What Light Skinned Women are Getting Wrong About ...

Beyoncé's “Brown Skin Girl,” a song dedicated to bringing pride, adoration, and celebration to dark-skinned women, has been framed by some as an ode to women of ... X Source:Beyoncé Beyoncé’s“BrownSkinGirl,”asongdedicatedtobringingpride,adoration,andcelebrationtodark-skinnedwomen,hasbeenframedbysomeasanodetowomenofallcolors,sparkinganotherdebateaboutcolorism. Lastweek,BeyoncédroppedTheLionKing:TheGift,abeautifully-craftedsoundtrackforthenewly-releasedLionKinglive-actionfilm.ThealbumservesasanhomagetothecontemporarysoundscomingoutofAfrica.  “BrownSkinGirl”—astandoutfromthealbumfeaturingSAINtJHN,WizKid,andBlueIvyCarter—hasreceivedpraiseforbeingacommandinglovelettertothebrownanddark-skinnedwomenoftheworld.Beyoncéleavesnoambiguityforwhothetrackisdedicatedto,acknowledgingwomenlikeNaomiCampbell,LupitaNyong’o,andfellowDestiny’sChildmemberKellyRowland.Andyet,asongthatisdedicatedtobringingpride,adoration,andcelebrationtobrownanddark-skinnedwomen,hasbeenframedbysomewomen—particularlylight-skinnedwomen—asanodetowomenofallcolors,sparkinganotherdebateaboutcolorismasitpertainstoblackpeople. And,frankly,speakingasalight-skinnedwoman,thishasbeenembarrassingtowatch. Colorismisaprocessthatprivilegeslight-skinnedpeopleofcoloroverdarkinareaslikeincome,education,housing,andotherfacetsoflife.Slaveownersutilizedthisideologywhentheywouldsectionoffourancestorsbasedonthelightnessordarknessoftheirskin.The“brownpaperbag”test,aformofdiscriminationwithintheAfrican-Americancommunitybycomparingone’sskintonetoapaperbag,isoneoftheearliestinstancesofcolorism.Duringthe20thcentury,therewereeven“PaperBagParties”thrownbyAfrican-Americans,eventsnotoriousfordenyingaccesstothosewhoweredarkerthanabrownpaperbag. Colorismcontinuestobeaproblem.Theoverallrepresentationoflight-skinnedactorsthatarecastoverdark-skinnedactorsisalarminglyunbalanced.Inthehip-hopindustry,“foreign”andlight-skinnedwomenareglorifiedthemost,notonlyinanartist’slyricsbuttheirmusicvideos.Justlastmonth,R&BsingerToryLanezfoundhimselfinapeculiarsituationafterheallegedlystagedthedefenseofadark-skinnedmodelbeingreplacedbyalight-skinnedmodelonamusicvideoset.Thefactthatanyonewouldhaveto“fake”asituationinordertodefenddark-skinnedwomenspeaksvolumes.Itiscowardlytoassumethatanyoftheseoccurrencesaresolelybasedoffof“preference”politicswhenhistorydefeatsthisclaimeachtime.    ViewthispostonInstagram   ❤️❤️❤️ ApostsharedbyBeyoncé(@beyonce)onJul25,2019at6:34pmPDT Atruememberofthe“BeyHive”wouldknowthatBeyoncéisstrategicandintentionalwithanymediumthatsheencompasses,andhasconstantlyusedherplatformtoshowcaseblackexcellenceatallcostsandbyanymeansnecessary.“BrownSkinGirl”isnoexception.She’sdeliberateinwhoshereferencesinthetrack,sayingthefollowinginitssecondverse: “PoselikeatrophywhenNaomi’swalkin.SheneedanOscarforthatprettydarkskin.PrettylikeLupitawhenthecamerasclosein.DripbroketheleveewhenmyKelly’srollin.Ithinktonightshemightbraidherbraids.Melanintoodarktothrowhershade.Shemindsherbusinessandwinesherwaist.Goldlike24k,okay!” TheQueenofPopcreatingapowerful,inspiringanthemthat’sdedicatedtobrownanddark-skinnedwomen?Weabsolutelylovetoseeit.  