Black People : Light skin and good hair

[Isaiah]

Brother Isaiah ... you seem determined to fault Sisters on this. I won't argue that, or disagree. We too have fallen victim to the conditioning and perpetuate it.

In the original post, Sisters, Brothers, Elders, Ancestors, and Children were mentioned. Examples of all of us perpetuating this, was given (except the children). You've only mentioned the subtle shot at Black Men, but it could be said, there were subtle shots at everyone (as we all have perpetuated and manifested this behavior), if that is what one chooses to focus on.

Again, i come away from reading this article thinking that we have, for far too long, assisted with the perpetuation of white domination ... and that we must stop it ... now that we know how it works and manifests itself in our lives.

I just don't see the need in blaming any group of us for this, but if you must, you can blame Sisters.



Destee

Well, sister Destee, I guess there aint nothing left to do but turn this lemon into some lemonade...like our sister who invented that straightening comb, and other, ah, hair "care" products... BTW, was it a brother convinced her to "go into business" for herself, and drag generations along for the ride???

Peace!
Isaiah

 

[dustyelbow]

With this strong history of skin color and hair, I have yet to see where it uplifted the "black" race. If it did please tell me how and in what way? Veneer is not worth anything in my opinion. As a fool, I am glad that "curse" has not kept me in bondage. If your not living for freedom in some capacity, then your living to be in bondage.

"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom”. George Washington Carver.

 

[Riada]

Thanks for the honesty.

Not to digress to another topic, but this is yet another reason why for myself, I will more likely than not put my kid in homeschool. As a kid who was teased for being too quiet, having hair too nappy, having legs to 'ashy', or whatever other ignorance, I have concluded that having to go through that is not healthy for a kid's self-esteem. And no matter what type of school you go to, public, private, black, white, whatever you will still get that clique-ish enviroment. I want my child to be around other children that will uplift him, not discourage him. During the years of his life where his emotional development is more 'tender', I want him to develop self-confidence outside of what another person thinks. So when he goes into the real world as an adult, he would already have a strong emotional foundation.

People sometimes are hard on those who have self-esteem problems in their 20s, 30s and sometimes even older because they were teased. Society says get over it. But doing it and saying it are two different things. Children's emotional development is just as 'immature' as their physical growth. And just like you have to nurture their physical growth with healthy food, their emotional growth needs to be nurtured with healthy spiritual food; support, love and confidence. If homeschooling is totally out as an option, the spiritual food must be fed through a different means, but if it is possible it shouldn't be automatically thrown out of the window because it's 'different'.

Relating this to the thread, until we can get ourselves together enough to see EQUAL beauty in ALL forms of blackness, (light, dark, kinky hair, curly, etc.), it's going to be important in the meantime to raise a kid in such a way to maintain that pride regardless of what others think, even if they are their same skin color.

Oop! Before this goes any farther, I hope you didn't get the impression that this was my daughter. This is based on what I've witnessed a LOT! I have actually cried for some of these little girls though.

I would also homeschool my child. Unfortunately, 98% of Black children can't escape and yet some continue to wonder what's destroying the self-esteem of these girls and want to blame the girls or the women. When I see a dark skinned Sista with weave down to her butt, I don't fault her because I know that most likely she took a lot of hits that I never had to take. I don't judge her 'cause I never had to walk in her shoes.

If I had looked like this little girl I described, I would only hope that my mother would have put some weave or something, ANYTHING in my hair. LOL!!

 

[Sekhemu]

But where are these positive environments that this children can escape to?

Approach school administrators? I'm sure you meant this seriously, but do you really believe that this would make a difference? These adminstrators are burdened up to their eyeballs with "serious" issues like test scores, suspension rates, scarce materials, teacher absences, school behavior problems, etc.

If my daughter is not being punched in her face, they will just say that I should tell her to repeat a little ditty like "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

Now, I didn't even get to what starts happening in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades when the males start selecting out the "cute" girls with the lighter skin and the hair. Males are still NOT selecting dark-skinned girls with nappy hair and thick noses and lips, and if so, then not many of them.

But by the time she's in the 5th grade her self-esteem is gone anyway in this typical scenario that many of these girls experience.

Males have self-esteem issues too, but it's usually not because they have short, nappy hair and thick noses and lips.

No matter what this Black female does or accomplishes for the rest of her life, she'll be taking hits for her "less-than" appearance, just like Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah, and Serena Williams. The value of a woman to most men (maybe none of you on here) is still overwhelmingly based on her appearance.

But where are these positive environments that this children can escape to?

That depends on what part of the country you live.

Do you have children that suffer from this problem?

Approach school administrators?

Did I stutter

Not to change the subject, but this boils down to the fact that far too many black folks don't come to school to check on the quality of education their children are getting, as I said before, I should know, I work for the Board of Ed.

I won't address the rest of your argument, because I said before, women have the power to change how they're being perceived, but if you continue on seeing yourself as a victim, nothing's gonna change.

We have to stop making excuses for why we hate the way we look.

 

[Isaiah]

Oop! Before this goes any farther, I hope you didn't get the impression that this was my daughter. This is based on what I've witnessed a LOT! I have actually cried for some of these little girls though.

I would also homeschool my child. Unfortunately, 98% of Black children can't escape and yet some continue to wonder what's destroying the self-esteem of these girls and want to blame the girls or the women. When I see a dark skinned Sista with weave down to her butt, I don't fault her because I know that most likely she took a lot of hits that I never had to take. I don't judge her 'cause I never had to walk in her shoes.

If I had looked like this little girl I described, I would only hope that my mother would have put some weave or something, ANYTHING in my hair. LOL!!

Sister Riada, who is it that the sister is taking hits from, and why???


Peace!
Isaiah