Part 2 of 2 (To read part one, click here.)
There are many stories that illustrate the practice of colorism, which is the bias of judging a person based upon complexion.
In America, the infamous “brown paper bag test” was used to eliminate those of darker skin tones from being admitted into institutions, organizations and even social events.
Prominent Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. has recalled his introduction to the custom in 1960, when he was an undergraduate student at Yale.
“As a classmate explained it to me, a bag party was a New Orleans custom wherein a brown paper bag was stuck on the door. Anyone darker than the bag was denied entrance,” said Gates.
Musicians exposed hatred and racial discrimination through candid lyrics. Big Bill Broonzy’s 1949 tune titled “Black, Brown and White Blues” stated “If you’re white, you’re all right, if you’re brown, stick around, but if you’re Black, oh brother, get back, get back, get back.”
Today, colorism continues, even in the form of Black-on-Black discrimination.
Lynsey Johnson remembers being brutally bullied and teased for her dark skin.
“In high school when the teacher would turn off the lights, my classmates would say things like ‘I can’t see Lynsey’ and ‘All I can see is her eyes,’” she said. The comments stung, she recalled. “It put a damper on my self esteem and I didn’t like the way I looked.”
Today, Johnson has gained confidence in herself with the help of friends and celebrity role models.
“I’ve begun to embrace it and I’m happy the world is starting to embrace it (darker skin tones). You have people like Lupita and Naomi Campbell who are absolutely beautiful,” she noted.
However, Johnson said, there’s still a need for beauty products for women of darker shades. For example, brands such as the CoverGirl Queen Collection have a broad range of shades for women of color, others such as Neutrogena do not cover the full spectrum of American beauty.
One phrase Johnson is fed up with hearing is “You’re pretty for a dark skin girl.”
“It drives me up the wall because why can’t I just be pretty? I’ve used that to fuel my ‘I’m pretty anyway’ confidence. Sometimes I’ll even hear ‘You’re pretty for a Black girl’ and that really makes me mad,” stated Johnson.
Darian Bailey, Chicago native, believes people are turned off when they see those of a darker hue. “I think men get stereotyped more than females and I’m not sure why that is,” said Bailey. “If a cop pulled over a dark skinned man and a dark skinned woman, I feel as if the man would be searched first because they are usually seen as more of a threat.”
He believes Black people continue to face workplace discrimination, and that it’s even more difficult for those of a darker skin tone.
In past occasions, prominent African-Americans such as President Barak Obama, Halle Berry, Kelly Rowland and O.J. Simpson have had their skin digitally altered to appear lighter.
Like Johnson and Bailey, Elizabeth Benitez, who is white and Pilipino believes dark skin individuals are gaining confidence and are seen as strong and resilient.
“You always hear ‘She’s pretty for a dark skin girl’ but you never hear ‘She’s pretty for a light skin girl.’ At the same time I’ve noticed there’s more people today who think others are pretty because they have a darker skin tone,” explained Benitez.
Johnson admires the broad spectrum of colors within the Black community.
“Black is all different shades and that’s the thing about us I think is really amazing. It’s one of the reasons we are such a melting pot. I look at myself and think, ‘Lynsey, I know you’re not just Black, because you have high cheekbones that comes from white people and a slender nose. I’m not sure what my hair is,” laughs Johnson who sports fine strands.
“There is just different things you can pick out and know you’re not fully Black. When people ask what I am, I say ‘I’m everything’ but associate myself with Black because that’s my dominant feature.”
Johnson said she believes the world won’t advance until society embraces all of humanity’s diverse skin tones. “People should look in the mirror and really look at what God has given them,” said Johnson.
“They can see themselves as beautiful. If they can search where they come from, then they can be more confident. People need to recognize others as beautiful for who they are and not compare themselves to the idea of ‘acceptance’ or ‘beauty.’”
