Happy Sunday my lovelies,
I hope this month of July has been very pleasant for you all and you were able to achieve some goals you set if not all. My month has been crazy but you trust me to tell you all about it at the beginning of August. The month was also cute with the issue of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett's entanglement wahala.
One highlight of my month however was Getting to see a Nollywood documentary titled ''SKIN'' by British-Nigerian Actress, Beverly Naya and award winning actor, Daniel Etim Effiong. The movie was personal for me because I have a skin and it should be for all of us if we have skins too. Much more than being personal for the reason that we all share one feature called skin. It was essential because I am dark skinned and for the longest time, darker skin pigmentation has seemingly been looked down upon.
I am very happy I get to share with you a few thoughts from the movie. The movie featured actors and media personalities with varying skin pigmentation (color basically). The actors were as follows:
Beverly Naya
Hilda Dokubo
Eku Edewor
Erica Freemantle
Teniola A’isha kashaam (Tennycoco)
Diana Yekini
Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju (Bobrisky)
Fun fact is I wanted to write this post a long time ago but as I told you the month has been crazy for me so I couldn't pick up my keypad to type anything. But exactly a week ago today, I went for an outfit shoot. When I got there I realized that I needed to tell this story because it is a vital point of discussion.
We were a total of three models shooting the outfits and I had the darkest skin tone. We took turns in shooting the outfits. The other two went before me. When it got to my turn the photographer would require extra lighting and make noise about why it is harder to shoot darker skinned people and I have never considered myself to be on the South Sudanese end of the dark skin spectrum. (See Nyakin Gatwech for better context BTW this skin type is so beautiful and I love it). It was not a big deal however for me because I have had this conversation a million times and love the color of my skin. (P.S don't hate the photographer because I am sure he meant no harm but see how no harm has motivated me to start this conversation here).
BUT DOES EVERY OTHER DARK SKINNED PERSON FEEL SO CONFIDENT IN THEIR SKIN ?
As much as dark skinned beauties seem to be the looked down upon faction, the albinos, people with vitiligo and extremely fair skin type also seem to have the same problem.
Hence, creating this perspective in my head that goes thus
"Is the problem really the color of people's skin or is it just human nature to feel a need to be judgmental and want to have an opinion on everything thereby looking down on other people?"
People's opinions on other people's skin tones and pigmentation has caused a lot of ache and pain for those who especially already suffered from Low self esteem or Under valued themselves. More than that we set a standard for our younger ones in society who are being shaped by what they see, hear and eventually think.
In the movie, a little girl is asked if she likes her skin and she responds in an honest manner saying she doesn't like her dark skin but would like to be a few shades lighter and possibly would like to be like the Afro-American biracial skin type. She is probed further and asked why she doesn't like her dark skin but she isn't able to give any reason for dislike for her skin.
The main character Beverly, at the beginning of the documentary speaks about growing up in London and being viewed as ugly by her mates. Most light skinned persons are said to look more attractive hence may not be looked upon as oooogly ,The basic truth is more harm than good is done because most esteem issues are as a result of certain experiences we have while growing up.
At this point, permit me to ask you WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU THINK IS THE SKIN PROBLEM?
In June, the whole world sought justice for countless dark skinned people who were wrongly shot or killed for being dark skinned. Thankfully we got to hear those stories but there will be stories that we haven''t heard caused by the same color issue.
In the documentary, some women who had bleached(whitened) their skins when asked why they did that spoke about how their boyfriends didn't like dark skinned women and so they had to be light skinned to fit into the color specification of their partner. This may seem like a funny perspective but the reality remains that it is a serious problem. When a young girl born into that family sees her mother actively trying to change her skin color she may not ask questions but would just think there is something wrong with being a certain skin tone and this will define the perspective she will have to skin.
All the characters of the movie talk about their different experiences with respect to their skin types ranging from inability to be cast in certain movie roles for being Nigerian but biracial to feeling frustrated by photographers and videographers for being "too dark" and not being able to light dark skin properly, to concepts of feeling less because everyone preferred lighter skinned people. The struggle is endless and the stories are so real.
But one more thing I got from the documentary was something I had been silently pondering over for a long time now. It is how black signifies death and evil, masquerades and gloom whilst white represents God, purity, good, etc. Could this be the reason also why dark skinned types seem to be given less preference?
If you doubt my opinion that light skinned women are given preference and looked at as a "goal", here is some statistics from the documentary to help you understand how far women and men too are willing to go to be light skinned.
Statistics compiled by the World Health Organisation in 2011 showed that 40% of African women bleach their skin. In some countries the figure is higher: a staggering 77% of women in Nigeria, 59% in Togo, 35% in South Africa, 27% in Senegal and 25% in Mali use skin-lightening products.
African countries, including Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and most recently Rwanda, have begun banning skin-lightening products.
No one gets to choose the skin they are born into. It is literally like changing the date of your birth or the family you are born into. We have no control over these things. We can only do the most we can do with what we have and most women believe that the most they can do if they are dark skinned is to bleach their skins to be fairer. Every skin type is beautiful and unique in its own rights. The conversation does not stop here either. Please if you can, Watch the documentary on Netflix and you will learn a thing or two you didn't know before. If you have been making intentional efforts to change your skin tone then you have to ask yourself a few questions like Is this really what I want? What effect will this action have on the younger generation? In a few years will I regret this decision? Am I doing this for sincerely right reasons or to please someone elses taste?
NOTE: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL REGARDLESS OF THE SKIN YOU WEAR. Let us challenge ourselves to compliment someones skin this week. You will see what it will do to that person.
Also, I really commend the amazing work Beverly Naya put into this work and how she decided to start addressing a conversation I have been passionate about for a very long time.
I hope this post was able to provoke some thought. I look forward to being consistent for you all and also a very big thank you to everyone who has followed me on this journey up till this very point. Thank you very very much. There's no Jaktionary without you all in this family. (Keep small Sunday jollof for me sha).
Please, please and please drop your thoughts on this issue or the documentary if you have seen it in the comment section.
Let's discuss.
If you would like to discuss more with me in person.
My Instagram profile is linked below.
ALL MY LOVE,
JAK.
6 Comments
Lmao in all these talks ehn, I'm proud and I love being dark skin... I mean A whole Dark skin Yoruba Man like me ������... ALANI
ReplyDeleteAbi naw. I love my own dark skin too oh. Melanin popping
ReplyDeleteA very senitive topic, a more insightful take. This bias stems from our culture sadly, so even as kids our minds are already constructed to favour or express more acceptance for the "lighter color". Thank you joy for the awakening.
ReplyDeleteyou're absolutely welcome
DeleteNice write up. I wish anyone with a low self-esteem based on their skin color would see this!
ReplyDeleteExpecting more write ups on this issue pls, it's a sensitive discussion.
I liked this post, it was short and sweet and also passing across the message. Black is beautiful. My skin is beautiful
ReplyDelete