I'm Dark-Skinned... and What?

In our society, we place great importance on wealth, youth and appearance. However, it seems that we’re sliding backward towards a time where lighter skin is favoured over darker skin.

During the 1960s, the term ‘Black is Beautiful’ was banded about, aimed to celebrate black people’s features and make people proud to be black. But nearly fifty years on, we seem to have forgotten all of this as whitening cream sales rise as people become more and more desperate to have the ‘perfect’ caramel skin.

Darker skinned people have nearly always faced disapproval, openly portrayed as savages or buffoons in the media (e.g. gollywogs). But these portrayals have always been by ignorant white people during the days where racial equality wasn’t so high on the list. These days, it’s people who should know better, people who aren’t white who seem to be pushing light skin on all of us.

I’m a dark skinned teenager of Ghanaian heritage. I’ve heard positive comments as well as negative ones. Now, people who make negative comments are stupid and ignorant, and usually posses an ego that has been inflated to a point where it engulfs the person. However, ego and/or stupidity are no excuse. People shouldn’t have to put up with these sorts of negative comments. Everyone should be allowed to be comfortable with whatever shade they are, whether they’re as white as snow or as black as coal.

I have been wondering what’s brought this intra-racial contempt on. I Googled something along the lines of ‘dark skinned contempt’ and two interesting articles came up. Tameka J. Raymond (aka Usher Raymond’s ex-wife) and British journalist/author Yasmin Alibhai-Brown both wrote interesting articles on this topic. Both blame the rise in popularity of lighter skinned people on the media. Raymond says: ‘Reading magazines, social media sites, watching our music videos, and television shows feed our appetites for all things ‘beauty’. Rarely, however do I see depictions of grace and elegance in the form of dark complexioned women.’ While Alibhai-Brown comments: ‘The beauty and fashion industries still maintain a closed shop when it comes to the selection and promotion of models. In women's magazines, on catwalks, even shop dummies, dark skin is rarely seen… Exceptionally, Naomi Campbell and Iman are permitted to strut with their white peers. Let's pray no bus ever runs them over.’

Now, I try not to use the ‘media card’ too often, as I feel that it is the first thing people blame when things go wrong, however, I’m willing to make an exception in this case. In 2008, L’Oreal ran a campaign for its hair lightening kit, featuring Beyonce. The public were outraged when the picture was released. L’Oreal was accused of lightening caramel-coloured Beyonce’s skin until she resembled a white girl who had spent two weeks in Ibiza. Of course, L’Oreal vehemently denied photoshopping the picture to within an inch of its life, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether L’Oreal is lying or not.

Also in 2008, Italian Vogue created its first ‘All Black’ issue, where all the models used in that issue were black. This issue sold out world-wide. However, many darker-skinned models complain that they cannot find work. The fashion industry’s excuse? ‘Black models don’t sell.’ Well Vogue clearly decapitated that excuse. The projection of just one type of beauty in the media excludes the majority of the population. If you aren’t tall, thin, and have light skin, I’m sorry; you just don’t cut it in this society.

Some people are so desperate to attain this narrow view of beauty that they’ll result to drastic measures. As previously mentioned, sales of lightening creams are rocketing; however some of these creams are not safe. Indy Rihal of the British Skin Foundation says: “Unfortunately, many skin-lightening creams contain illegal compounds that can damage your health; the most common compounds are high-dose steroids.” Regrettably, some people don’t heed these warnings and still carry on applying these creams until their face is three shades lighter than the rest of their body, or the veins in their face become visible, or until their skin develops a grey tint to it, ruining their face forever.

What is even sadder is the prospect of having a generation of young dark-skinned people hating their own skin colour. I came across a Yahoo Answers question, with a seemingly young person (I’m assuming a girl) wishing she wasn’t ‘dark skin black’ and asking whether ‘you guys do any bleaching cream that will made [sic] me fair skinned?’ They go on to mention that they are teased at school, and they want to be none other than Beyonce’s skin tone (oh, the irony). This case of self-loathing is increasingly becoming more common.

I think it’s down to all of us to promote beauty in all its forms, but I also think that I can be our generation that breaks the mould and ends this ridiculous, narrow minded view on what it means to be beautiful.

I'm dark-skinned. And what?

(Image thieved from here. Sorry.)

Overheard Articulation...

"Alexander McQueen is dead... but maybe all his bags will go on sale?"

A Music Moment: Ones for 2010

It’s a new year so it is time for some brand new artists. First up is twenty-three year old Ellie Goulding from Herefordshire. After I initially ignored her first single, Under the Sheets, her second single, Starry Eyed grabbed my attention. Her voice sounds like she should be making folk music; however, when mixed with dance/electro beats the result is quite stunning. Starry Eyed is released in the UK on February 22nd, and her debut album, Lights is out on March 1st.

