinking that it’s going to change something and it doesn’t. I feel that if you are light skin and around someone who thinks light skin is better and you don’t say anything about it, you are apart of the problem. It’s like a white person saying they aren’t racist but remaining silent when a white person in their circle declares themself a white nationalist. Their silence is an even bigger problem. There are all different shades of “Black” and some of us need to educate ourselves on the origins of colorism and understand that it was used as a way to divide us, and if you are continuing to perpetuate this vile practice thinking you will be treated better, fairer, or equal then you are fooling yourself and are setting yourself up for a rude awakening. Remember Emmett Till was a light skinned, hazel green eyed, golden haired black boy who was brutally tortured and murdered. His light skin, light hair and light eyes did not keep the Klan from killing him. Pride starts within. Study your history, get educated, then fall in love with yourself.