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From Jezebel:
Salon's Joan Walsh dissects many of the recent stories about how white people feel that anti-white sentiment is on the rise. Look: It's not a competition. But when it comes to white people feeling discriminated against (Gothamist headline: "Regarding Racism, Whites Think They Are the New Blacks"), white people have no idea how soul-stomping, heartbreaking and difficult it is to be black in America.
Especially if you have dark skin. The clip above is from Dark Girls, an upcoming documentary "exploring the deep-seated biases and attitudes about skin color - particularly dark skinned women, outside of and within the Black American culture." Directed by Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry, this clip is moving, powerful, emotional, and completely upsetting - yet an absolute must-see. Read more here.
Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.
Comments: (127)
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By: AllBahianGirl on 5/26/2011 4:46PM
It's a shame these sistas feel the way they do about themselves because they are young,beautiful healthy sistas. They should just be themselves and not give a fluck what ppl especially Black ppl think about them. Oh God we still need prayer!!!
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By: Li Wright on 5/27/2011 7:45AM
Hmmm....maybe we saw different documentaries. These women are proud to be black and dark skinned, they're talking about when they were younger. Replay and pay attention.
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By: Dean West on 6/01/2011 9:09AM
I think it's being called "sistah" that would be most heartbreaking. Here a person just wants to be treated as a person, but others with superficial similarities want to call them a pet name of their in group. I imagine a black woman might wince as much as being called "sistah" as I would at a redneck who saw my white skin and called me "bro".
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By: chocolatechai on 6/01/2011 8:34PM
@Dean West -
You would be wrong, sir. And this is coming from a black sistah. I have never in my life met a black woman who would take offense at being called just what she is to her fellow black women - a sista. Perhaps you don't know the history behind the commonality, but because of our history as decendents of slaves - our families were broken up and torn apart by the Massahs (so called "Masters" - of what? Well, that's anybody's guess). Because black families were so crudely torn apart during that vicious time in our history it could be that one would pass one's brother or sister without even knowing it. One could pass one's kinsman or fellow tribesman without realizing and as a way to solidify the common bond of bondage - we began to see each other the only way we could - as family. So every brother is a brotha and every sister is a sistah. Don't let the spelling fool you - it's not about grammar, it's about a shared history and a collective consciousness. Don't feel bad, though - I have had this same conversation and same bafflement with other white people who choose to see no commonality and refuse to share a common history often. I've often heard them say "You don't see white people going around talking about 'my people this' and 'our people that' so why do black people?" And part of the reason you all are afraid to claim that commonality is because you don't want to take collective responsibility as a race for the ills done in the name of 'white' flesh. Black folk ain't ashamed to own up to the mistakes we have in our community. We may not be able to do anything about it, but we certainly recognize it. We are not afraid or ashamed to claim our history because it still informs and effects our lives. White people, I find as a whole, tend to ignore their shared history because they think that absolves them of any collective responsibility or collective guilt beyond, 'you should be grateful that we got you out of Africa otherwise [insert whatever excuse fits for you]."
It's not a pet name, contrary to your belief. But why should we justify ourselves to you? Or for you? I see all black men and women across the globe as my brothas and sistahs - because they very well could be my family and I don't know it. Even deeper than that - black people of African descent in the diaspora (across the globe) very much share a common and collective history if they are descendents of slaves so stop trying to take things away from us - especially things that arise from us to deal with problems and issues that effect us. In this case it is better to be cliche and just recognize that it's a black thang that you just don't understand than try, with your flippant attitude, to dismiss it based on your 'redneck,' as you call it, world view.
Now there may be some black women who take offense at being called a sistah, but I never met one and don't think I would like to. How anyone could be offended by a term of endearment is beyond me - they would probably be of the bourgeoisie variety and maybe more to your acceptance or liking???
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By: payt on 6/02/2011 3:05PM
[Story: YEARS ago black men walk into DENNYS and are NOT seated while whites who arrived later ARE. The reason: The black men had low self asteem and cared too much about what people thought. They should have just started a restaurant chain of their own!]
Are you kidding?
Are you from the Islands? THe discrimination there is vicious?
Why is it THEIR problem that they are discriminated against? If black MEN are discriminated againgst (or just claim it) It's EVERYBODY'S PROBLEM AND FAULT!
If black women are treated badly, it is always because they have low self asteem and ALLOWED it or are too lazy to overcome it. WHAT CRAP!
White people are screaming that they are victims of racism.
Black men ar always claiming racism!
Black women.....ahhh just get over it and try harder!
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By: Robert on 5/26/2011 4:56PM
I'm just wondering. But how do OTHER dark skinned women do it? Like Indian. Aborigine, Southern Bolivians, Brazilians, Argentinians, South Africans, Morrocans. How do they succeed so greatly in a male dominated world? How did Oprah do it? How did Mary McLeod do it? How did Madame CJ WAlker doit? I don't see a lack of respect, I see a lack of ingenuity and inventiveness. These children of 80's children are growing up as consumers and have lost the tenacity to strive as our ancestors did. Put down the cell phone and get off of Facebook and invent something. CREATE jobs, CREATE ideas. This article is sad and disrespectful to those who DIED and REALLY suffered for their dreams So we can live in this age of comfort.
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By: Lindseyp on 5/26/2011 8:38PM
In India they still use the caste system; the darker you are the more menial your lifestyle, you're known as the "untouchable," regardless of your gender. Indian society can still turn violent against an untouchable who tries to rise above his or her level, regardless of how much money they make.
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By: pt on 5/27/2011 2:59AM
They are NOT talking about their ability to succeed in a profession or endeavor. They are talking about beauty and the connotations that come from having dark skin. Dark: Ugly. Or at the least unattractive. Dark: unintelligent. Dark: Definitely not considered "eye candy".
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By: Shveta on 6/02/2011 1:37AM
Really Lindsey? Caste-system in India? Where do you get your facts from? There are social inequalities, yes,but not caste-based any more. The head of the largest most populous state in the country, is a Dalit woman.
You mean well, but many things have changed, as they should have.
It is easy to criticise.
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By: EF on 6/01/2011 5:56AM
I don't mean to take the focus of this conversation away from the topic of black women in America, but I must respond to Shveta who tries to propagate the falsehood that castism in India is dead. I have lived in India and worked with Dalit activists (and non-activists who live in villages and suffer discrimination every day). The only people I ever hear denying the existence of castism in India are upper-caste Indians living in America who attempt to create a fantasy image of their own country for an American audience.
For an excellent example of how contemporary village Dalits in one state deal with such discrimination, see the new documentary film "This is a Music: Reclaiming an Untouchable Drum"
http://deadcenter.slated.com/2011/films/thisisamusicreclaiminganuntouchabledrum_zoesherinian_deadcenter2011
And Shveta, pointing to a successful Dalit politician in India as proof that castism is dead is rather like saying racism doesn't exist in America because Barack Obama is president.
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