You’re pretty for a dark skin girl “ If I got a dollar for every time someone told me that I’d be one rich *censored* The statement you’re pretty for a dark skin girl is such a back handed compliment and the fact that society sees me a someone that’s pretty for the skin tone I am will always be a problem to me. Colorism is still prevalent in today’s society. What is colorism?
“Colorism is prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.” It dates way back to slavery, with the House Slave vs. Field Slave Mentality. Lighter slaves worked in the house while the darker slaves did vigorous hard work in the fields. Or the Willie Lynch Letter (If you don’t know I suggest you brush up on your history… seriously) Colorism systematically keeps the unified “Black people” “divided. It goes deeper to even the brown paper bag test. So you mean to tell me because I’m darker than a brown paper bag my opportunities were limited.
It’s systematic.
It is said that many churches, fraternities, and even nightclubs used the “brown paper bag” principle as a test to enter. People would literally take a brown paper bag and hold it against a person’s skin. If a person was lighter than the bag, he or she was admitted. Now let’s bring it to modern day with old day values where all the rappers and magazines favor lighter women over darker. Or in movies such as the upcoming movie “The hate you give” by New York Times Best-Selling author Angie Thomas who brought the novel to life by casting a light-skin young lady over a darker complexion one which was described in the book, and visible on the cover.
Don’t get me wrong colorism goes all ways rather you’re light, high yella, Carmel, brown and the richest shade of dark brown. But it still does not make it right. There are people who wake up and look in the mirror and hate themselves. Little chocolate girls who want to be lighter or shocked when you call them pretty. But art is beautiful no matter how it’s perceived. You are art, valuable art. Recently people have shown more love and appreciation for chocolate Sistas On social media. A girl put one day “don’t praise me now because back then I was called midnight now you wanna call me sexy chocolate I been IN y’all just now realizing it” so to the dark skin ladies out there love your skin and everything that comes with it love who you are because you are fearfully and wonderfully made. People can’t talk about you when you know who YOU are. Stand comfortably and bold in YOUR purpose nobody’s son, or anyone can tell you who you are. You’re beautiful, your black is beautiful, your skin is gold.
Sincerely a dark skin queen name Asia Hall ☺