The Skin Debacle
The crude implication that white skin is the right skin is one of the main reasons that Black people stay mentally constrained and unable to reach the potential of global economic influence, educational wealth, and unity.
For the most part, the African men that I have been exposed to care about (1) The bone structure/physical characteristics of a woman’s face (2) (probably moreso than 1), Her body. No matter how skinny a girl is, as long as she has…..endowment, then she’s alright. Typically, bigger women are more admirable because the size of a woman forecasts her ability and success in bearing children. (3) She can’t be dumb. By dumb, I don’t necessarily mean women that didn’t pursue secondary or post-secondary degrees and excel; by “she can’t be dumb”, I mean a woman has to be able to reason, multitask, and handle a household (cook, clean, raise 5-6 children, run a small family business, etc.). These three things were what I observed growing up as the standard of African beauty. Women who may get teased for their features, dark skin, heaviness, etc. in the West, were always the ones that the men in my family appreciated.
CASES In POINT:
By Western standards, Serena Williams’ facial and physical features are described as masculine because of her athletic build and dark skin. By African standards, her facial bone structure is stunning and her body is perfect.
After competing on ANTM, Toccara starred on Celebrity Fit Club, since by Western standards she’s just too big. By African standards, she should stay just as she is.
Kelly Rowland is petite compared to the other two examples, but she still has a figure. Who I once heard referred to as “Destiny’s dark child” (I don’t want to talk about that day), is the favorite DC member of most of my African (and American) friends. While by Western standards her skin may be a bit darker than mainstream entertainers, she is flawless to many African men that I know. (Side Note: This may be why her following is so large in the UK, and even why she chooses to stay there. The UK has a huge African population.)
While the above three women are good examples of the Western/African beauty comparison, there is currently an underground trend occurring in Africa that is warping concepts of beauty: skin bleaching.
Most Africans don’t like talking about it. We are a proud people and don’t like to admit that self-hatred, insecurity, and colonial oppression affected us as seriously as it did. And while for the most part traditional standards of beauty are still respected and upheld, there is now an elephant in the room that refuses to be still, that is now facing us in a dead-lock gaze of opposition and confrontation.
Skin bleaching has been around for a long time. Shulamite, Solomon’s bride in the bible opens up the scribe with reference to her darkness and how she was scolded by her brothers for it. As punishment, they made her stand outside and watch their tents for them.
Skin bleaching traveled to White Europeans also, mostly women and men from the southern and eastern regions, who wanted to look more like the Anglo-Saxon members of their race.
Skin bleaching has been all up and through Asia, a trend that I will (DEFINITELY) expound on later.
Sigh.
Now our turn.
We see them all the time on ethnic aisles at the supermarket, claiming to remove blemishes and freckles. The horrible thing about these creams is that they contain highly toxic chemicals like ammoniated mercury, which has health risks like weakening the immune system and basically melting your skin off. It is also sad because you’ll rarely hear someone say, “Yeah, so, after I bleached my skin this morning….” People that use these products usually do it in secret, and suffer from serious mental inferiority complexes. Think in terms of someone that has bulimia or anorexia. They won’t admit the problem, because they think they are in need of the harm that they cause themselves because of a standard that was instilled into their mindsets.
BBC was probably one of the first to uncover the skin-bleaching industry in the UK a while back. The African population there bought both creams and pills to lighten their skin, most convinced that it would increase their chances of landing good jobs, mates, etc. Soon after, I heard a news story of a South African boy that actually took a bath in bleach, permanently damaging his skin and tampering with his immune system. When asked what inspired him to do it, he said it was to compete for a job. As what? A busboy.
The struggle to survive, to be viable competitors of good jobs and lives in a growing global economy is both killing young African men and women, and rupturing former ideals of beauty. Media also play a role as we see with African-American struggles in the United States and the blatant existence of colorism in both the Caribbean and many Latin American countries. I wonder if the singer Estelle, for instance, would’ve ever been able to make it off of just her talent in mainstream American pop-culture. My guess is probably not. Pop-culture now is barely about talent at all. It is about image. European image. Therefore, the more “globalized” media become, the more products like this will line African store shelves:
<– Black Genocide
Although Africa currently needs the investments that globalization provides to restore their economies, allowing foreign media, businesses, and tourism also comes with the threat of distorting the concept of beauty, pride, and confidence, as we know it.
International (Recognizable) Black Female Stars:
……………………………………….
hmMMMMMMMMMM. Which one of these DOESN’T MATCH THE OTHER ONES………
Wow. Such variation. I’m inspired.
Tags: African-Americans, Estelle, Skin bleaching, South Africa, UK
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July 9, 2008 at 11:43 am
Hello
I am an African brotha and that Serena Pic is on Point ………………I discovered your blog yesterday and you have touched on very important issues and i applaud you for that …………
I second what you said about Kelly ,back in the destiny child debut i had my eyes on her n her only i did not hear about beyonce this beyonce that until i got to America ………..Kelly is definitely my favorite (sidenote = she still got it going on to these days )………………
July 10, 2008 at 11:41 am
I second the Kelly motion. Its a shame that she had to move to where she was more accepted though. Personally I didn’t think she should have moved. She should have made them like her here. It makes it seem like she ran away just because people didn’t think she was pretty enough.
July 13, 2008 at 10:05 pm
personnaly i love to have estelle’s skin tone
July 22, 2008 at 10:36 am
You are so right. And to Colombe: Nothing is worse than having a person say that they “wish” they had something that they will never experience especially when it’s on the bottom of a heirarchy. Come on now, you don’t wish you had her skin tone, just use what you have a date/love women who do.
August 14, 2008 at 4:31 am
we have become perpetrators of this one ourselves i am a dark skinned kenyan woman and i love everything about me from the colour of my skin to my strong(not nappy) hair that i can do most anything with. i also have adult acne as a result of a hormonal imbalance that runs in my family and i love it, it gives me character! because of the stereotype or maybe despite it, i have no particular interest in light-skinned guys or gals even though i have friends who are. i love them for who they are. many light skinned people have an air of self importance and many, not all, often act as if that itself is enough to get them through life. in my book, the darker you are the more beautiful you are to me. God was not laughing when he made that decision, he had a plan!
September 4, 2008 at 6:12 pm
I am in awe of this blog. You hit the nail so many times, I tremble lol. Thanks a lot for this, I pray that many more read this blog and come to terms with the issues that we have all as africans living outside of Africa or even still on the continent. The problem is really deep, it has to do with self-acceptance and love. In order for black ( dark)women to start bleaching, they will have to begin to accept that they are beautiful just the way they are because God intended for them to be so. I am from the Ivory Coast and a lot of the ladies I know have been bleaching their skin. You will see that mostly the uneducated ones will do it as a way to get ahead. Some of the professional ladies do it to only because they want to catch bigger fish. In the end, no one really benefits from it and I have to say that it does not speak well of us in the eyes of others. What type of legacy are we leaving for the next generation? I don’t have children but I don’t think I want my daughters to follow these footsteps in trying to reject who God created them to be. They are a lot more issues that I believe we need to address as well. African people have not learned to really embrace one another and I pity that. We hate one another and then we come to American wanting our African-Americans brothers and sisters to welcome us with open arms when deep inside we can not stand them. Always stereotyping people without giving them a chance to prove themselves and this goes on both sides. It’s time to call a truce I believe, we can’t continue to perpetuate the ignorance generations after generations.
October 22, 2008 at 5:10 pm
your blog was awesome, really moving, and enlightening for me. I’m a white gurl, but I got a lot of black friends, including my bf, but they normally don’t talk to me about this kind of stuff. i never really thought much of it honestly. but even before i read this though i always thought that black gurls were beautiful, & looked way better than some of the too skinny white gurls, & i have always been equally attracted to both black and white guyz.
people are just people, god gave us our skin colour and we dont need tanning or bleaching to be considered beautiful.
October 28, 2008 at 12:58 am
Just a comment as a white man – I think the dark skinned women are very beautiful…
November 8, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Hey I’m white and i am obsessed with black women. I understand why some black people would wish to become lighter but i don’t think it’s right. The face features still remain african, and there is nothing wrong with it. Dark skin is sexy as everything else in the black race. Even if bleaching was safe i wouldn’t like it. Just be proud and be yourselves. Spit pon racists and haters
November 10, 2008 at 6:02 pm
this is wack fuck your opinion …i hope you die
November 12, 2008 at 12:55 pm
The entire world is under pressure to look a certain way. An article about “western” influence on the “african/african american” is simply a bias approach. Have you ever seen the ammount of tanning salons in North America? What about the hugely popular lip enlargments? It would appear that white women are attempting to look like beyonce as well. The problem is not the “opressive” media but the lack of self-confidence is the female world. All the males in fashion/entertainment advertising are portrayed with tanned, hairless washboard abs and perfect teeth but you very rarely hear the male community complain because we don’t let it affect us. It’s another typical “plight of the (insert minority here)” article.
November 16, 2008 at 3:44 pm
This site should be shut down! Why are you incuraging segregation. What about the white folks that clearly hate with all due respect, there skin, body figure and type and facial features. African women have there natural hues. Pale skin people lost theres because that group of African people traveled to colder climates. I have a higher education, read and study human journey so you will not be confused.
