COLORISM

The idea of colorism is ever present in the Black community. The saddest thing about it is that many are unaware of its existence. It is something that at one point or another we have all been guilty of. What is colorism you may ask. Well simply put, it is a form of "racism" or "prejudice" against ones own race based on skin tone. The biggest example of this in the Black community is the feud of light skin vs. dark skin. I believe this is not a phenomenon new to the generation I'm living in, but rather it is something that has developed over many years starting back during the time of slavery. During slavery times lighter complexion slaves where house slaves while the darker complexion slaves where field slaves. Though both skin tones of people were equally slaves and the abuses they faced equally degrading, this separation of a people caused damages in the identity of the black community.

This idea that one shade of skin is inferior to another is an idea that was planted by this separation. Lighter complexion has been envied, or seen as more acceptable because it is closer to white, and thusly seen as a step closer to acceptance by other races. This mind frame that, induced by separation, has proven detrimental to the black communities identity. Instead of coming together as a people to overcome our adversities, we work against each and belittle each other based on our skin complexion. Was this not the very thing our ancestors for against in order for us to have equality?  We have evolved into a people that treat ourselves the same, if not worst than how we were treated during times of segregation and racism. If we get mad because other races stereotype and judge us immediately based on our race, then why do we continue to do it to ourselves? Why aren't we setting the standard for how we as a people should be treated by treating each other better?

 Within the Black community we judge and belittle each other based on complexion instead of valuing our race and loving each other for the differences that make us a beautiful people. We have to stop belittling our people on the darker spectrum of the scale and we have to stop glorifying the light spectrum as well. We have to come together and embrace our race. We have to stop saying things like "she's cute for a dark girl" or doing things like bleaching our skin to be lighter.  Black is beautiful in any form. It is beautiful because it comes in so many forms! Black is beautiful because its envied for being so beautiful and it is time we realize that and start acting like it! If we as a people do not rise a up and embrace and nourish our culture, as well as educate ourselves and others about it we will forever lose the essence that is us. We will lose the very integrity that makes us who we are. The demeaning struggles our ancestors went through would have all been in vain. They did not struggle and overcome adversities for us to not be a solid community of beautiful strong black people.
Now is the time for us to value ourselves for the beautiful people that we are. It is time for us to work together as a people and embrace who we are and love ourselves for who we are. We must better ourselves by bettering our communities and our children. We must instill better values so that future generations will not face the same identity crisis the current one is. It is time for us to value ourselves individually not based on our complexions but based on our characters.