Colorism Trouble
The
SKIN
that you’re in
BY: QIANI ARRINGTON
F
or numerous years, I learned that working
with children is an interesting task, but
working with young children is completely
different.Younger children imitate what they
see, hear and observe to be true.Their young
minds are easier to mold, and they attach
quickly to those who influence their lives. It is
utterly heartwarming when the children run up
to you screaming your name and wanting you
to participate in their activities and games. The
children played, danced, learned, and played
some more.
After their nap, they were allowed free time
before their parents came to pick them up. I
agreed to read stories, and play dolls with the
girls. I was playing with two chocolate little
girls, let’s call them A and B. Child A had two
dolls and didn’t want Child B to play with the
dolls. I asked Child A why she did not want to
play with Child B, and she told me because she
has dark skin and she only like playing with
her friends who have light skin. Soon as those
words left her mouth, my heart dropped. Child
A was technically a shade lighter than child B,
but both of the children were the same ethnicity.
I didn’t know what to say, but“She is beautiful
and you’re beautiful because you’re both girls so
you have to be very good friends.” She probably
did not understand me, but her young mind
could tell that I was very distraught.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time I heard
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something like this before. Before I graduated
high school, I had the privilege to watch a
documentary called “Dark Girls.” “Dark Girls”
explores the many struggles dealing with
colorism, including self-esteem issues, which
occurs to every woman of all ages and their
emotional expression would often get neglected.
Interviewed African American men even who
claim they could not date a woman of dark skin.
One young man interviewed saying “The dark
girls look funny beside me.”
Watching “Dark Girls” and realizing the painful
reality of colorism within the black community
is heart aching. Especially when black men
do not want to be with dark black women
because of the stereotypes and the myths that
their child would not be as beautiful as the
child with a light skin woman. I believe if we
don’t encourage our young girls at an early age
that what they have is beautiful then any and
everything will be able to tell them that they
are less than great such as the media, and other
people. We have to teach our young girls that
every shade and color is beautiful, and educate
o