I must say that i did really enjoy reading this. And it made me think of when, will we as Black people learn to love and accept who we are. When will be understand that who we are and how were are made is beautiful. I don't like what someone said about personal choice when it comes to this issue. You were made the shade you are so celebrate it. You were made strong, so much so that our bloodline s full of rich strong history. I really don't care if having lighter skin is a so call plus, to the world. I have enough faith in me to know that i will succeed on the basis of who i am. I have nor will i ever want to be any color other than what i am. The problem is that we are so lead by what the media and white people says that we don't see us. We buy into what ever the media says we are. And they have no clue who we are and what we possess! It is designed to make us feel inferior to them. And sadly enough most of us do feel that way about who we are. We spend so much time trying to be and please the white man. That we have no clue of what it is to just be us! To me there is no personal choice when it comes to the skin i'm in. Because it is the skin that was given to me by our heavenly father. I celebrate it and i am so proud of it.. As the slogan goes, MY BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL! Because it has stood the test of time... And there is pride in me and the skin that is on my body. Nice meeting you and your husband while seeing Red Tails....
Tanya - 12 years ago
So Sad So True...and Micheal Jackson took it to another level
Debora Beverly - 12 years ago
I would be unjust to say that there aren't benefits to having lighter skin. There are studies a plenty that indicate the most "pleasing" appearance is multiracial -- Jessica Alba being a prototype of the "ideal."
What would happen if there was a way to change our color / features that did not have health risks? What then? Personally, I'm thrilled with my identity as a black woman and wouldn't change it, but I know that there are others who simply would rather not have to deal with being black.
I like the concept of people choosing their personal options. In doing so, I think it's important that we continue to have the conversation of what those choices mean in terms of individual health, safety and self-esteem and in the aggregate relative to our children.
For example, I am and always have been a huge fan of Michael Jackson, despite his choices.
Marvin Smith - 12 years ago
The practice of bleaching skin is yet another pathetic effort by slaves to annex themselves to and somehow please their masters. It is akin to a dog dancing with a hula-hoop. Personal success is the key to integration, regardless of who you achieve that success with. The mainstream will seek you out and embrace you once they get wind of a potential opportunity. It is what they do.
Unfortunately, we are still hating on ourselves. We have white people sitting in the sun all day and getting skin cancer to be darker and we have black people lightning their skin with creams to be lighter, that's causing different kinds of skin rashes and weird discolorations.
It's not the color of your skin that makes you who you are. It's your personality, your knowledge and your creativity that will set you apart from others. Embrace the gifts that God gave you, including the color of your skin to make a difference in this world.
I have a poster in my office by Joseph Campbell that states "Diversity- the privilege of a lifetime is being who you are".
I must say that i did really enjoy reading this. And it made me think of when, will we as Black people learn to love and accept who we are. When will be understand that who we are and how were are made is beautiful. I don't like what someone said about personal choice when it comes to this issue. You were made the shade you are so celebrate it. You were made strong, so much so that our bloodline s full of rich strong history. I really don't care if having lighter skin is a so call plus, to the world. I have enough faith in me to know that i will succeed on the basis of who i am. I have nor will i ever want to be any color other than what i am. The problem is that we are so lead by what the media and white people says that we don't see us. We buy into what ever the media says we are. And they have no clue who we are and what we possess! It is designed to make us feel inferior to them. And sadly enough most of us do feel that way about who we are. We spend so much time trying to be and please the white man. That we have no clue of what it is to just be us! To me there is no personal choice when it comes to the skin i'm in. Because it is the skin that was given to me by our heavenly father. I celebrate it and i am so proud of it.. As the slogan goes, MY BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL! Because it has stood the test of time... And there is pride in me and the skin that is on my body. Nice meeting you and your husband while seeing Red Tails....
So Sad So True...and Micheal Jackson took it to another level
I would be unjust to say that there aren't benefits to having lighter skin. There are studies a plenty that indicate the most "pleasing" appearance is multiracial -- Jessica Alba being a prototype of the "ideal."
What would happen if there was a way to change our color / features that did not have health risks? What then? Personally, I'm thrilled with my identity as a black woman and wouldn't change it, but I know that there are others who simply would rather not have to deal with being black.
I like the concept of people choosing their personal options. In doing so, I think it's important that we continue to have the conversation of what those choices mean in terms of individual health, safety and self-esteem and in the aggregate relative to our children.
For example, I am and always have been a huge fan of Michael Jackson, despite his choices.
The practice of bleaching skin is yet another pathetic effort by slaves to annex themselves to and somehow please their masters. It is akin to a dog dancing with a hula-hoop. Personal success is the key to integration, regardless of who you achieve that success with. The mainstream will seek you out and embrace you once they get wind of a potential opportunity. It is what they do.
Unfortunately, we are still hating on ourselves. We have white people sitting in the sun all day and getting skin cancer to be darker and we have black people lightning their skin with creams to be lighter, that's causing different kinds of skin rashes and weird discolorations.
It's not the color of your skin that makes you who you are. It's your personality, your knowledge and your creativity that will set you apart from others. Embrace the gifts that God gave you, including the color of your skin to make a difference in this world.
I have a poster in my office by Joseph Campbell that states "Diversity- the privilege of a lifetime is being who you are".
Love thy self before you can love others.