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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: reita collins on 5/27/2011 8:22AM
correction to last sentence (There are NO fathers in the home).
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By: janet on 5/26/2011 11:36PM
gREG,you are right and thats because we as blacks have been brainwash to believed that light is better (one of the biggest lie in history)and its high time we deal w/such non sense in order for us to start the healing process.......To all my beautiful brothers and sisters you are the original black beauty,the rest of us are just wannabe,myself included.
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By: Art Stanton on 7/05/2011 8:25AM
Hi Folks:
The real problem that we are working with is our infantile definition of beauty. The purely external and euro-centric standard of beauty is the results of centuries of social engineering. We are still victimized by eugenics, a philosophy represented as science.
In many Africans nations over exposed physical standards of beauty are quite the opposite of beauty. They are actually offensive. If you are African, be African. You are the salt of the earth. You preserve humanitarian standards of beauty. What ever happened to devotion, trustworthiness, intimacy? These are the elements of beauty that Africans teach to the world.
It is ludicrous for an African female to ever attempt to be whiter than the caucasian. Why not allow the european to be european and heal yourselves of social ills, especially since you must recognize that these standards of beauty were instilled into you as a means of teaching racial inferiority.
These caucasian values have been socially instilled in the masses, primarily to limit your value in the economic systems of the West, when you decide to market yourselves, without the masters permission and guidance.
My sisters, it is to be expected that the world will accept its own; but that is not your society. I once heard Lola Falana say that she was angry with God for making her black, until she learned that he took the time to perfect her, as a standard of his love and care of her.
Please expend your energies on concerns that are realistic for the African/American and like Lola, forget about how unwhite your are. Be advised, my sisters. The subjective standards of beauty that you concern yourselves with are not your own. You are a totally different standard of lovliness.
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By: L.J. on 6/08/2011 5:34PM
BEAUTIFUL Black Sisters and Brothers stand up and be Strong & Proud of your color. It will be nice if someday we all can- STOP ALL OF THE NON SENSE AND OBSESSION WITH THIS COLOR THING.
BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW being BLACK in COLOR is an HONOR. IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME- JUST ASK GOD, THE MOST HIGH, CREATOR OF ALL HEAVEN AND EARTH AND THE DESIGNER OF ALL THE CREATURES THAT INHABIT THIS GLOBE. DID YOU KNOW THAT GOD'S FIRST CHOICE IN CREATING PEOPLE FROM THE DUST, DIRT, CLAY, MOULD OR SOIL OF THE EARTH WAS THE COLOR BLACK?
THE COLOR BLACK- is the most dominant color and standard for the world. If you think I am kidding just read the Greatest, Best SELLING BOOK in the world- THE HOLY BIBLE- It details the men and women of color thru out the bible.
You have to study the bible with fervor and you will see that Black people are the start of civilization. ( see Acts 17:26 - It says that God began by making one man and from him he made all the different people who live everywhere in the world- God decided when and where all people would live.
Just do a home experiement to see that the Black gene is a dominant gene- and that the White gene is a recessive gene.
Experiment #1- Get a cup of Black coffee- add a drop of milk in the cup. What happens? It begins to get lighter. The more you add the lighter it gets or becomes diluted. This is why 2 black people can have a light or dark baby.
Experiment #2- Get a glass of white milk. Add chocolate syrup to the milk. What happens? The milk takes on color. the more chocolate you add - the darker it gets. This is why 2 white people can not have a colored/dark/black baby. Hence, the blk gene is dominant.
This is why God made all people from one man (check out Acts 17:26) As you can glean it is from the dominate Black gene that we get all the colors of the races of men.
Just look around you and you will see - that those who are hating on you the darker skin race are in fact trying look like you ( hence, spending tons of money on sun tanning procedures with creams, sprays and machinery, and notice that despite skin cancer- there's a strong desire to get your color.) So you see Black folks- your skin color is not so bad after all is it? There are lots of folks putting theirselves in a dying position to get that very color you feel so ashamed or burden by. AND LETS NOT FORGET, LIP INJECTIONS, & BUTT ENHANCEMENTS. BY THOSE OF OTHER RACES.
Those who despise you are typically the ones who hate themselves so they have to divert attention from themselves and try to belittle, berate, control and destroy your self image- so that they can elevate themselves...
I've heard it said that- Whenever you want to covet another person's life- you generally have to steal from them, act like them, watch them and imitate them, Once you get them to give you all their, secrets, history, & culture- the next thing to do is kill them off if you can- so that you can better take on their identity and now make it yours. If killing them is not possible then destroy them by controlling, enslaving or imprison them, or better yet just flip the script and make them think they are ugly, stupid, inferior and the list goes on. How? Well the way to do that , is to make sure you portray them always in negative situations. And when you do include them in movies, commercials, magazines make sure you find one of the most un-attractive blk person you can cast and put them next to an attractive, airbrushed, tons of make-up white person. If you do this for many, many decades then you will see to it that the world thinks that the standard of beauty is a white person. ( PLEASE DON'T FALL FOR THAT MESS).
There are beautiful, pretty and attractive people in every race and then there are those in every race who are considered bland, homely, average, unattractive or ugly as well.
But as the saying goes don't be so fooled by the cover of a book- look at the content of character. and it is said that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder- so ignore what so called society defines as beauty. And know that Beauty is skin deep whether it comes in Black, Brown, or White.
