Personal Experience

Being that it's 2015, I think that everyone has either seen, heard, or been in some sort of racial issue. With everything that's been going on with police brutality against African Americans people know that the hate of certain skin colors is at its peak once again. If its not on television, its on the radio, the internet, or even in common conversations. Racial issues are very much alive and present. I know this is true because recently I experienced this.

About 2 weeks ago I went shopping. I wanted some nice pieces so I decided to go to a particular area in Little Rock. I had been there about an hour and managed to rack up about three bags with clothes and shoes. I had gotten tired so I decided to go to one last store and then leave. To keep from bashing to store I won't give away the name. I walked in and immediately the employees began to stare at me. It was awkward, but I continued to walk around the store. Maybe that wasn't a good idea because it wasn't long before on of them started to follow me, noticeably. Looking past the situation I might have been in a found three pieces I decided to buy. 


I went to the register, the cashier rang up my items, and when it was time for me to pay she finally spoke. She said, "Are you sure you can afford this?" Naturally you could understand my rage and confusion. I was lost for words. I asked her, "What makes you think I can't afford it?". From the bags in my hands from previous stores it was evident that I had money. She gave me a stern look and replied,"I know how your kind is." Immediately I knew what she was talking about. While I looked around to see who had heard what she had just said I looked at the other customers. With no doubt they were lighter than me or Caucasian. None of them were being followed or harrassed like I was. 


After that situation I quietly walked out of the store. I couldn't believe what had just happened. A full blown racial issue that I was unfortunately apart of. It wasn't because I was African American. It was because I wasn't light enough to get a pass. I didn't appear to blend in with the other Caucasian customers like the other lighter toned African Americans. Part of me think it happened for a reason; just so I can blog about it lol, and the other half just makes me realize what kind of world that we live in today. How it's possible that the issues of skin color and skin tones just won't change.  

Sources: https://www.google.com/search?q=racial+conflict&es_sm=122&biw=1920&bih=979&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIqa-5rdmayAIVAaMeCh3fcg0D#tbm=isch&q=skin+tone+conflict+with+society&imgrc=fux3HbVwBVq42M%3A

                   Disguising True Beauty  

You would be surprised at how many woman try to disguise their beauty everyday to look like something or someone that wasn't meant for them. Woman today are using excessive makeup and even bleaching of the skin to achieve a perfect "light skin color" look. They go through hours of surgery and tons of money to achieve these looks, but why? To be socially accepted through the use of beauty? What about the other characteristics that makes someone special? Because they're bleaching their skin you can suggest that they are unhappy with their natural skin color. They believe that the lighter you are the more you'll stand out, and the more socially accepted you'll be.

The most popular skin lighting cream for African Americans bought in a store is a product called Palmers Skin Success Eventone Fade Milk . It's used to give you softer, brighter, and younger looking skin. It can be used all over the body for a lighter and even skin tone. The fact that it's so easy to have plays a big part as well. I think that if the skin whitening products weren't so cheap less woman would use them. It would get them to accept, love, and embrace their natural skin color. 

*The clip below is a short video going in depth about skin bleaching.

When you saw that video how did you feel? What were your immediate thoughts? When I saw the video I felt bad for some of our African American woman who are not happy with their skin. They haven't gotten the chance to see it's true beauty. If I could I would have talks with woman about skin color. I'd motivate and inform them on how beautiful it is. I'd prove to them how bleaching, lightening, and enhancing the skin isn't even necessary. When I've made my point I'd have a group of woman with a new positive mindset on skin. Hopefully, what I shared with them they'll share with others and so forth. Maybe I could put a stop to disguising true beauty.




Sources:  https://www.google.com/search?q=unhappy+woman+with+their+skin&es_sm=122&biw=1920&bih=942&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI1Ivt04mJyAIVBouSCh3JIw-2#tbm=isch&q=palmers+skin+bleaching&imgrc=IL8F0LU6fAftUM%3A

                         Skin Color Takes Over Social Class 

Like social media glorifying lighter skin as the better skin, your social class can also be determined by the color of your skin. As silly as it sounds I believe it's true and I'll explain why. 

