It’s Summer — Mind Your Own Melanin
When I was a little girl, I loved to play outside in the sun. I would spend hours out at the park or riding my bike with my friends; the summer months were my favourite time of the year.
My mother would often try to convince me to stay inside or wear a hat outdoors. I had learned in school that the sun can be harmful to your skin so I assumed she didn’t want me getting sick. After my refusal to wear hats or stay inside — it turns out skin cancer did not concern her, she simply did not want my skin to get darker.
My mother is a wonderful woman, however this is a practice she learned from her mother, who learned from her mother, who probably learned from her mother.
After 19 years of being a black female, it is safe for me to conclude that internalized racism truly reveals itself during the hot summer months.
Comments I’ve heard this week:
“Omg, you are so dark!”
Yes, yes I am — have you thought about why that is a problem for you?
“I’m getting so dark I need to stay out of the sun.”
If you’re cool with staying inside on a nice day out of fear of getting darker then you are so lame.
“Why are you laying in the sun, why do you need to tan?”
I may not need to tan but there’s definitely someone I need to drop-kick.
“I’m going to be just as dark as you if I keep this tanning up.”
No, you will never be this fabulous.
While initially these comments may be of a lighthearted nature, for me it represents a deeper issue that cannot be ignored.
Why is it such a bad thing to have dark skin?
We have been taught since birth that lighter is better. More feminine. More attractive. We see this on screen, we see this at school, and we see this with who holds the power in our governments, our jobs. The majority of books you pick up at Chapters will read of a protagonist with porcelain skin.
As slavery was abolished and freedom reigned, we remained a slave to the idea that lighter skin tones appeared closer to white — meaning more privileges, more human.
This ideology is better known as colourism. It is present all around the world — in the Philippines, India, Dominican, Jamaica, China. Everywhere.
Even more surprisingly, the majority of people who have made negative comments about the darkness of my skin have been people of colour. It’s as if we are still uncomfortable with who we are and our identity as coloured people.
You see, there was a period during my childhood when I questioned if the darkness of my skin could be seen as beautiful. I thought, maybe if I spend too much time in the sun I would get darker and wouldn’t look as nice.
So one day I decided to listen to my mother, I sat inside for a few hours and read a book.
I roamed the halls of my house and watched a few TV shows.
I looked out the windows and it was such a nice day.
Then something came over me: who was going to swing the highest at the park if I was at home? Who was going to lead a game of tag if I was sitting inside? Who was going to beat all the other kids at a bike race?
I was lucky to realize at a young age that my skin should never stop me from doing the things I love, but rather give me the empowerment I needed to be the best version of myself. I got dressed and went outside.
My skin has been glowing ever since.