Let's not forget that Heck - just about every woman in the stratosphere let alone the earth wants to be near, with and rub up next to a Black man. ( THE DARKER THE BETTER). And then there are countless articles floating around the web , stating that in the near future- the whole world is going to be a big combination of all colors, races , cultures and ethnicities. So guess what? The joke is on all races to stop obsessing about this color/race thing. And by all means stop getting hung up with who is more attractive, beautiful, superior and all that irrelevant stuff.
Because at the end of the day- WE ALL BELONG TO ONE RACE - and that is the HUMAN RACE.
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By: ron on 5/27/2011 2:54AM
Never allow others to define you!Who as a right to define you. The power to define you is within you. Define yourself,Celebrate yourself because God created you and know this :"You are The Apple in God's eyes".
Define yourself don't give the devil a place in your life nor, your mirror nor, in the expressions or words of fools. You are not what this world defines you. You are made,moded and created in the image of God.Embrace your blessings and thank God in your journal very mornng for everything in your life even the air,water,flowers ablity to cry and laugh. Black is Beauitful. Praise your Lord.Honor yourself,love yourself for the Glory of God.
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By: Willie A on 5/27/2011 7:48AM
@Ron Thank you for your comments, because they are DEAD ON. That's our problem, we have allowed another group of people to define US SINCE SLAVERY. We have taken those definitions and ran with them like ants take food back to the mound. All people are beautiful, but for African Americans we must take that NOTION to a higher level. One way we can do that is TO START teaching our kids that both dark and light skinned are beautiful and that dark skinned is just as good as light skinned. Also, we can start by TEACHING OUR CHILDREN THEIR HISTORY AND THE STRUGGLES THAT SURROUNDED THE NOTION OF SKIN TONE AND HOW DARK SKIN WAS USED TO CREATE THE CONCEPT OF RACE AND DENEGRATE BLACKS AS A WHOLE, STARTING WITH THE DEGREDATION OF AFRICANS. Next we can start showcasing dark skinnned blacks in commercials and adverstisements, giving them equality with light skinned blacks. Every commecial on TV features a light skinned African American. Are all blacks light skinned? Are there no darked skinned blacks in America that are capable of being show cased in commercials?. The answer is right in front of our faces, but we don't speak with acts meaning, placing DARK SKINNED BLACKS ON A PEDASTAL the same as light skinned blacks! But the point that I'm trying to make, is we have allowed someone else to DEFINE US as what is perceived as BLACK BEAUTY. On top of that, we as African Americans facilitated that belief by not teaching our children to stop viewing dark skinned blacks in a negative manner. Issues such as light vs. dark are keeping blacks divided and until black peolpe wake up and realize that WE DETERMINE WHO AND WHAT BLACK IS, WE WILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. So your points are right on, SELF DEFINITION COMES FROM WITHIN, IT'S INTERNAL NOT EXTERNAL.
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By: K. on 5/27/2011 5:06AM
I didn't see the issue with the Beyonce pictures. I am approximatly Beyonces color but I can have a wide range depending on how much sun exposure I've had. From a caramely tan to medium brown.
Most of my pictures from my youth showed me as more of a medium brown because I spent a lot of time playing outside. As an adult I worked in shopping malls mostly, so I got a lot less sun and looked lighter.
People do a doubletake when they see pictures of me younger. It's like they don't know that blacks can get darker with more sun exposure just like anyone else!
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By: Ben on 5/27/2011 5:23AM
BLACK TO ME IN ALL ITS FORMS WILL ALWAYS BE BEAUTIFUL AND OUR SISTERS FROM DARK TO LIGHT REMAIN BEAUTIFUL.THERE SEEMS TO BE TOO MUCH NEGATIVE COVERAGE OF BLACK PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA AND ALOT OF IT IS TO DAMAGE OUR SELF ESTEEM JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL BLACK FIRST FAMILY THE OBAMAS.
IMAN, OPRAH, MICHELLE OBAMA, DEBORAH ROKER, SERENA AND VENUS, NAOMI CAMPBELL, TIKA SUMPTER ARE ALL SUCCESSFUL AND BEAUTIFUL DARK SKINNED WOMEN.THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO TRY AND DEGRADE OUR DARK SISTERS SHAME ON YOU WE ARE ALL FROM DARK SKINNED PEOPLE ORIGINALLY FROM AFRICA AND THIS SHOULD CAUSE US PRIDE.TOO MANY ARE WEAK AND BRAIN WASHED BUT AGAIN I SAY BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL IN ALL ITS FORMS.
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By: pimpinperry2 on 5/27/2011 9:38AM
I can relate to some of the comments in the video clip. As an dark male growing up I can remembe the comments " you came out of the oven late" or from the girls, "he's nice looking but he's dark" .
Yet being a dark skin man I cannot relate to how these women feel. It must be harder for a dark skinned women compare to a dark skin man. When I became interested in girls it seems like I only was able to attract the light skin women. One of my sisters is dark brown and my brothers used to listen to her comlain about her lack of relationship with men. And even with my circle of friends none of the fellows wanted to be with the dark skin except just to hit it.
However my life expereinces has taught me that it the features that count. You can have dark skin and if you have good features - that's help.
This bias wihin the black community originated with the Willie Lynch syndrome that was used to control the slaves. And as predicted by Willie Lynch- if implemented properly the slaves themselves will self perputate for hundreds of years. Unfortunate his prediction has come true.
If we knew our history we could have figure thsi out along time ago. Yet we don't know our history, don't want to take the time to learn it and therefore we ourselves continue to promote and buy into this self hate.
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By: raleigh on 5/27/2011 11:21AM
I love black women.
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