Colorism is not a relic of the past, but a penchant in our present. The Schaumburg Library is hosting an exhibit called the "Colorism Project: Looking Outside the Paper Bag" to bring more attention to societies ideals around beauty. Ashley A Jones is the artist in residence
Read MoreLast week, I had to explain to my mom that I do not date because I am invisible.
Read MoreColorism isn’t a new topic nor a new issue within the Black Community. Colorism is truly an international problem as lighter skin is almost universally valued among all racial groups. It is, simply defined by Alice Walker, the “prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their color.”
Read MoreAs living alone during the pandemic continues, reading has become almost impossible because my mind is filled with so much noise--years of buried trauma, guilt, and shame working its way upward.
Read MoreEven in the wake of the verdict from Breonna Taylor’s murder, I am still left with the thought that white women remain the most dangerous to me.
Read MoreBoundless think pieces and commentary has been made about the racist acts, seemingly aided by equally racist cops, in the trespass and raiding of the capitol earlier this week.
Read More“Mommy, I want a blonde braid so I can be pretty” my daughter said. “You want a what?” I said with a slight cringe in my voice. “A braid like Elsa” she replied. This statement took me off guard and immediately led to me having a conversation with my then 5 year old.
Read MoreAre there places (outside of Africa) where black women are respected and seen as beautiful?
Read MoreBeyonce’s much anticipated visual album was released for streaming on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. (Isn’t everything Beyonce does “much anticipated”?) Anyway, as usual I was late to the party and finally sat down to watch it this weekend.
Read MoreDo you have a friend that’s always acting like a “white girl?” She’s the one that shows up at mimosa Sunday wearing cowboy boots instead of stilettos.
Read More“So, how are you going to wear your hair to your interview?”
Read MoreA memory that haunts me at night, is from my middle school days in English. I was in eighth grade and at this time of my life my hair was done by my mom and my attire was a school board mandated uniform. On this particular day, we were watching a movie in English. My teacher did the spill about how this movie tied into our lesson. An interesting fact about this class is that my English teachers gave us assigned seats. So, sometimes I was lucky enough to be sat by my friends or assigned by someone she thought I would not talk to. After she gave us the spill, she went to the back of the room to turn out the lights. A boy in my class turned to another boy and said, “where did Brooklyn go?” This was a joke that was used often in school.
Read MoreI had to really think about why I have been so profoundly hurt and upset by Beyoncé's, Amanda Seales’, Tracee Ellis Ross’ and [insert light skinned woman’s name here] of the world.
Read More"Pretty, for a dark-skinned girl." No, pretty period!
Read MoreMental health is such a hush-hush conversation in the black community that when you do try to talk about it, it’s like you said a bad word. I can see it now, you come in from school with a grimace on your face and the first thing mama says is “girl, you better straighten up that face before you come in here! What’s wrong with you?” When you try to explain that you had a bad day, the response was often, “Ain’t nothing wrong with you. What you got to worry ‘bout, you’re just a child?”
Read MoreWatching the documentary Skin on Netflix was such a personal experience in some ways and so removed in others.
Read MoreColorism, like sexism, like racism, is UNIDIRECTIONAL. It is what happens to folk darker than a brown paper bag.
Read More