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A Dark Girl's Reaction To Dark Girls


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Hello AALBC Family,

I recently watched the documentary Dark Girls, that was featured on the OWN Network recently. The documentary addressed colorism issues in the Black community. I created my own reaction video including some interesting dialogue. Please check it out and tell me what you think.

 

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"Dark" is a very vague term, Legaci. What constitutes darkness? Darker than what? I prefer more specifics especially since African Americans run the gamut from blue-black to high-yellow on the color spectrum. The first thing that came to my mind when I clicked on to your video was that I didn' consider you dark.

As a "light-skinned sista", I can attest to the prejudices that females of my color encounter within the race. But I never felt motivated to try and prove myself "black enough". I accepted people the way they were and expected them to do the same to me,and my indifference to skin tone would eventually neutralize hostilities. What I did notice was that white people seemed to be more comfortable with me than "darker" members of my race.

I also believe that color-conscious black men are equally focused on how well stacked up females are and that a statuesque, fine brown frame will trump a stocky overweight "red bone".

I don't know that colorism will ever go away in America. This would call for the strength of character necessary to reject superficiality, and that's asking a lot for a country whose population wallows in phoniess

Africa should've been more ruthless and ingenious and the European marauders wouldn't have emerged victorious. Then, white western standards wouldn't have prevailed. I don't know where these vicious thugs who make up the gangs that terrorize the inner cities got their aggressive genes from.

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While colorism is an issue, I think "featurism" is more of an issue in the AfroAmerican community than colorism, especially when it comes to women and attraction.

I say that because a lot of times I hear women who most men may consider unattractive complain that they are being looked over because they're dark skinned when in actuality it's not thier complexion or shade, it's thier features (nose, eyes, mouth, hair texture, body shape) that men may find unattractive.

 


 

 

Cynique

 


Africa should've been more ruthless and ingenious and the European marauders wouldn't have emerged victorious. Then, white western standards wouldn't have prevailed. I don't know where these vicious thugs who make up the gangs that terrorize the inner cities got their aggressive genes from.

 

Now you know good and doggone well that Black people can be just as violent and bloodthirsty as Whites.

Whites just tend to be "smarter" in how they commit their acts of violence.

For example......

White men in Europe will organize to invade a nation and rob and kill it's inhabitants for resources and bring those resources back home to build up their own country.

Black men in and African community even after being colonized and enslaved for 400 years by outside invaders will still go to war with eachother over little to nothing wiping out entire villages plundering through and taking what's left for their own personal enjoyment and leave the women and children back home with nothing.

Both committed murder and robbery, but one was "smarter" in how they pulled off their crimes and how they used the spoils.

 

Just like a man who steals millions from his company's pension fund is just as much of a thief and robber as one who robs a liquor store.


 

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Hi Our Legaci,  Thanks for sharing your video here.

 

Why do you think the dark girls deserve the special attention?  Clearly dark boy are impacted, arguably more so. 

 

When I was a kid dark kids were teased just as bad as the very skinned kids.  I have no recollection of being teased for my complexion (other than being ashy). 

 

But I was teased about a wide variety of things being short (I'm 5" 7'), being smart (I wore glasses as a kid and was a better than average student), having a big butt (I have naturally big glutes and tend to be more muscular than most), and so on.  I don't expect or think there is a need for a documentary film to address any of these issues.

 

I'm also not trying to say my being teased for being short is better is worse than being teased for being dark skinned.  The point is that people are made fun of for a variety of reasons for which they have no control including, height, complexion, sexual orientation or even having a mental handicap.  The real issue is that we live in a culture where childhood teasing is the norm and too many adults say stupid things about other people.

 

I absolutely believe the teacher in that school in Syracuse should have stopped those kids from talking to the dark kid they way they did. Maybe it would help discourage the practice.  But if those kids in the 'Cuse were anything like the kids I grew up with, I doubt it would make a difference. We did not just tease each other, we made it an actual activity called "snapping".  We would sit in a group and just make jokes about each other -- just for kicks.  We also fought each other pretty regularly.  Today kids shoot each other (but I digress).

 

But at the end of the day raising awareness of things other find hurtful is usually a good thing.  Perhaps some people by be moved and consider how their words about skin color could be hurtful to others.  However I suspect most will not.  Dark skinned people already know the deal and I suspect most others really don't care that much or are too rigid in their opinions to change.

 

Despite helping to spread the words about the film Dark Girls, which you can learn more about here (for free).  I have little interesting the seeing the film myself.

Also from a critique side your video:  It felt long.  When I originally checked it out (Amari sent it to me). I did not watch it all the way through.  Now that you posted it hear I listened to in it the background while making breakfast this morning.  I think a duration about 1/2 the current length would be better.  You can look at your Youtube stats and see how long the average view time is to check if my suggestion makes sense.

 

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It seems that during the 60s and 70s a lot of the more ignorant of Black practices that came up out of slavery, sticking their tongues out when they laugh, and laughing with a "hee heeeeee" at the end.
.....but then in the 90s some rappers from the South started resorting to old plantation type behavior to make thier music distinct from rap from other regions.

Like refering to light skinned women as "red bones".
Or using terms like "what yo name is gul??" or "who dat is??"

This old slavery garbage started catching on again with many Black youth to the point now you hear 16 and 17 year olds who talk like they just stepped off a slave plantation.





((Pioneer leans over to catch Troy's conversation with Legaci and hears....))

 


But I was teased about a wide variety of things being short (I'm 5" 7'), being smart (I wore glasses as a kid and was a better than average student), having a big butt (I have naturally big glutes and tend to be more muscular than most), and so on. I don't expect or think there is a need for a documentary film to address any of these issues.

 


((Pioneer quickly leans back the other direction and grabs his cap and car keys))

Ok, well...I'm out out of here, lol.

.....good night.

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                                                                              {1 WEEK LATER}
 

 

((Pioneer is back in Troy's crib sitting on the couch with his shoes off eating a sandwich and drinking a gingerale))




Troy

You know......

I was looking forward to more videos from Legaci

But after you started telling her about your big butt and glasses -LOL- she took off and we haven't heard from our sister since!!

Now.....
I know this is your house, but.......lol.


The next time a fine brown sista shows up at the door smiling and talking sweet.....

Let ME do the talking first, LOL.


Sounds like a plan?????

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