You're Pretty, For An African. Ouch!

As a dark skinned black woman, one of the most infuriating back handed compliments I could ever receive (it really is an insult, actually) is “Oh, you’re pretty for a dark skinned girl” Ggggggrrrrrhhhh! Makes my blood boil.


Why do people think that dark skin is not pretty – still in 2010? What’s not pretty about the colour of chocolate, the colour of polished mahogany? What’s not pretty about the colour of polished ebony or dark chocolate biscuit? I love my dark skin – when I look in the mirror I think it looks just fiiiiiiine – and as we start a New Year and New Decade, it is serving me well with the passage of time – dark skin don’t crack.


I understand where this mentality came from. I know all the history – light skinned slaves stay in the house and dark skinned slaves out in the field. I know about the Brown Paper Bag Test. I know about “If your light, you’re alright, if you’re brown, stick around and if you’re black, get back.” I know about the bleaching creams enticing black women to look light and I know about the colonialism of Africa and the Caribbean that taught dark black women that their skin tone was less-than.


I know all this comes from a mentality that “White is best” and therefore anyone that has some white ancestry in them (the lighter the skin, the more white ancestry there is likely to be in the person) has got to be better than someone who doesn’t have any or very little white ancestry. This “Lighter is better” mentality comes from a belief that “White is best” – and yet knowing this, we still continue to perpetuate the myth that light skin is better.


That is what baffles me the most. In 2010, why are we still doing this?


Ladies, do you find that Black men are the greater offenders in this tendency to glorify light skin or are Black women just as bad? I am also interested in the treatment dark skinned Black women receive from outside the race – do you find that non-blacks treat you better or worse than how they treat light skinned Black women or do they treat you exactly the same anyway?


What I am trying to find out is if this difference of treatment on the basis of skin tones lies only within our own race or do non-blacks also treat us differently on the basis of skin tone.


Dark skinned ladies, have you ever used (or been tempted to use) skin bleaching or lightening products to help you achieve that light skinned tone that seems to get all the glory?


Light skinned ladies, have you noticed any difference in treatment (good or bad) towards you because you are light skinned?


On a personal note – and this is just my observation, not a scientific statement, I find that biracial Black women are very standoffish towards me – I’m a dark skinned black woman. It’s almost like they are wary of me and won’t talk to me.


Light skinned and bi-racial ladies, am I correct here or am I talking total nonsense?
Are light skinned and biracial girls standoffish towards dark skinned Black women? CLICK HERE FOR AN ARTICLE ON THAT TOPIC.


Wow, so many angles to consider- there are a lot more issues involved here than first meets the eye.


Have you got any stories to tell, anecdotes and personal experiences that you would like to share regarding any part of this matter? I would love to hear them.


I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Andrea

COMING SOON:

“Black Women, Stop Wasting All Your Money On Your Hair”

How Do Our Black Sistas Compare With Women Of Other Races? by Astute Male Observer.

“Why I’m glad Tiger doesn’t like Black Women” by Astute Female Observer

“Stop It, White People!” Why do White People Make Fun Of the Way Black People Speak?

Driving While Black – How To Deal With Police Stops.

Why Can’t Black Men And Black Women Get Along?

Is The Law More Lenient With White People Than Blacks?

Why are Black British So Disorganised Compared To African Americans?

“I Cross The Road To Avoid Nigerian Men – Why Do They Have Such Poor Social Skills?”

Africa – The Last Stand against Homosegxwality?