All Shades Of Black Beauty

It’s sad that in this day and age we’re still forced to address one of the most interesting stereotypes that exists within the black community: color complexes.  Similar to an artifact, it’s an observation based on the mental and physical politics of slavery, which are used by blacks to conceptualize the issue of skin color of those with African American decent.

The worst part about color complexes is it’s mainly portrayed within the urban culture and reiterated by the mouths of black males.  If this is the information disclosed by celebrities, entertainers, and rappers in the public eye who inspire the lives of many, then of course people are going to consume their thoughts as facts. The media is saturating their minds, allowing it to continue to spread like a disease from generation to generation.

Famous professional basketball player Gilbert Arenas, a.k.a no.chill.gil, is known for not thinking before he speaks, and he had social media on a frenzy…once again.  People were heated at the public comment he made placing African Americans on a spectrum based on the color of their skin, as if they were a color wheel, to define which shades of brown are alluring and enticing, and devalue the rest of the community.

“Dear Black Girl: You don’t have to be mixed to be beautiful,” read an Instagram post from ProBlkThought.

Arenas then slid in their comments stating, “How black are we talking??? Not to be funny can u name a beautiful black women on the outside … not brown skin … like tyrese black … top 50 most beautiful women of [sic] all time … the darkest women they have is (Keshia Knight Pulliam aka Rudy) (gab)) union) (taral hicks) (Serena Williams),” he wrote before adding, “When u say African features black then u have (#1 lupita nyong’o) and she’s cute when the lights are off second is (Ajuma nasenyana) sorry but ewww so the black beautiful women u try to boost up is technically light skinned or brown skinned.”

Arenas couldn’t handle all the heat thrown his way so he later tried to retract his statement, but we all know once you spill sugar it’s not easy to clean up.  It was an epic fail.

“I never say sorry for the shit I say but it’s my fault I read this wrong and got into my feelings…I thought it was saying,if ur mixed ur not considered black and beautiful and my kids are mixed and dark skinned so I perceived it how I wanted to..I just got off the phone with the only women who tells me when my shit stinks,and I know it’s comes from the heart becuz she will defend me in front of everyone else and cuss me out when we’re alone @christyarenas she reread what it said (your African features are all the attractiveness u need) so I erased to kinda say sorry but not say sorry becuz u can’t truly blame me for reading it wrong (I went to public school) so I read it how I thought it was written….I fucked this up so I deserved the hatred that comes….I was trying to defend all shades of black but that’s what the post was also doing…I ended up pulling a COON moment…sorry all shades of black women no need to forgive me Im pretty sure I’ll say some fucked up shit probably in two weeks 😖😖 (I know pussy prices about to double up on my ass from black women 😒) and as for lupita she ain’t cute to me sorry…just like I’m not cute to 95% of u…”

“Light skinned women are more attractive than dark skinned women,” is an ongoing topic. What always baffles me whenever black men disrespect black women based on the color of their skin is the mere fact that they are a product of a black man and a black woman. Worst case scenario is when they’re the father of young black women. They would never tolerate another man disrespecting their mom or daughter off of her attributes and features, so why even fix your mouth to utter a negative connotation towards one of your own. It just makes you wonder what they were taught at home and what are they currently teaching their kids. Not to love the skin they’re in? They can save their colorists insults. Keep that ignorance and negative energy at the barbershop and off your personal social media accounts because your comments may come back to bite you in the ass.

Ain’t nothing like the pride and dignity that radiates off a women’s melanin skin, whether they’re light, brown, or dark skinned! There’s so much beauty in being black and I’m proud to call myself a beautiful dark skinned woman.  Reality check: we do exist and we’re everywhere.  No need to cut the lights off when you fully embrace every aspect of yourself, and the beauty on the inside not only matches, but exudes what’s on the outside.  So please don’t ever let an ignorant black male try to degrade you or make you think otherwise of yourself based on the color of your skin. Always remember: Your black is beautiful! The enduring value in all is internal.