"You're pretty for a dark-skinned chick." Do you know how many times I heard that or things similiar? In fact, I vividly remember being at a track meet, and a certain dude said to me "You and Shamica are the prettiest dark-skinned girls I have seen." Those type of compliments always made me cock my head to the side and nod. Can a dark-skinned girl just be pretty? Is that something that is really all that rare? Does she have to be put into a category? I never heard a person say "She's pretty...for a light-skinned chick."
All my life, people NEVER let me forget my complexion. When I was growing up, a lot of people acted like it was a flaw. I was constantly made fun of until I was in the 7th grade. When the jokes stopped, then the half-compliments began.
The thing is, for as long as I remember I embraced my dark skin. I was never ashamed of it. When I looked in the mirror, I didn't have a "Precious" moment where I wanted to be lighter. In fact, my father drilled into me that black was beautiful. I was always extremely annoyed with other people who had such a big problem with my skin. I always wondered why a lighter complexion somehow meant girls were prettier. I often wondered if I was the only person who noticed that there were ugly light-skinned chicks....mop-head brown chicks....and ugly dark-skin chicks as well. Ugly holds no color, and beauty is not limited to a certain complexion.
All my life, people NEVER let me forget my complexion. When I was growing up, a lot of people acted like it was a flaw. I was constantly made fun of until I was in the 7th grade. When the jokes stopped, then the half-compliments began.
The thing is, for as long as I remember I embraced my dark skin. I was never ashamed of it. When I looked in the mirror, I didn't have a "Precious" moment where I wanted to be lighter. In fact, my father drilled into me that black was beautiful. I was always extremely annoyed with other people who had such a big problem with my skin. I always wondered why a lighter complexion somehow meant girls were prettier. I often wondered if I was the only person who noticed that there were ugly light-skinned chicks....mop-head brown chicks....and ugly dark-skin chicks as well. Ugly holds no color, and beauty is not limited to a certain complexion.
Now that I am older, it's like the one thing that everyone looked as a flaw is what people like about me. I hear so often "you have some of the prettiest black skin." It's is kind of ironic. The other thing that caught me by surprise in conversation one day with someone who is very light-skinned, was that she also has had issues with her skin. She thought she was too pale. It made me wonder when we will ever stop this nonsense and accept our beauty for what it is.
When will Black beauty be looked at as the same as Caramel beauty? When will Black beau
ty be seen on the same level as "Red bone" beauty? When will beauty just be what it is?
ty be seen on the same level as "Red bone" beauty? When will beauty just be what it is?"Cora had caramel-tinted skin--not light enough to be called yellow, not dark enough to be called plain. She was just right..." <--this came from an exerpt in 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter. When I read that statement, I thought to myself "this is never going to end." 
It is the same with hair. I have been thinking about going natural. I was told that my hair is "a little thick" to be thinking about that. Aren't afros thick? Does my hair HAVE to be wavy to be seen as pretty? Did anyone else see the movie Good Hair besides me??? I actually LIKE the fact that my hair is thick. Yea, I need a relaxer like every five weeks if I'm pushing it. So what. It may be nappy, but it's mine. lol....and I like to think it's beautiful.
It is the same with hair. I have been thinking about going natural. I was told that my hair is "a little thick" to be thinking about that. Aren't afros thick? Does my hair HAVE to be wavy to be seen as pretty? Did anyone else see the movie Good Hair besides me??? I actually LIKE the fact that my hair is thick. Yea, I need a relaxer like every five weeks if I'm pushing it. So what. It may be nappy, but it's mine. lol....and I like to think it's beautiful.I kind of feel like we put too many stipulations on beauty. Every shade of our race is just plain gorgeous to me. It is like it's a requirement to have certain characteristics to be seen as the popular beauty. Can't different just be beautiful?
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