Light Girls (Am I Watching This?)

 Reading Night, Monday will be canceled this upcoming week. I am watching the Light Girls Documentary. Not just because I am light-skinned. I am also watching because all aspects of Colorism (a form of prejudice or discrimination in which human beings are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to skin color) or Massa still ruling us need to be talked about. I watched Dark Girls and that was powerful. I feel like Light Girls will be just as profound for me. 

What is Light Girls?

Distinguished filmmaker Bill Duke produced the documentary film, DARK GIRLS, which premiered on The Oprah Winfrey Network last year and the show sparked a much-needed international conversation on colorism, self-esteem, and healing. The movement continues with the sequel, LIGHT GIRLS.

LIGHT GIRLS is an in-depth study of the advantages and disadvantages of being a light-skinned woman. Does light skin make for an easier life? LIGHT GIRLS explores skin color from historical, sociological, psychological, and scientific perspectives. This documentary is a global analysis of skin color addressing the following contemporary issues: bullying, skin bleaching, and this popular #teamlightskin versus #teamdarkskin rivalry on social media.

This is not just a conversation, but a movement that requires action, accountability, and responsibility. LIGHT GIRLS emphasizes the importance of healing and taking action. Please, don't just join the discussion, but join the movement!

I am hoping this documentary educates the origins & dispels stereotypes about those of us of lighter hues. Like "Light Skin Privilege", I am not saying it doesn't exist. I will say it is not as widespread & automatic as people think. 

Have you ever heard of "Not Black Enough"? Go to all the makeup counters (drugstore to high-end) and guess who has to mix and match foundations to get their color right in some brands. Also, the most popular Light Skin black people are stuck up and mean to Dark Skin black people. So, there are no pompous Dark Skinned black folks. Ha!

My life is full of colorism. The funny part is as prominent as it was, I was slow to the conversation. In my home light skin & dark skin were never said around me until I was 8. I first heard that term on the playground when I was called light-skin (and thought I was better than). One reason is my family. Like most black families, our skin tones are vast. I call my family a Black American Rainbow.

These are my cousins on my grandmother's side of the family. We call ourselves the 4th generation (there are in-laws, one 5th generation person & family friends on here). All our grandmothers & grandfathers are siblings. That is just one set of my relatives and not even all of them. So, it floored me when one of my relatives started dating a guy who had a skin tone that one of my older relatives disapproved of and voiced their horrible feelings. The blinders were off and could not be put back on. I decided that day to be on "wish creed" with that person & their opinion on who I decided to date's skin tone. Also, I was bullied because of my skin tone. I told y'all in another BLOG about my experiences with this person. This person is dark-skinned and had issues with my light skin. I didn't recognize their problem (Heck, I was also fat, nerdy, and had a big bust) until my niece was born when I was an older teenager. Everyone was doting on her and that person said "But she's bright". The lightbulb came on and I got it. Hey, Hurt people hurt people. Even now people still say horrible things about me being light skin. I only have one light-skinned friend. Why do I know this? People that are not my friends have pointed this out. Oh, and I have been accused of hanging with mostly dark skin people to be the cute one in the group. Yes, I have gone off and cussed those people out. That lie will not be in the atmosphere. Out of my eleven best & close friends, only one is light-skinned. So the heck what? I hang out with all kinds of people. That is known and seen

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 But these are the only images some folks think I only live. I hang out with people whose personalities & lives mesh with mine well. Of course, the people who have pointed out that I only have one light-skinned friend don't have personalities that harmonize with mine. Never will I ever perpetuate the myth light skinned people don't get along with one another.

I just hope these documentaries help heal our society. By our society I mean not just African American or American but Human Beings.

Hope you watch it also. I will Live Tweet during the documentary-like I did DarkGirls. So if you want to join the discussion, I'll be there. Oh the song, is one of my favorites. No matter the skin tone, she ain't giving up no booty. LoL

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms.

Not Interested in Dating: The Foreign Born

I think this is my second to last installment of this series. One more that will get me talked about by a Pal but I’ll deal with it. Anybody else I won’t date enters in a "Grey" space that include living with parents and fathers. Grey Spaces take too much time to explain. Not trying to explain but watch somebody ask.

Okay I can trace my family’s lineage comfortable to the beginnings of the Reconstruction. Three of my great grandparents were children or young adults. My maternal great grandmother wasn’t born until the 1890’s. So, if your family was not in America by the late 1800’s, at least before WWI, I’m not likely to date you. I prefer American men. I won’t say I’ll never date anyone not born here. But the chances are 90%, I won’t.

I know I attract men from Africa, the Caribbean, and Mexico. I’m a BBW and I’m aware of their preference to my size. Yet nothing annoys me more than immigrants dissing American culture. I didn’t choose to come and stay in America. Yet, there is a population of immigrants that seem to always complain about American life. I want to say so badly, “Then why are you still here”. The most annoying of the complainer population are the guys who want to date me. Let me hear “If you were in my country” one more time I am going to scream. I’m not in your country. If I was in your country, I would Only be visiting. I never want to live anywhere but the USA.

I remember a few years when I found out my mother thought I was going to bring home someone of foreign decent one day. I laughed for hours. She learned then I don’t date non-Americans. It was when the movie Phat Girlz came out. The movie made me want to weep because I know there are American women out there who think the only men they can attract are non-American. That is heart breaking.

If I ever attract one that doesn’t constantly complain about the USA, I’ll date one. I understand loving your country but don’t disrespect the one you are currently living in. Let me leave that statement right there because I almost finish it with something mean. I like my men Made in America.

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms