Do You Know Any of The People Above?
Skin politics in the African
American community is dirty laundry rarely discussed in public forums. For
years, skin color has been the proverbial millstone around black American's
neck. Yet, discussions of skin color and the role it played in societal
organization and community standing is a touchy subject. For instance, few ever
speak about the "paper bag" test, which was used by upper-crust
blacks to determine if a person was white enough to gain acceptance. If
your skin was darker than a brown paper bag, you did not merit inclusion.
Most would never know that thousands from some
of the country's storied black institution, such as Howard University, had fraternities
and sororities that practiced discrimination against their own people. Just a glance through most
black university yearbooks during the 40’s provides all the proof necessary to
see the color dividing line. Many believe the practice finally died a natural
death, but in reality it still exists much to
the community's embarrassment.
Years ago, a strange saying circulated
throughout the black community illustrating the skin politics that lingers from
slavery. "If you're white you're all right. If you're brown stick around,
but if you're black stay back." It may surprise some, but the doggerel
poetry originated in the black community long ago and reflects the unsubtle
preoccupation with skin color among African Americans.
History
Although skin color among Africa slaves was
predominately dark brown to nearly black, concern about color came about as a
direct result of miscegenation. Although the term is commonly associated with
African slavery in the United States, it came about much sooner than the
kidnapping of blacks from Africa as the first blacks arrived in 1619 as
indentured servants. Black and white indentured servants worked for a specific
number of years and were then freed. The lives of black and white indentured
servants were similar at this time. They worked side by side; they lived together
in the same dwellings and fraternized after their labors. They also married and
had children together.[1]
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary,
miscegenation is defined as a mixture of races; especially: marriage,
cohabitation or sexual intercourse between a white person and
a member of another race. During slavery, miscegenation between
white and blacks was strictly prohibited. Although forbidden, instances of
sexual intercourse between white and black occurred and usually without black
female consent.
In the United States, whites saw themselves as
superior and all others as subordinate or inferior. This practice was
termed hypodescent. During American
slavery, the word meant the automatic assignment of children of a white union
between members of different ethnic groups to subordinate status. Progeny of
these usually forced incidents became mulattos. However, as the children of
forbidden relations matured there was intermarriage between mulattos producing
quadroons (a person of one-quarter African ancestry and a Caucasian parent).
Octoroon meant a person with one-eighth African ancestry and one white
parent.
Perceptions and Reality
Focus on skin color came early during slavery
as mixed children of slave owners received better consideration than slaves
with pure African blood. The difference was not lost on unmixed slaves as the
children of slave master often received hostile treatment from regular field
hands. The politics of skin came early for African slaves. Many slaves were
children of well-to-do white fathers and many were recognized and sponsored by
their fathers. Once free, Negroes of lighter skin color came to dominate the free
black community both in numbers and influence.
Because of the better treatment, former slaves
often focused on marriage to a lighter skinned black in order to have a lighter
child, which was seen as an asset in the black community as fair-skinned
Negroes seemed to obtain better jobs and treatment. Even black sexuality did
not escape the effects of skin politics as lighter skinned men and women tended
to have their choice of marriageable partners. Whether it was the benefit of
better jobs or prized romantic interests, skin color has long been an issue in
the black community.
Self-Hatred
Many psychiatrists are of mixed opinion when
discussing skin-lightening among African Americans as a form of self-hatred. There
are those who see the choice to lighten one’s skin as simply an extension of
personal freedom especially considering the many shades of color in the African
American community. However, there just as many who believe that changing one’s
skin color is a sign of dissatisfaction with one’s appearance, in particular,
dark skin. Adding to the conflict are the models depicted in the media, black
and white, that highlight lighter female models and movie stars. Whether there
is self-hatred there is truly unknown, but obviously there is something that
drives a person to make such a drastic change, especially one that might cause
them serious medical harm.
Skin Lighteners
Skin lightening or whitening creams have met
with controversy in the black community where many claim that such products
lead to confused identities and devaluations of traditional cultures. With
portions of the black community “skin lightening” is considered to be brought
about by a combination of self-hatred, European ideas of beauty and a desire to
be accepted by greater society to create better opportunities. How much of this
is true remains open to question, but the reality of skin bleaching is tangible
and often produces unexpected results.
