Colorism

Colorism is a real thing. It’s where people are assigned to a place in life due to the color of their skin by fellow Black people. I was in a Christian Bible study class when a girl from the class asked a question with concern that she’d never get married. The leader capped off her response to the young lady by saying that she had nothing to worry about because she was a light-skinned Black woman, and when men of God come to the church, they expect to marry only the best and that is what they see as a light-skinned woman.

The class gasped while others in the room said, “Don’t end there.” It was obvious the teacher had opened up a can of worms and simply set it on the table while ending her class. However, her ending advice to the young lady was not enough for her to stand on. So, another girl and I went and ministered to her after class was over.

This was the year 2018 by the way. Colorism is still strong today among many in the Black community as well as those who attend church. It was a sad reality that she bought up. Not that it was her personal opinion, but many Black men in the church do choose light-skinned women over darker ones no matter how beautiful a woman is on the inside and out.

If a dark-skinned woman’s perspective of herself isn’t right; she may think that she has a lesser stake at getting a man of God because she is dark and thus she may act outside of the character of a woman of God because she’s lost hope. If a light-skinned woman’s perspective isn’t right, she may feel entitled and thus attract the humbling of life God upon herself.

Truthfully, I believe colorism is a lie from the pit of hell to discourage dark-skinned sisters from following Christ and to provide division between dark and light-skinned women. This is why it’s important to think for yourself. You cannot simply follow advice because it came from a pastor, teacher, or leader. You should have your very own measuring line of discernment for various things in life. You should know where you stand personally on various issues.

Colorism is popular not just in America, but all over the world. Because it is so popular to reward one shade over the other; we have to be more intentional about how we see ourselves, and how we teach our children to see themselves. Below are some things I’ve done to make sure I see myself properly despite the lie of colorism:

• ​Follow Instagram accounts and hashtags that celebrate dark-skinned women
• Think about the men in my circle who prefer dark-skinned women
• I’ve chosen to love and adorn myself regardless of my darker shade. My shade is a plus to me and not a minus. I love it and that’s what matters.
• ​Personally celebrate and look up to other women of darker shades who are poppin and beautiful such as Angela Bassett, Gabrielle Union, Regina King, Regina Hall, Michelle Obama, and others. When I remind myself of how these women are celebrated for their beauty and other contributions; it reminds me that I am worth it too. I am worth being loved and celebrated too! I can reach my full potential in my life also.

It’s only wrong thinking that holds us back. It seeks to cause us to adapt to a lower place in life, but when we have strategies in place to combat the negative lies in society that tell us we are less than; we will not think, act, or hold back in fear that we are less than.
If we continue to have a pure heart in how we value ourselves and others; we will not allow the colorism divide to work on us. It will be almost as if it doesn’t exist. The only time colorism may be noticed is when we meet someone who has not been transformed in their thinking just yet. Just because others have not made the choice to transform out of small and limited thinking about color doesn’t mean that we should make the same choice.

We have to take responsibility for how we see ourselves, and other people will follow. If you are dark, rock your beautiful dark skin. If you are light, rock your beautiful light skin. It really doesn’t matter what other people think as long as you like you. You’re the one who has to live with yourself.