November 25, 2008 at 8:00 am
Salut Serena, je m’exprime en français car je suis francophone, je saisis cette occasion pour témoigner le fait que tu m’as donné l’envie de connaître le tennis et surtout d’admirer ton physique et tes victoires. Vive L’Afrique
January 1, 2009 at 12:40 pm
hey im a white guy, and i think serena williams is hot. Does that make me african?
January 1, 2009 at 12:43 pm
I could stare at that ass all day
January 3, 2009 at 6:18 pm
love this blog u hit the nail
there is way to few people talking about african problems from an african perspective
and it is like balm on the soul to read this blog
d.e.s. (DONT EVER STOP)
please continue
this blog shell make you rich
January 22, 2009 at 1:15 pm
sweet
January 28, 2009 at 8:11 am
just wanted to give feedback, i found your site only yesterday, and i’ll be subscribing to your rss feed. keep it up.
January 29, 2009 at 7:09 am
I think we (Americans) who are on the outside looking in, spend too much time punishing people because of their ethnic background, skin color, etc. Sure, the world has a view that the euro centric is the definition of beauty. But when a minority, mainly a Black person, defends the beauty of the Afrocentric world, it’s at the expense of making lighter people the “bad guy.” I’m fair, I have curly hair, I’m all mixed up, and proud of it. I don’t think any group of people looks better than some other group, but I also don’t praise light people and damn dark people. But a lot of times dark people, to make themselves feel better, damn light people. I’m not saying this is what you’re doing, but I’m simply making the observation. Obviously the market calls for lighter, skinner, long hair, light eyes, etc. That doesn’t mean it’s right. But a person is JUST AS GUILTY for praising a woman simply because her skin is dark, or has a big butt…the door swings both ways…that’s all I’m saying…
January 30, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I´m a mexiacan man, my color of skin is light brown. I´m 38, but since I was a little boy I fall in love with black women; they ara incredible, they have a deep and wonderful eyes, I,d like to get married with a BLACK WOMAN
January 30, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Why are we called black, are we really black or it is just because white people said so, please look well at the color of your skin, are you really white are they really white. What if we had the chance to choose to name the color of our own skin? I STRONGLY BELIEVE OUR SELF STEEM , and the way africans look at themselves would change and a lot. I’ been looking to the tone of my skin and most so called black it is not dark or black but brown or chocolate complation. I know it sound ridiculous what I am saying but is there such a thing as white or black or it’s all pschycologic? I want to be called cocoa , chocolate and or brown. why, because i said so. If you want to me to call you white fine. but call me what I want you to call me.
January 31, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I’m a slommy shite guy and Serena is gorgeous. I don’t give a shit what colour a woman is, beauty just is.
January 31, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I have long said that every white man’s fantasy is a black woman. The thing is that we as black men don’t appreciate the beauty of or own women, and choose to think of them as beautiful if they meet a standard that is closer to what Europeans have told us is beautiful. We need to learn to really appreciate all flavors that our women come in and love them for that. We need to lift up the beautiful women that we have and stop making Beyonce the measuring stick. She is beautiful, but she, and women of a similar color, are far from the only beautiful black women out there.
In my opinion to name a few: Kelly Rowland, Angela Bassett, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, you get the idea.
I have often noticed that when men of other races date black women, the women don’t look like European women or the “light-skinned” “red-bone” – I hate that term – types. They more often than not look like Serena (What I wouldn’t do to get close to that woman).
We need to stop the madness, and celebrate the fact that God gave us such beautiful creatures of our own.
February 19, 2009 at 2:45 am
this is not right thing
February 26, 2009 at 2:28 am
I just found this today and I’ll deffenatly be subscribing. I’m glad that someone is finally talking about the issues that have been plaguing our people for to long. Me personally I think that the darker a woman is the more beautiful she is. It doesn’t so much matter to me if she has a big butt, if she’s got it good but if she doesn’t, that’s ok too. Just as long as you’re black you are beautiful in my book.
March 3, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Let’s be honest people, cut all this politically correct mess out. True you should not hate the skin u r in, and try changing yourself..you are just as dumb as women who get plastic surgery and impants etc….
