Why do I focus on Colorism and Intra-racism? The question I am asking is why are you willing to ignore it?
Image via Planetill.com
I have had many people ask me, “why do you post about colorism and intra-racism?” They have told me that they didn’t want to hear about it. Many want to pretend like it doesn’t exist. It does exist and it affects every aspect of our lives whether you like it or not. Or they want me to just focus on fighting the “man.” Well, you are the man. You are the one committing the oppression against your people. How? Look here! This isn’t a thing of the past. It is happening right now whether you acknowledge it or not.
How in the world can anyone talk about white supremacy within the white main stream when you are unwilling to confront white supremacy, sexism, homophobia and intolerance within the Black community? Just look at Black media. Look at the images objectively. When the non-Black or half Black (take your pick) female rapper, with the on again off again British accent, Nicki Minaj can go Don Imus on another Black female without any repercussion, or blatantly use racism to promote white supremacy here and here and still get support something is inherently wrong.When millions of Black women can support people who have told them and shown them that they hate them here and here something is wrong.
People skin bleach for a reason. People say colorist things for a reason. People hate and mask their Black features for a reason. They do these things because they hate themselves. They despise their Blackness. Some are blatant about it, others let it metastasize and for most it is unknowingly incubating like a parasite inside waiting for the right moment to be flushed out. These are products of colorism and intraracism.
Albert Haynesworth, NFL Football Player. Image via CNN“She’s just upset I have a White girlfriend. I couldn’t tell you the last time I dated a Black girl… I don’t even like Black girls.” ~ source Essence
For me it is like ignoring a cancer. Like cancer, colorism and intra-racism makes a community sick and if left untreated it will spread and eventually kill you. It will drive you into extinction. The sad thing is that many are willing to do it.
I am a mother, an aunt, a sister, and daughter of Black people. I am the daughter of an Afro-Caribbean woman and a Black American man. I am the granddaughter of a woman from Arkansas and a grandfather from Alabama. I am the granddaughter of immigrant woman from St. Kitts and a grandfather who emigrated from Cuba to Jamaica. I am the great granddaughter of sharecroppers and slaves. I am the ancestor of ancient people whose 40,000 year old DNA burns within me. After all that, you still want to ask me why? I am protecting my people and their legacy. You should be asking yourself why not.
This is a vicious form of self which has stagnated our community. Articles like this are so important. You know when you speak the truth, it makes people uncomfortable. Love what you do!!
Amen
Thank you…
Here here and thank you.
PLEASE keep doing what your doing!! I am always amazed at how in DENIAL black ppl are, and how willing we are to act as if is Colorism and InTRAracism and white supremacy doesnt affect us to the levels at which it does. Particularly for black women. Studies have SHOWN that darker skinned black women, get paid less, hired less, have less access to successful mates, get longer jail sentences, are considered less beautiful and and less social access to opportunities which will upgrade and enhance their lives. THIS is NOT a figment of our imaginations.
Yet, black people…and in particular, DARK SKINNED black people, are the FIRST ones, to try to deny the existance or the depth of the impact colorism is having on the self esteem, personal pride and upward mobility of the black race, in general, and dark skinned people, in specific. We are trying to Jedi Mind Trick ourselves into believing ‘its really not that bad’.
Yes the hell it is, and dont let anyone tell you otherwise!!
Keep up the good work! I just found your blog, but I am now a follower and supporter!!
Thank you
I meant to say self hate ..oops
Again, I got similar comments from angry people who insisted I only talk about white people’s racism. I SO empathize with you. Other blacks claim they’ve never been discriminated against, and that we just need something to be angry about. It is a painful part of our existence, so people will go to extremes not to have to deal with it, to keep it concealed. Those extremely negative reactions only affirm for me that we need to continue talking about this.
Besides just talking about the issue, I like to focus on ways we can change ourselves, but that can only come after a person accepts the problem and their complicity.
Peace,
Sarah
Agreed
It is alive and living. As a dark skinned woman I have this complex where I am only attracted to dark skinned men . I feel that when I am with the light skinned men I am not beautiful enough. To add salt on a fresh wound a guy that I was interested in posted a comment on FB saying that he would date a dark skinned girl but not marry one nor have children. I wad crushed. Our society does not embrace dark skinned people ad beautiful which affects the self esteem of some women. Its bad enough we have to fight for our rights outside our communities but inside as well.
Absolutely!!
But most of the colorstruck black men are dark skin black men, so how do you feel more comfortable with them opposed to lighter skin black men? Isn’t it said that lighter skin black men gravitate towards darker skin black women anyway? Go frequent any black male dominated forum and the main one’s saying terms like “exotic” “good hair” or “redbone/light skin” are the very dark skin me you’re attracted to. I’m not saying don’e be attracted to them, because I am to, I’m just saying the very men you’re putting on a pedestal are the one’s who kick you off yours. Dark skin men are placed on a platform because dark skin represents masculinty, even white women prefer dark olive skin like most Italian men which came about the phrase “Tall, dark and handsome” they were referring to Euro men with dark features ala John Stamos, Cristiano Ronaldo or Gilles Marini. The darker the black male, the broader the features the more masculine and attractive he’s seen by women. The broader the features the darker the skin on black women the more masculine and unappealing she’s seen to men and society which is unfortunate. Same for lighter men and women. The lighter skin, the smaller the features the more feminine the male is seen as to women, the smaller the features the lighter the skin the more feminine the woman is seen as to men and society. Nature didn’t construct it this way, HU”MAN ” did. we created all the ignorant superficial division tactics unfortunately colorism is one of them.
