Complexion Complexities
The Skin Colour Factor
The saying used to go thus, ‘’black is beautiful”. However, things have changed with an increased patronage of bleaching creams and the use of plastic surgery to initiate skin colour enhancement. This basically means there is a rapid deviation from that belief by most black men and women as a result of trying to fit into the societal thought of you only being regarded as beautiful when you appear white. In actual sense, most black male and females just say the words "black is beautiful" but their minds are saturated with the ambition of a colossal complexion change.
This fast-growing mentality of secretly aspiring to be lighter in complexion could be attached to the societal perception of what is beautiful, and the concept of being beautiful primarily associated with our skin tone. The word “beautiful” is dependent on the characteristic attached and only perceived to meet the requirement of the word which when critically considered contradicts the concept of “human uniqueness”.
Using the Caucasians as a case study, it is obvious they also experienced similar trials in relation to the general belief of the white skin in relation to beauty. Having pale skin in the Victorian era was considered being beautiful of which the more you skin appeared porcelain, the more beautiful you were perceived. Those times, the primary motive behind the employment of make-up (especially powder) was to help whiten the face with a contrasting effect created with a blusher. The irony of those beauty methods today is their extinction as tanning and the use of sunbeds have become the latest sensation to enhance a brown coloured skin.
The rationale behind my explanation is to give you a clearer picture of “beautiful” meeting up to a particular requirement. Re-analysing the Victorian era, white skin was considered beautiful and cool, it gave people the idea that such a person doesn’t work on the fields or go through stress and as a result was deemed a sign of wealth and affluence. Today tanning is the new representation of wealth amongst them because you being comfortable enough to embark on holidays in warm countries and get your skin tanned gives a green light of true affluence.
Relating this to the black race, it gives a somewhat logical idea why most people are on a bleaching spree. With this similar perception of light-skinned being viewed as an epitome of beauty, and a considerable amount of men being attracted to them, most ladies are environmentally brainwashed with an option none other but to join the flock to enhance her chances of selection in the competition for males and enjoy other perks that comes along with the epiderm removal. Ladies who don’t fall for this societal pressure are now becoming psychologically subjected to some form of inferiority complex.
What could be the solution to this mentality?
This problem is one deep-rooted subconsciously in the minds of most which makes it quite difficult to fix. A complete reorientation (if possible a mental overhaul) and a total erase of the skin colour factor as a characteristic of an individual who could be considered beautiful could be a likely solution, one which seems unachievable. However, the earlier we begin to see beyond the societal conditioning of light being better, the earlier we will understand that there is so much beauty in every skin shade whether white or black.
Thanks for reading :)
Compliments. Beautiful post. You explained a subject still so delicate nowadays in a respectful and simple way. Unfortunately the human being can't see the various shades of color unless that brings them some advantage. And this is true of everything that differs from the common thought of our society. What can we do? Maybe we have to ask ourselves how to raise awareness in people of taking care of their inner part, their soul and not just their exterior side. But it's my opinion. ;-D
I completely agree with your opinion as the major solution to the problem is tracing it back to its roots which is our mindset and perspective before a change can be initiated. Thanks a lot for commenting :)
This is a fascinating perspective and, indeed, an issue prevalent in Westernised societies. Mainly due to colonialism and the introduction of Social Darwinism, people of various ethnic backgrounds have been conditioned to ward away from the aesthetic diversities of their cultures to adopt that of the European standard. This, in turn, adds more social pressure onto women and men alike, encouraging objectification and unrealistic standards, further aggravating the stability of societies.
This is why I find the Afrofuturism movement so appealing and inspiring. The contributors have already had significant progress toward highlighting the beauty of dark complexions within their own cultural perspective, while painting African people as pioneers in science and social progress through which furthers the goal of erasing the complexion hierarchy. Resolution will not arise from a single, large initiative, but through small campaigns that gain momentum through the years. Unfortunately, change seldom occurs in one's lifetime.
Thank-you for highlighting this, it needs to be spoken about.
Thanks for your beautifully written and comprehensive comment. I sure did learn a lot from it which includes "Afrofuturism" which I am coming across for the first time. Looking forward to hearing from you more often :).
No problem and ditto! I'm glad to spread the word of Afrofuturism.