Next is twenty-four year old Marina Lambrini (LOL) Diamandis aka Marina and the Diamonds. The half Welsh half Greek songstress was second in the BBC’s Sound of 2010, only beaten by the above Ellie Goulding. Her first promotional single from her debut album, The Family Jewels, Hollywood, is full of clever lyrics about the American Dream. She has often been compared to Florence + the Machine, but the only thing they really have in common is the ‘and the’ in their respective titles. Hollywood is out now in the UK, and The Family Jewels is out on February 22nd (again, in the UK).

Lastly is twenty-one year old Swede Erik Hassle. After establishing a successful career in native Sweden, he’s now trying to conquer Britian. He’s already toured with Mika (erugh), Little Boots (meh), and Florence + the Machine (yay!). Even though I find him a bit creepy looking, and he looks like La Roux’s twin brother (don’t tell me you can’t see it), his debut single, Hurtful is a solid pop single. His debut EP, Pieces is also out now.

These girls debuted ten years ago. Click.

Overheard Articulation...

"Who says I can't take a dump in the urinal? I’m a temp and it’s my last day. I can do whatever I want!"

The year that was: 2009

2009 saw many strange and interesting occurrences. A mixed race person took control of the most powerful country in the world, and everyone chanted 'Yes We Can' for months on end. UK politicians were exposed to be abusing their expenses and taxpayers money… like we didn’t already know. The recession (aka the ‘credit crunch’) took hold and being poor became fashionable for about four seconds. It snowed heavily twice, bringing the UK to a standstill twice. Swine Flu was the new Bird Flu. Madonna went shopping and brought back a black baby, actually speaking of babies, in the UK everyone was outraged at the prospect that a thirteen year old could be a dad (it wasn’t his kid in the end, the fifteen year old girl had slept with two other boys around the same time… I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not going to say it…). There were racial controversies all over the place, and it highlighted how some people’s thinking was still stuck in the fifties and sixties. Usain Bolt ran. Fast. Everyone tweeted their business. Beyonce was everywhere, copied other artists and made more money from it then they did, and did that dance about four million times. Lady Gaga was also everywhere, doing her best to prove that she should be sectioned. A spinster became a star. Chris Brown flopped his own career by hitting Rihanna, however her career went from strength to strength. She celebrated this by wearing less clothes and pretending to be dark and mysterious. Kanye West did a Kanye West and stole Taylor Swift’s moment at the MTV awards. Lauren Conrad left The Hills, only to be replaced by someone inferior. Grime was watered down and became mainstream. R&B died, and has been since repackaged as ‘Urban’ music. BNP leader Nick Griffin was allowed on Question Time. Everyone watched. Somebody won Big Brother 10. Somebody won the Mercury music prize. Tiger Woods was revealed to be a part time slut. Rock beat pop to the UK Christmas number one. This made Simon Cowell mad, but his face showed no emotion. And a lot of celebrities dropped dead like flies, proving no-one, no matter how rich, talented or beautiful is immune from Death’s jaws.

I think I’ve spent most of this year being confused. A-levels completely flummoxed me. People completely bewildered me. Funny that, because last year I wrote about how I’d learnt so much. That’s the problem with seventeen year olds, they think they know everything.

So that was 2009.

What are you calling next year? Twenty-ten or two thousand and ten?

Overheard Articulation...

About the snow:

"Oh well there goes a lot of no claims bonuses...sad times"

Still Up and Still Running...

Urban [ur-buh n]
-adjective

Characteristic of or accustomed to cities; citified: He is an urban type.


Articulation [ahr-tik-yuh-ley-shuh n]
-noun

Expressing in coherent verbal form; "the articulation of my feelings"; "I gave voice to my feelings"


Hello and Welcome.

I am a seventeen year-old male living in London, and this is my blog about growing up in this vibrant, messy, noisy city that I call home. I write about what I see, read and hear; things that inspire me.

I am not the stereotypical "rudeboy" knife-carrying, territorial, feral creature. It has become all too easy hating on teenagers, and I find it funny that this has been allowed to happen. It's bizzare, a lot of people say teenagers don't have any respect for anyone, but how can you cultivate respect for people when they are disrespectful to you?

Anyway, so this is my blog. Read it, comment, suggest things, criticise (nicely)...Whatever.

Peace.

That was me… then. This little old blog of mine is a year old today. I’d never expected things to take off so quickly, I’d barely expected anything to result from this. But things have, and for that I’d like to say thank you.

I’m still Urban Articulations.