By 
From since my early years I’ve been conscious of the association of beauty with fair skin. And by being surrounded by colourism it sort of seeps into you and corrupts the way you view yourself, lowers your self-esteem and can even result in hatred of one’s own skin.
While people may not be aware of the dangers to the psyche of others especially children, as adults it is expected that words and actions are thought out carefully and the impact analysed when imparting values to the next generation. For instance, I can remember that as a small child I went to visit some relatives, two of them had recently given birth. One baby was fair-skinned and the other dark. Everyone was fawning over and playing with the fair baby while the dark one was left unbothered by his mother’s side. The dark one was even given the nickname ‘Black boy’ which stuck.
Maybe, because I’ve suffered from acne for most of my life – starting from puberty to the present day although far less severe – that my lack of fair skin has never bothered me. Getting rid of my acne (a losing battle) took the numero uno spot. Fortunately, I am no longer bothered by my skin as I was as a teen. Then if I had a flare up, I spent the entire day locked away.
As an adult I am more accepting of myself but in public sometimes people would say things to me that could result in a lowered self-esteem if I wasn’t mentally fortified as I am. Attention would be drawn to my blemishes and scars; and unsolicited advice provided. I did try vast amounts of different products in my younger years so I am aware of the brands but now instead of seeking out the latest products and being ashamed of my looks I would ask instead, ‘What is wrong with having less than perfect skin?’ We need to love ourselves first and for instance, if I had a severe medical problem like millions of people around the world would a spot on my face be on mind?
Passing down self–hatred
On day I was in the line at the ATM and a woman whom I did not know approached me. She insisted that she knew me…that I had a TV show years ago and for each episode wore fancy hats and played popular songs for viewers. Although I never hosted a TV show and insisted on this, she didn’t budge. I was more amused than offended by the mistaken identity and continued to chat with her. Several times she looked at me and said that I had gotten darker though from my ‘TV days’. She said this in such a tone and with regret written all over her face as if she’d just pointed out that I was afflicted with some incurable illness or missing a limb. And this woman was the same complexion as me but with a light-skinned daughter next to her. I don’t know whether her daughter bleached her skin or was naturally fair but the encounter motivated me to write this post.
Growing up I was aware through the words of the adults that fair-skinned individuals were viewed as being prettier than their dark-skinned counterparts. Quite often when I met up with people who hadn’t seen me in a while, appearance-wise they would comment on my weight and complexion. In Guyana, being thin is not viewed as ideal, having a ‘thick body’ or average weight is preferred. And with complexion, the lighter you are the better. An ‘improvement’ is becoming a shade or two fairer not darker from the skin tone you had when the person last saw you.
Colourism and skin lightening products
The only times I.ve used skin lightening products were to get rid of blemishes and scars left from acne, cuts and falls. But honestly, none never did its job. I still have a blemish on my arm from a decade ago when I fell out of a horse-drawn cart.
From my high school days, I knew of girls who used skin lightening products such as Fair and Lovely or Lemonvade. There are many different brands selling in the shops from questionable sources. The biggest issue with using these products are the chemicals within; mercury and other elements damage the skin and body and are unregulated by the local health department. Instead of an ‘improvement’ in complexion one can end up with serious medical problems especially with the skin.
(VICE on HBO video)
Preference for fair mates
Many people believe that having fair skin makes a woman more beautiful and by extension more desired by potential suitors. Countless times I’ve heard people describe the attractiveness of their girlfriends or the girlfriends/wives of their male relatives by referring to their skin tone among other attributes.
While colourism in Guyanese society is not as severe as in other places, there are no excuses for it in the first place regardless of severity. Thankfully, it’s not glorified or openly advertised. For instance, years ago I knew someone who worked as a cleaner at either the Indian embassy or Indian Cultural Centre in Guyana and she frequently collected discarded newspapers from India that the workers received. Some newspapers contained pages of ads or maybe it was the entire paper (I can’t remember) seeking brides and grooms. Persons were quite specific on what they wanted from responders for example, college educated and even a particular income level. But the requirements for girls went further with most requesting fair-skinned women of a certain height.
When I think of Indian women, I picture brown skin and the majority of Indian women do have brown skin so how should these women feel knowing that their skin is seen as less beautiful and desired. Or maybe, they have been so conditioned to accept colourism as a part of life.
(Al Jazeera video)
Why can’t people just be proud of themselves?
So many persons would instantly excuse colourism by blaming the penetration of western standards of beauty globally and non-white persons wanting to be like those who once ruled them. However, Guyana has a relatively young population with the majority under 50 and most people never experienced life under the colonialists. Same as in India and many former colonies. The same pride people take in their traditions, heritage and way of life they need to take in themselves. Accept the skin you were born in and stop trying to be something you can never be.
It could also be case of the grass is always greener on the other side. People with curly hair wanting straight hair, short people wanting to be tall and there are many white Europeans who sun themselves to get that coveted tan while the tanned hide from the sun or bleach to get a few shades lighter. Colourism will always be a part of the daily interactions with people unless a conscious decision is taken to truly love and accept the colour of our skin and those around us.