Beyoncédeliveredasongthatupliftedthewomenwhoareunderappreciatedthemost.Atrueallyutilizesone’sprivilegeinordertoupliftandinspireone’scommunity. Thishomagetodark-skinnedwomenwasdilutedbysomewomencenteringthesongonthemselvesanddisregardingwho“BrownSkinGirl”isfor.NigeriansongwriterMAJbaskedinherwillfulignorancewithherlackluster,tone-deafcoverof“BrownSkinGirl.”  MAJ’sintroductionaloneisablatantactoferasureinadditiontoglorifying“lightskin”assupreme: “HesayhereallylovesmyskinIsee.Don’tbelieveinbleachingbuttheAlmighty.Justalikklejeanandapurewhitetee.Ineverdonobodybenobodywifey.TonightImightjustbraidmyhair…lookinglikeSadeinaprettylonghair.SkinlikeBeyoncébutIreallydon’tcare…” WhywouldanyoneintheirrightmindutilizeBeyoncé’snameinordertomanipulatehermessageandtrueintention?Themomentwastheembodimentoflight-skinnedprivilegeandco-optingsomethingthatclearlydoesn’tbelongtous.MAJhasbeenrightfullycheckedonsocialmedia,althoughshe’syettoaddressthebacklashshe’sfacedfromit. LikeMAJ,IwasalsocheckedbymyTwitterpeersformylight-skinnedprivilege.Upuntilthatpoint,Iwasraisedinapredominatelywhite,suburbanneighborhoodinRoswell,Georgia.Assimilationandalackofrepresentationskewedmyoveralllearningprocessaboutblackhistoryatayoungage.Thankfully,IfoundpurposeandsalvationwhenIattendedcollegeinAtlanta,Georgia.Still,Ihadagoodbittolearnwhenitcametounderstandingmylight-skinnedprivilege.  Irememberoncetweeting,“WhydowealwayshavetoseparateourselvesintheBlackcommunity?Aren’tweallthesame?”Oneofmyinternetfriendstookthetimetowalkmethroughtheproblematicnatureofmyquestioning.Shealsoeducatedmeonhowtobeaproactiveallymovingforward.Tothisday,Iambeyondthankfulthatsheguidedmethroughmymistakeandturneditintoanhonest,transparenteducationalconversation.Self-awarenessandvulnerabilitygoesalongwaywhenitcomestobeingareliableandinformedally.IwouldencourageMAJtolistentothecritiquesmadeagainsthercover. Itisincrediblyembarrassingtoconstantlywitnesslight-skinnedwomeninvalidatedark-skinnedwomenandtheirexperiencestimeandtimeagain.Now—andhonestlynever— isnotthetimeto“AllLivesMatter”theoverallmeaningofthisbeautifulanthem.Colorismhasbeendeeplyengravedintosocietyforalongtime.It’simportanttogenuinelyunderstandthecoloristtheoryanditsharmfuleffectsontheblackcommunityasawhole,andwhymomentslikethiswhereablackwomanusesherplatformandvoicetospecificallyhighlightdark-skinnedwomen,matterssomuch. __ CourtKimiseveryWomanandthensome.She’stheOwnerofCourtKimMedia,LLC,CurveModel,HumansRightsActivist,andaprouddaughterofherloving,supportiveparents.Inhersparetime,sheenjoysspendingqualitytimewithherlovedoneswhenshe’snotworkingonherfreelancecareerasamulti-dimensionalcreative.CourtKimisaNewYorkbasedfreelancewriterfromAtlanta,GA.Followher@TheCourtKim   MoreLikeThis WhyErykahBadu’s‘Baduizm’IsTheBest’90sNeo-SoulAlbum Music-1monthago Oscars2022Nominations:‘Dune,’‘SummerofSoul’&WillSmithAretheBigWinners Culture-1monthago TheLookofLove:AnIntroductiontoJDilla,TheRapper Music-1monthago ThereWillNeverBeAnotherMusicVideoLikeD’Angelo’s“Untitled(HowDoesItFeel)” Music-2monthsago TrendingStories Culture LaKeithStanfieldOnTheFinal‘Atlanta’Seasons:“TheMostUnexpectedThingYouHaveEverSeen” 11hoursago Culture MikeTysonisNowSellingEdibleGummiesShapedLikeEars 1dayago Music HowIndependentArtistsareNavigatingTheAftershockofTheNFTBoom 1dayago Culture ‘Ms.Marvel’WillFeatureMarvel’sFirstMuslimSuperhero;WatchtheFirstTrailer 2daysago LoadMore ESCTOCLOSE Searchfor: ×