When I was younger, one of my first times dealing with colorism was watching two black girls at recess arguing about something I can’t recall. Insults were being tossed back and forth but one female who was lighter compared to the other girl, screamed at her and told her that she was an African booty scratcher. It was like a scene from a movie. Everything seemed to like instantly freeze and the girl froze in a state of pain and shock. I saw three words turn this little girl into a tool of pure rage as she attacked the other girl physically and they began fighting. I never truly understood the general concept of why in our own culture we decide who is better in our own communities, this type of mindset, and how it begun. When did this war on light skin vs dark skin come from and how long has it been going on?
In high school I remember hearing not only black females but black males telling other people that they weren’t attracted to certain individuals because they had “black ass skin.” I can even recall a good handful of times when black females would tell me they don’t mess with lightskinned dudes. This totally baffled me because within our own culture we had caused an unknown division on no general basis. The thing that really blows my mind was that even though we had constructed these invisible boundaries other cultures get us totally confused even though we don’t even look alike. No matter how we have tried to determine within our own culture who is so called superior and inferior those who are not apart of our culture have not changed their vision of what they see of us.
On top of these so-called differences that we have invented on top of that somehow, we decided to go deeper into it and attribute characteristics with skin complexions. Being emotional is apparently a light skinned trait? Anyone that can explain this to me and have it make any type of factual sense I will personal take my wife and children off my life insurance and make you the primary. Being dark skinned apparently means that you are dirty? These are simply two of the most ridiculous I don’t even want to say urban legends in the African-American community, but I guess these so-called folk tales have been going on for generations. These stories and accusations have been going on no matter how much we want to deny them we have helped spread them in some form. In some type of manner, we have had this type of mindset, unintentionally in some type of way.
Now I will answer my own question on how this generational idea came about and how it began. The creator of this is the one and only William Lynch aka Willie Lynch who was the author and creator of pretty much creating psychological warfare on African slaves. Willie Lynch was the creator of not breaking slaves down physical because it will encourage them to eventually rise, but by breaking them down mentally and psychologically. For example, raping the strongest black slave on the plantation was breaking this so-called alpha mindset. Willie Lynch somewhat took it to another level by saying that we should find the differences that are in the black community and use them against the other slaves. For example, treating slaves of a lighter skin like they are superior to the darker skinned slaves will cause them to fight amongst themselves. This type of warfare was introduced by Willie Lynch and has still been going on, but it has also evolved into something more than just skin color. Financial status has come into play, where you are from, actions, traits, anything you can think of.
Now focusing more on my personal aspect of it. The mere existence of colorism infuriates me because it was created as a tool for us to harm each other and is still working. The warfare on dark skinned women especially has been going on for so long not only in our community but other races as well. For that simple reason maybe, it is what attracts me to dark skinned women even more. I am light skinned I guess, and my wife is considered dark skinned. I’ll tell you bruh there is nothing I love more than a chocolatey woman. Have you ever been outside in some real cold environment and then go inside and drink something warm and slowly feel the warmth travel deep inside you, to the very core of your soul? That’s what dark women look like to me, it’s like eating granny’s homemade biscuits fresh out the oven. I love women in general but a black woman oh lord I simply don’t have the time to explain it. I’m simply in love with black women, my black woman especially, because black men don’t cheat. So even though I know that this theory may have not been tested but ever since I’ve heard it, it’s stuck to me and is simply the inception that has been placed in my mind. Until dark skinned women can get the same type of treatment that goes on within our community compared to those who have lighter skin, the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice.
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