"Dark Girls"

On June 23th, a documentary called "Dark Girls" aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and broadcasted many of the emotional struggles that darker-skinned women go through. Many women never felt attractive or capable because there were always people around telling them so. They felt they're not represented much in the media so little girls don't have someone in the limelight to really look up to that looks like them. It was a very touching and somewhat heart breaking film. I didn't get to watch the entire documentary but when the DVD releases on September 24th, I'll be sure to pick it up.

Read Tika's story here.

Even though I'm a dark-skinned woman, I've never dealt with the emotional struggles that those women had to deal with. I was raised in a home where I was being told I was beautiful and loved everyday. My story is similar to Tika Sumpter's, only I'm not famous...yet :) There was no negativity in my household, nor in my outside environment. I went to a predominantly black elementary and middle school so during the times where I would've been affected most, I wasn't. There were black people in all different hues and I was never singled out because of my complexion. Even my friends range from all different complexions. I also spoke proper English and was a straight A student. Not every dark-skinned girl speaks ebonics as her main form of communication. We know how to carry ourselves too. That stereotype should be based on how a person is raised, not the color of their skin. Looking at that documentary, it shows how truly blessed I was to be raised in an environment where I so accepted and loved.

My first and only altercation where my skin-tone was brought up was as an adult when I was dating a light-skinned guy. I forgot what we were arguing about but I do know it had nothing to do about complexion. Out of the blue, he texted "you're not a light-skinned baddie". I was confused because that had nothing to do with the conversation and I never proclaimed to be such. Where was that statement coming from? I just brushed it off and ended the conversation. It didn't really bring out an emotion in me, but I will never forget that statement. I don't live under a rock; times have changed. Back in the day, video girls and actresses were women of all different complexions and equally beautiful. I'm aware that now mainstream society favors caramel to light-skin complexions. It's in the cartoons, the TV shows, the movies, and the music and this message is mainly being broadcasted by our own people and mostly dark-skin males.

The documentary also touches on how other races view us as an exotic, attractive, and unique race where from the lightest to the darkest skinned people are equally beautiful. So the fact that our own race can't share that same thought process is sad.

All in all, I agree with the main point behind the documentary. Parents need to show their dark skinned girls love and self-respect as they should any child. Don't say things like, "My child is pretty for a dark skinned girl". Just call her beautiful. Love starts within the home and if our people get that, I mean truly get that, we'll be alright.