Self-Hatred and the Black Race: The Elevation of Skin Colour

OK, my title is up for debate. I know lots of black people who do not hate themselves simply because of the colour of their skin. But, I was in a session recently and it pained my heart to hear a woman talking about her daughter, she was stressing on the fact that her daughter is brown. It seemed as if that was the main redeeming feature of her child.

I’ve heard this often from other dark-skinned black people. Each time it happens, I feel saddened for the person and the child. I’ve had friends who grew up in Jamaica resting on their laurels about being fair or brown and getting a rude awakening when they migrate.

I’ve heard my people state that ‘so and so’ is so beautiful because they are brown with ‘pretty hair’. I’ve tried to stop people in their tracks when I see them going this route but sometimes it seems like a useless battle. When I’m home in Jamaica and move around and see people with all kinds of concoctions over their faces I get disgusted.

Of course, with our celebrities and wanna-be celebs lightening their skin, what hope is there for those who want to be in the spotlight when they think being light skinned is the only way. Of course, this matter of worshiping lighter skin is not unique to the black race as there is ample evidence of other dark-skinned people doing the same thing such as Indians and Malaysians.

Sadly, this is not a phenomenon that will stop any time soon as some parents show preference for their lighter-skinned children. Thankfully, this is not always the case, but it happens way too often. My parents, God bless them, never made colour an issue when we were growing up. We were told we were beautiful and wonderfully made.

Sometimes I wonder if we’ll ever get beyond this point where people see themselves as beautiful regardless of the colour of their skin. My family is a virtual United Nations; I have nephews, aunts and uncles, nieces, cousins, and in-laws of every hue imaginable. To me they are all beautiful and unique.