To all that say the media tells us what’s beautiful, u r dumb too…as a black man if I was influenced by media, I would be in love with angelina jolie, jennifer aniston etc…I don’t care how much someone pushes and image upon me, it will not make my dick hard. Be real.. dark skinned women complain way too much, and if u u say lightskin is beautiful I’m sure they would bitch and cry about it, but its ok to say dark skin is beautiful, funny women. I think all women r gorgeous, and u can take certain feautures from every race and give them praise. The chocolate smooth skin is a super turn on, as well as caramel, and vanilla. Only thing that’s a turn of to me is the strong hair as onewoman called it lol. Perming or relaxing ur hair does not have to make u european, latin women have nice soft hair, asians, indiansas many men, it simply feels better in ur hand during sex, and against ur face lol. Get over it my darker sister, just be yourself. There r ugly dark skinned chicks, and ugly light skinned chicks, admit it..maybe u don’t get play because u r simply not a pretty personnot ur skin tone. In music videos, y should 1 try to squeeze a woman. In a video just because she’s dark skinned, over another exoctic beauty if she isn’t prettier, just tto make someone feel good.
March 6, 2009 at 7:04 pm
issue of color is funny,my daughtor keeps on asking me if there is really a white person and a black one . It’s because of lies that’s why the world is in poverty,war,deseases and many more woos .Tell the children the truth .
March 6, 2009 at 7:32 pm
i want to tell Jose oros of Brazil who said that his color of his skin is light brown and he wants to marry a black lady .Jose there is no light brown skin,you are black according to this world order. it is either you are white or black ,Asia or Chinese Pakistan or India,first nation or native.Going by color and looking for a black person ,you won’t find one.
March 15, 2009 at 7:25 pm
I stumbled upon this blog, but couldn’t help but read it afterwards. I have always been amazed at just how much Euro-culture has somehow tricked the rest of the world into hating itself. In Latin countries people who look more Spanish than indigenous are treated better and are all over the media. I recently learned that millions of Asian women are getting “double eyelid surgery” which is supposed to make their eyes look less “ethnic”. I’ve been hearing about the skin lighting creams for a while now. And as an African-American from the U.S., I have disdained the plethora of ways in which brown people here try to make themselves more “socially acceptable.” One of the biggest things I have hated is all of the women who straighten their hair because they’ve been taught to believe “nappy” hair is ugly and unmanageable. I, as a male, used to always keep my hair fairly short because it looks “neat & clean” that way.
I think non-Euros need to reclaim our cultural standards of beauty. I don’t say it because the Euro-standard is in itself any worse or more discriminating than any of the other standards we traditionally had. I say it because adopting another culture’s standard of beauty, though many do it unconsciously, makes others hate themselves because they don’t fit that image. But, the Euro image is taking its toll on its own people too. With the billions of dollars they spend on cosmetic surgery, weight loss scams, hair dyes, colored contacts, make-up, and tanning its clear that most of them have a hell of a time matching that image as well.
I’m going to take what the author said a step further past challenging the European standard of beauty to challenging the concept of beauty standards in general. No matter what standard you put in place, any that are primarily based on physical beauty are going to be harmful to those who don’t fit it and possibly cause them some self-hatred issues. Finally, we as men need to own up to what we’ve done. We need to quit throwing around all these demands about what we want a woman to look like and consequently turn them against each other about who is more attractive. I know a lot of us may not want to admit it, but we started and keep perpetuating this mess. Men telling women what is and isn’t beautiful and treating them according to those standards, is quite comparable to Europeans telling Africans, Latinos, Indians, Asians, etc…what is beautiful and basing how they treat us on those grounds. Let’s not get so caught up in fighting the elephant of racism that we ignore other elephants in the room that are just as big and harmful. Peace.
March 28, 2009 at 11:43 am
well I think that the whole skin issue n hair, is dumb.I’m like my mother who loves a chocolate man, but I’m also open 2 others as well.I can’t help who my mom n her mom slept with 2 me 2 b lite skinned but I’m proud of who I am. I notice things 2 like I ask my mom “y when its blk girls on commercials, they have 2 look like me not a mixture?” its just what the “upper white ppl n blk ppl who wanna b wite think is beautiful. N as 4 hair. My hair is curly like corbin blus, but I perm it cause I don’t like wearing the same curly style. I’m sick of ppl always saying”embrace ur hair” hell if I do it’ll just break even faster! Wraping my hair”which makes it straight” is just 2 me easier 4 me I can’t just get up unwrap n go no need 2 pick n poke n stuff. N 4 serena I love her body I’m 4rm the south n if ur body don’t look like that ur in trouble”not really” lol but its what they like blk n white
April 14, 2009 at 10:36 am
i dont dis⋅crim⋅i⋅nate
yes i am a black man
i jus love beautiful women
i think dats da philosophy everybody should have
May 26, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Hello,
Not African but many of my friends are. Your blog is so eloquent. There is so much hidden ugliness against Africans… I definitely notice it in media messages all around us. It’s amazing that what some dweeb behind a desk writes into copy can become incessant, hurtful “truths” to the people that hear them.
Keep shining!