Africa: Where black is not really beautiful
South Africa is a land of diverse cultures and races, the country is marketed to the world as Mandela's rainbow nation - where everyone is proud of their race and heritage but for some black South Africans there is such a thing as being too black.
"...most people say they use skin-lighteners because they want "white skin"...
A nasty by-product of centuries of white Euro-trash abuse of Africans in Africa and economic domination by "the higher classes" in EU and their colonialism I'd say. I'm not saying that the BS doesn't extend to the US' history of economic control of Latin America either.
I had a friend from South Africa who showed me a magazine ad for a skin lightening cream she wanted to order. I told her that her skin was beautiful and tried to explain that her desire for lighter skin was a product of racist colonial rule. She gave me this smile, like I had said something sweet but silly... like she appreciated the sentiment, but I didn't really understand her position.
ReplyDeleteHoney, she was right, and so were you. I've been in the minority and hated because I am white, and observed the pecking order amongst blacks in this country. The lighter the skin, the more opportunities afforded them.
DeletePeople are nuts.
ReplyDeleteFar from the madding crowd, Happy New Year ~!
Wow! When will this racism madness stop? This reminds me of the sad story of Michael Jackson who became so obsessed with his perceived need to look caucasian that he fucked his body completely and died from all the bullshit medical treatments to make him look white.
ReplyDeleteI dunno honey. I just don't know. I'm sorry about your friend.
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