The plight of the light (This Black-Ass Life)
Welcome to the 58th installment of This Black-Ass Life! People came for Blue Ivy, a BABY, because of her Black-ass features. So we've decided to kick off the New Year by covering the history and impact of colorism and featurism because it's day 6 of 2020 and we're already tired.
Don’t forget: We've managed to grow this list thanks to y'all forwarding to friends so please keep it up! Forward this link to subscribe to five friends. And send us topics you'd like to see covered, texts from your Black-ass people, and any Black-ass anything from around the world and web.
l. The Facts
A non-exhaustive history of colorism and featurism
Colorism is a practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin are treated more favorably than those with darker skin. Featurism is a practice of discrimination based on features that are closest in proximity to eurocentric features as the standard of beauty (i.e: smaller noses, finer straighter hair, etc).
Both uphold the white standards of beauty and benefit white people and those closest to whiteness in the institutions of oppression.
While colorism and featurism are ever-present residuals of colonialism throughout the world, In the United States, both date back to when enslaved Africans were divided based on their appearance ie working “in the field” or “in the house”.
In the Reconstruction era after slavery, lighter-skinned families had greater opportunities than their darker-skinned counterparts to succeed financially and socially. For example, the majority of Black people elected to the House of Representatives in that era were lighter-skinned.
Seeing it’s benefit, Black people also perpetuate colorism. In the mid-20th century, “Upper-crust” Black people often administered brown paper bag tests to determine whether other Black people were light enough (lighter than a brown paper bag) to join their social circles.
When seeking jobs, as recently as the 1940’s, lighter-skinned Black people would list their skin tone as a qualification alongside their skills in the newspaper.
Today, lighter-skinned Black people are still routinely shown favorability over darker-skinned counterparts across media, culture and our day-to-day lives.
Why does it matter?
Colorism and featurism are very real forms of anti-Blackness. The darker you are, the Blacker your features, the more difficult your path in the workplace, romantic relationships, the penal system and more. Proximity to whiteness or lack there-of literally has life or death implications.
Not only that, colorism particularly hurts darker-skinned children. Since the seminal doll study of the 1950s, study after study have shown that young people of color are profoundly aware of the global disdain for darker-skinned people. These studies show that ALL children, white ones included, pick up on this hatred at a very young age.
The kids are not the only ones that are not alright. Darker-skinned adults report higher experiences of microaggressions and darker-skinned Black women report more physiological deterioration than lighter-skinned women.
Knowing all of this, it is especially infuriating when lighter-skinned Black people dismiss very valid critiques or worse yet, try to gaslight the rest of us into believing that they are the real victims of colorism and featurism. Shut up Drake, Amanda Seales, Kenya Barris, Alexandra Shipp, and all those who suffer from the ill-conceived notion of the plight of the light.
What can my Black-Ass do?
Love yourself. Love Black people. All Black people.
II. Other Things
Start your year inspired.
We don’t want to go to war. Serious question for Black people, when shit hits the fan, where y’all gon go? I (Jumoke) am a dual citizen but I definitely don’t have Lagos money.
Start your year off on the right foot. Check out these mantras inspired by icons of being unbothered.
Loved this look back on a decade of Black Twitter in The Root.
Another delightful retrospective, this time from Blavity: 2019’s Big Booty Moments. Get your life!
I know y’all have seen it, but blessing you again with Blue and her fans, Bey and Meg, at her NYE party.
Our Black-Ass song(s) of the week (Jumoke):
This song feels like a new day. It suits the start of a new year.
lll. Text from a Black-Ass Dad
Blessings to fathers like mine (Jumoke) who remind their daughters of their SPARKLE!
Stay Black, thrive and choose to sparkle in this new year. We’ll hit your inbox next on January 20.