From past to present, beauty has been one of the most important things to woman. If you're "beautiful" then you're on a more important status than those who are not. Our social class suggests that lighter skin is highly associated with beauty. As Margaret L. Hunter explains, "The relationship between skin color and beauty is very important for woman because beauty is a form of social capital."  In so many words, your skin color determines your acceptance into a social class. This idea that social class is categorized by skin color was established by the white supremacy around the time of slavery. Lighter African American skin means closer to white skin. White skin means the top of the social class. 

In the picture above you can see that the social class difference between African Americans and Caucasians. You can imagine how similar the social acceptance of lighter colored African American would have with Caucasians. 

In the picture you see that all of these woman are classified as African American. Be honest with yourself when I ask you which one do you think is more socially accepted? Which woman do you immediately notice? Which one do you think would have the lead role in a movie or video? Which of these woman would more than likely would be known to be "superior" to the other woman? 

Lighter toned woman are also put on a higher social scale by African American men. It's like showing favoritism. I'm not saying that it's wrong to have your skin color preference, but why do you have it? Is your preference because you what skin tone you see being glorified the most, or because you see beauty in ALL skin, but chose one. The ideal woman for men is a light toned woman with long straight hair opposed to a darker toned woman with kinky hair. That whole idea causes lighter woman to have higher self-esteem and darker woman to have lower. It also causes darker toned woman to be ashamed and embarrassed of what they were born with. Beauty should be defined by whats within. What's on the outside should only be a bonus regarding all skin tones. 

Tomorrow when you go out in public, take a look at the world in a different perspective based on skin color. Notice how attitudes and behaviors differentiate based on skin color. 

Sources: 

http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft6c6006s4;chunk.id=0;doc.view=print

 

http://www.mills.edu/academics/faculty/soc/mhunter/If%20You%20are%20Light%20You%20are%20Alright.pdf

Why Does The Media Praise Light Skin?

                           

Just to recap on last weeks post I talked about how you had to understand racism as a whole before you can understand racism against skin color. This week I'm going to talk about why lighter skin is more socially acceptable than darker skin. Take a moment to think.. how often is it that you see a darker toned man or woman on the cover of a magazine? In a position of high power(other than the president)? The main singer or rapper in a group? etc. Social media changes our perception of what beauty is and what's acceptable. 

In the music industry, its the lighter skin girl who would get the most attention and the best parts. According to social media, it's the skin color that would catch your attention before her skills. She's the one that's going to make the most money, and give "shine" to the company. In the movie Dream Girls, there is a scene where Effie, the lead singer, is moved out of the spotlight by their manager because she didn't have "the look" that sells records. The position was given to a group member with a light skin tone because her face seemed more appealing to listeners. 

                                      *Fast-forward one minute into the clip.


Now let's look at how movies glorify lighter skin. The movie The Color Purple is a great example of how a lighter skin is superior. Celie, the main character, goes through hell and back by her husband, Mister because she has darker skin. To him that made her ugly and useless. Though Celie is his wife through a forced marriage, he is in love with another woman, Shug Avery whom has a lighter complexion than her. To him Shug Avery is beautiful, exciting, and everything he wants in a woman. Soon, Celie is empowered by her to become a better person and love the skin she's in. 

*Celie on the left and Shug Avery on the right.

Zola Ndlovu, a young lady who makes blogs about race, culture, faith, growth, etc says that "... this idol of beauty that we're all worshiping is an illusion." I believe that she's absolutely right. Social media influences us to think that the lighter skin is the "chosen" skin. It makes darker toned woman want to change themselves in order to fit in and feel beautiful, but what is beauty? Beauty is defined by what you want it to be. What's beautiful to one person doesn't have to be beautiful to the next.