Recently, there has been a surge of talk about dark skin and light skin. Now this is nothing new in the black community. But the recent increase in the subject matter has to do with a documentary scheduled for release this winter, Dark Girls.
A few weeks ago, I viewed a short bit on the documentary and sort of left it as is. While watching this short bite of the film, I remember thinking to myself, "Did I miss all the pain associated with being dark skinned?" Now fast forward a few weeks ahead and the web is all abuzz about this documentary, with people blogging (I'm guilty), youtubing, facebooking, tweeting and every other social outlet terming, about this subject.
Now don't get me wrong, I was very aware growing up that there was a light skin/dark skin thing within the black community. Maybe somehow I subconsciously carried it with me. But I can honestly say that I never saw or felt the backlash of being a dark skinned girl. Yes, I remember the comments growing up, "She's pretty to be a dark girl", "Oh, you're a cute chocolate girl". Yet, I don't remember any major negativity associated with it. While others may view the above comments as a backhanded compliment, why can't I be cute (period), I never took it that way. Even as I think back to my elementary school years, I don't remember personally being called "black" as a derogatory word, or any other name associated with my darker skin.
This boggles me now because until the age of 6 or 7, I was raised in what they call the Mississippi Delta. And let's be honest, if there was ever a place to receive backlash for being of darker complexion, this would be the place. My mother is very light skinned, along with a majority of her family. My father is of a darker complexion, as well as most of his family. Growing up, we were with my mother's family more than my father's family, but I still don't remember the backlash of being dark skinned.
At any rate, with all the new buzz on the subject, I see and hear in these blogs and videos, the despair in these women who have been affected by the black on black racism. And yes, I call it racism because it is just that. The hierarchy of one black to another based on the pigment in their skin goes back for centuries. I would assume it even goes back further than the "house nigger" and "field nigger" differentiation by slave masters.
I can tell you that if somehow I subconsciously carried remnants of this around, it was truly subconscious and I am absolutely oblivious to it. I have never let it affect my education, my career, my social life, personal choices, etc. When I look in the mirror, I don't see a dark skin woman. I surely see things that I would like to improve, weight loss journey is in full swing, but never have those areas of improvement included lightening my skin or feeling less than the next black woman because of it.
I would really like to hear from other women and how it has affected you. Regardless of whether or not you're dark skin, light skin or something in between, feel free to leave comments on how this subject has played a part in your life, positive and/or negative.
A few weeks ago, I viewed a short bit on the documentary and sort of left it as is. While watching this short bite of the film, I remember thinking to myself, "Did I miss all the pain associated with being dark skinned?" Now fast forward a few weeks ahead and the web is all abuzz about this documentary, with people blogging (I'm guilty), youtubing, facebooking, tweeting and every other social outlet terming, about this subject.
Now don't get me wrong, I was very aware growing up that there was a light skin/dark skin thing within the black community. Maybe somehow I subconsciously carried it with me. But I can honestly say that I never saw or felt the backlash of being a dark skinned girl. Yes, I remember the comments growing up, "She's pretty to be a dark girl", "Oh, you're a cute chocolate girl". Yet, I don't remember any major negativity associated with it. While others may view the above comments as a backhanded compliment, why can't I be cute (period), I never took it that way. Even as I think back to my elementary school years, I don't remember personally being called "black" as a derogatory word, or any other name associated with my darker skin.
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| Dark skinned women |
At any rate, with all the new buzz on the subject, I see and hear in these blogs and videos, the despair in these women who have been affected by the black on black racism. And yes, I call it racism because it is just that. The hierarchy of one black to another based on the pigment in their skin goes back for centuries. I would assume it even goes back further than the "house nigger" and "field nigger" differentiation by slave masters.
I can tell you that if somehow I subconsciously carried remnants of this around, it was truly subconscious and I am absolutely oblivious to it. I have never let it affect my education, my career, my social life, personal choices, etc. When I look in the mirror, I don't see a dark skin woman. I surely see things that I would like to improve, weight loss journey is in full swing, but never have those areas of improvement included lightening my skin or feeling less than the next black woman because of it.
I would really like to hear from other women and how it has affected you. Regardless of whether or not you're dark skin, light skin or something in between, feel free to leave comments on how this subject has played a part in your life, positive and/or negative.
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