The skin lightening industry is a multi-million
dollar industry, but the economic leads many to give legitimacy to the business
of changing skin color, as most creams are a dangerous concoction of chemicals
such as steroids, hydroquinone and tretinoin. The long-term use of these drug
cocktails can lead to permanent pigmentation changes, skin cancer, liver
damage, mercury poisoning and many other side effects.
Yet, the formulations of these products are
shrouded in mystery and awareness of their hazardous effects is low. Nearly 30
per cent of long-term users report adverse effects as most skin lightening
creams contain mainly two chemicals, hydroquinone or mercury.[2]Mercury
is poisonous and can cause permanent damage the nervous system. Mercury
poisoning is still known today as 'Mad Hatter's disease as it used to be used
in the making of hats. The chemical affected the nervous systems of hatters,
causing them to tremble and appear insane. Toxic levels of mercury can
also lead to kidney damage and may lead to psychiatric disorders. In
addition, it can lead to severe birth defects.[3]
Other chemicals include topical steroids, which
can cause hypertension, elevate blood sugar and suppress the body’s natural
steroids. The steroid corticosteroid used in some bleaching creams can result
in Cushing's disease, a malfunction of the adrenal glands leading to an
overproduction of cortisol. Other side effects include increased appetite and
weight gain, deposits of fat in chest, face, upper back, and stomach, swelling,
slowed healing of wounds, osteoporosis, cataracts, acne, muscle weakness,
thinning of the skin and more.[4]
Consumers wrongly assume that all ingredients are
disclosed on labels. “There’s a basic assumption that there’s some truth in
labeling,” said Dr. David McDaniel, a dermatologist in Virginia Beach and a
director of the Skin of Color Research Institute at Hampton University (a
historically black college). “That’s a false assumption for the skin-lightening
market.”[5]
Skin lightning is not relegated to the African
American community as countries as diverse as Senegal, India and the
Philippines skin lightning is promoted as a way to elevate one’s social
standing. India has a thriving fairness industry and fairness creams are
reportedly the most popular in the unfettered skin care market. In 2003,
Dr S. Allen Counter of Harvard Medical School reported that the high levels of
mercury found in people, but particularly women, from Mexico, Saudi Arabia and
in Tanzania in East Africa related to the use of skin lightening creams.[6] Allen
also reported that 96% of over 300 patients in the Southwestern United States
that have higher than normal mercury levels were female and all had used skin
lightening products; likewise 90% of women tested in clinics in Arizona who
were Mexican-American had been using the same products.[7]
Discrimination?
It’s not some fantasy. There is prejudice
against dark-skinned people, especially women in the so-called marriage market.
Interestingly, prejudice often surfaces among members of the same ethnic groups
and races. For the longest, in the African American community light skin was
considered more attractive, better accepted and led to superior opportunities.
Fairer, lighter skin is highly valued in some countries such as Asia and India.
Men
A small percentage of men also use bleaching
creams. Former Chicago Cubs slugger, Sammy Sosa, has a noticeable change of
skin color. Sosa, a Dominican-born American citizen, told a reporter from ESPN
that he had used a cream nightly to “soften” his skin and that it had bleached
it, too.[8]
Given that chemical skin lightening has a range
of serious side effects, the best advice would be to stay clear of such
products and be happy to be in your skin.[9]
[1] Linda Allen Bryant, Slavery and Miscegenation in
America, The Legacy of West Ford, http://www.westfordlegacy.com/History/slavedoc.html
[2] Nalini Ravichandran, Skin whitening creams can cause
long-term damage, doctors warn, Daily News, August 4, 2013,http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2384456/Skin...
[3] Dr. S. Allen Counter, Whitening skin can be deadly,
Boston Globe, December 16, 2003, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2003/12/16...
[4] Lynn Berry, The Dangers of Using Skin
Lightening Creams, March 27, 2008, http://www.naturalnews.com/022893_skin_dangers_products.html#ixzz37...
[5] Catherine Saint Louis, Creams Offering Lighter Skin
May Bring Risks, New York Times, January 15, 2010
[6] Lynn Berry, The Dangers of Using Skin Lightening
Creams, March 27, 2008, http://www.naturalnews.com/022893_skin_dangers_products.html#ixzz37...
[7] Dr. S. Allen Counter, Whitening skin can be deadly,
Boston Globe, December 16, 2003, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2003/12/16...
[9] Simon Pitman, Medical research highlights dangers of
skin lightening, Cosmetics Design, February 15, 2008,
http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Formulation-Science/Medical-r...
