In the black community there are so many taboos. From our hair texture, size, education to skin color. Among Black women, issues of not being beautiful are pervasive and damaging and there is a great divide between light-skinned women and dark-skinned women. With all of the preconceived notions of beauty and the divisiveness among black people, one has to wonder…
What makes a black woman beautiful? Are fair-skinned women like Beyonce and Rihanna prettier than Alek Wek or Shingai Shoniwa,? Is being “exotic” with a big butt better than just being a “regular” black girl? Why do we continue to put qualifications on black beauty?
Growing up as a black girl these are the questions I asked myself, the notions that were put into my head at an early age. And while I am not classified as “dark-skinned”, the idea that if I were lighter or more exotic I would be better accepted is a message that I have to continuously safeguard my mind from. It’s a message that is constantly directed at me from all angles of the media. Even in fashion blogging, the image of a thin, light-skinned, indie Lisa Bonet-esque “Black girl” is perpetuated as the ideal.
Unfortunately, not all young girls are able to keep these notions from poisoning their self-esteem and tainting their pool of self-acceptance. Rocquelle from Consider Me Lovely wrote an amazingly poignant post titled My Dark Is Lovely. She examines her own journey to accepting her dark-skin, the proclamation that her black is beautiful and why we all must love ourselves. Please read Rocquelle’s riveting post.
Dark Girls: The Movie hopes to address the issues of self-acceptance, skin color and self-love not only among women but in the African American community as a whole. While this is not an issue that one movie will eradicate, Dark Girls will shed much needed light on the Great Color Divide and open our minds to the fact that…
All Women are Beautiful, No matter the shade.
Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.
Watch the Chilling preview and please support Dark Girls and help to get the film funded http://www.indiegogo.com/Dark-Girls-Movie Thanks Faith215 for the link!
What are your thoughts on the Light vs. Dark discussion?
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Well, you know how I feel about this issue (thank you for linking to my post!), but I will say that I am glad that there is a film striving to shed light on this taboo subject. I believe that we should see the beauty in all of our skin tones. I love and adore my friends (and think they are just as beautiful)equallly regardless of if they are light skinned, adark skinned or in between!
I truly hope this film gets proper funding, and I will definitely donate what I can to support!
They have a page to donate to also, at http://www.indiegogo.com/Dark-Girls-Movie
Probably mentions this on the page but just in case:)
I’m glad this movie exists, I’d ask my daughter if she ran into anything regarding skin tone and she’d always tell me no they don’t tease people for those sort of things in my school etc. But the things that come out in her own “opinions” let me know that it does still exist, may not be as direct as when I was in school but enough for her to face some of the same things I have.
It bothers me that some find this depressing or limited based on the preview. Can’t move forward without looking the problem directly in the eye and dealing with it.
<3
Wonderful post for a wonderful cause. This is such a necessary conversation.
The trailer for Dark Girls really made me think when I watched it a few weeks ago after Ty and Rocquelle’s posts. It truly saddened me to see the hurtful things people will say just because of a skin color. And yet every group has reservations about their color- white’s included (tanning salons anybody?) I think you hit it spot on when you said every woman is beautiful regardless of color. Thank you.
I remember reading Rocquelle’s post on this movie as well as seeing the trailer and it does shed light on a issue that should be addressed. It’s a shame that African Americans have come such a long way, yet there are still things that keep us from coming together. The slavery mentatility is still heavily engrained in us and we have to keep reminding our younger girls that no matter what her shade is, she is beautiful. It takes women like us to keep reminding them (and showing them too!)
This was definitely a necessary issue to reflect on. What I think is every single woman is beautiful regardless of color, age, education, interest and faith. There is always someone that you are the perfect and the most beautiful one for.
I want to see this movie.
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