Yes…Colorism is still alive and well on planet Earth. It saddens me. As a light-skinned sista it actually disgusts me to see the lack of beautiful dark skinned women on TV. The Colorism issue is relevant because of what we see on television. Yes, TV has been more progressive with featuring African Americans in a variety of roles. However, I’m sick of seeing the “Jennifer Beals” and “Lisa Bonet’s” of the world. I want to see more “Rutina Wesley’s” and “Kerry Washington’s”.
I also notice when they cast interracial relationships on TV/Film it’s always a high-yellow lightskinned sista with a white guy. Why not a beautiful chocolate sista with a white guy? I have a personal affinity for seeing dark skin with white skin. It’s beautiful to me.
Anyway—its sad we are still having the same “brown paper bag” discussion in 2012. We can only hope progression will continue. :::SIGH:::
Colorism is a curse and it’s still used. A lot of black men and women are in denial it exists because they’ve internalized it. I see some black women talk about how they love to support dark skin and black features, but ask these same black women to name their inspiration on fashion and beauty and watch their collection lighten by the number. They have been using it for so long, and it’s been presented to them for so long it’s internally within their genetic makeup now. The fact that I still see my lighter skin sistas with “RedBone” in their screenames and titles still lets me know colorism plays a major yet negative part in our communities. I don’t see many black women with “Dark” or “chocolate” to describe the glorification of their darker skin. I even see medium brown black women like Tyra Banks referring to themselves as “redbones”. They do it because being light skin or a redbone in the black community has been attached to something positive. A symbol of beauty outside of alienated “standard” black beauty. Having lighter skin for a woman is associated with femininity and beauty. Doesn’t matter what her features look like (Rihanna who has typical Ghanaian features imo) doesn’t matter what their hair looks like( Keyshai Cole and her many colors of hair, who’s been called a hoodrat more her or Fantasia?) doesn’t matter what their bodies look like ( Jordin Sparks who dated or was rumored to have dated many guys including athletes when she was bigger. Name other light skin black women in the media outside of the typical who’s constantly upheld to a standard regarding their bodies? EXACTLY! YOU CAN’T!) doesn’t matter how they act (Beyonce, Kimora Lee, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, and some of those basketball wives the two lighter one’s mainly can all have aggressive attitudes and be labeled divas, what have darker skinned black women like Omarosa, Tiffany Pollard ( I Love New York been labeled? Exactly, bitches! Not divas, bitches!) doesn’t matter what demographic they come from, in the eyes of colorstruck black men and biased society their lighter complexion much like what ice does to heat “Cools the bad characteristics down”. Ever heard of “white is right” well in the black community white and light is right. Darker black women are often sized up. I’ve been on forums where they’d have eye candy two women with the same bodies, same amount of tats same kind of weave and the men would always talk about the lighter one or to take it a step further the non-black one being wifey material, even if they both have the same look. Some how close to white skin or white skin makes it all the more better. I’ve seen plus size blogs where men would compliment the light or non-black one’s but talk about how nasty the dark skin one’s look and how they need to cover up, even if the light one’s have their watermelon sized boobs all out for the world to see, never them dehumanize them and refer to them as “nasty” or “trashy”. I’ve seen black men say Evelyn Lozada’s attitude was sexy because she’s Latina, but these same black men call black women bitches and hard to get along with for ours. And I’m sure the image that pops into their heads while saying this, is the image of a dark skin black woman rolling her neck and waving her finger.
Even in commercials the very dark skin black man is paired with a lighter skin black woman, with supposedly natural hair. It’s like “Here I threw you a bone with this one” meaning she’s black enough, but she’s mainstream enough for white viewers as well. It’s sad the way society and the black community view black women of a darker hue. We have many more standards, little margin for error meaning we can’t do, be, look or act like other women because the ice underneath is is very thin. It’s really sad how dark skin black women are viewed no matter how pretty, educated, fit, or classy we are, we’re still labeled based on our appearance. Michelle Obama is a prime example, fits all of those positive qualities and was still labeled an angry black woman. In the eyes of certain black men and society darker skin black women are already tainted so we better get to working to make sure we statisfy society, oh who cursed us with this darker skin on our female anatomy, does thou knoweth a woman is to only be light? lol.
I am yellow, and in the summer red. I have friends who are different shades darker than I am. It took years for her to realize that while I may not have the same struggles as her I still struggle. Any women or man for that women in our community who has an issue with the different shades that are black women are disgusting. As I was saying it took years for me to explain or show her that her flawless brown skin is something I will never have as light skin tends to have more marks,acne etc. I am still seen in the workplace as black, when I get pulled over I’m still black in the eyes of police officers. It’s 2015 and the darker skin women among me automatically assume I think I’m better. Why? Because I’m a product of a centuries old rape (as I’ve stated in another post) Am I really going to have to try and find a blog for light skinned black women? Because that’s rediculous. Also don’t tell me I haven’t been called a porch monkey, asked if a person could change my name to pebbles and have my childhood ruined because I was “ugly” And called light Brite as well as jokes on my body because I have.