One of the things I love about my people, is that we come in a plethora of shapes, sizes, hair textures and skin tones. We are a people of undefinitive beauty; breathe taking and alluring in every complexion or shade. However, what I hate, is our outstanding african american men and women feeling ashamed, embarrassed or of lesser value because they are told they are ‘too dark’ or ‘too light’. We must learn to be comfortablein our own skin. Little black boys and girls are being chastised in our schools –made to feel inferior because of their rich, dark skin tones– and then coming home, facing themselves in the mirror and questioning their value. Way too often we hear the phrase, ‘Yea she’s cute, for a dark skinned girl’, but since when does dark skin and beauty in the same sentence not equate? They are islands where people are categorized by the fairness of their skin. It even goes as far as people in Nigeria are using harmful skin bleaching techniques in order to acheive lighter skin tones and in America we have stories of African American women, bathing themselves in bleach so they could obtain lighter skin. Society has found a way to subliminally fill our minds and subconscious’ with the false reality that fair skin and fine hair is the only parralle to attractiveness, but they are not the only ones to blame. We as a people must also take the heat for accepting it. Kings and Queens, I am here to tell you that your beauty can never be limited to the texture of your hair or the amount of melanin in your skin. Our beauty lies way beyond color, so celebrate and embrace your beauty; within and without. As editor-in-cheif of Essence magazine, Constance C.R. White stated, “Its time to move beyond our own divisive attitudes and embrace the glorious range and beauty of our skin tones.” Love the skin your in because your black is beautiful.
