Re: This too will change...
 

OA, you are so wrong to say this! What's wrong with perming my hair and wearing my make-up? This has nothing to do with the skin color issue. I am not light-skinned nor dark-skinned but I heard the color-struck comments growing up. I am a beautiful shade of brown but grew up hearing comments about my light-skinned sister. For that reason I chose to date and eventually married a dark-skinned man. My children still came out light.

What's wrong with these teens today choosing light over dark?? They are just not being raised right. I remember my son when he was 4 watching the actress Michael Michelle (currently on the cover of Ebony) and saying that she was beautiful. I stopped him right there and told him that light skinned-long hair is not the only standard of beauty. LOOK AT ME, I'm beautiful!

As a middle-schooler he is still looking at light-skinned girls with long straight hair! I'm about to beat it out of him!! I may be wrong but I don't want him to think that someone who looks like his Momma is "less than".

Not only are these children not being shown much in the area of dark beauty, we have had an invasion of light-skinned, long haired girls in the media. I have had enough of Beyonce and all that hair aint even hers! No, they are not going to read books. We need a parade of black beauty!! WE DON'T SEE ENOUGH OF THE LAURYN HILLS! She's a beautiful, dark skinned sister with the African facial features. Forgive me for ranting. I'm still stuck in the 70's. We need another "Black is Beautiful" Movement!!

Bro, you contradict yourself when you say "dark BUT beautiful". Unfortunately, when people (like these young men) contradict these two adjectives, it actually shows a contrast (OR/BUT) instead of a union (AND). "Dark AND beautiful" is the appropriate phrase to support your statement. :cool:

i thought about that when i was typing, BUT i felt my point would still come across the same. your point is taken.

Wonderful---is it "kosher" (for lack of a better word) for you to give a reading assignment to only those two students? If you make a "suggested reading list" and they opt not to read any of the materials, what would happen next?

Can that be looked upon unfavorably if a teacher "treats" a student differently by giving him an assignment that was not given to the rest of the class?

Re: Re: This too will change...
 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BlueReign


As a middle-schooler he is still looking at light-skinned girls with long straight hair! I'm about to beat it out of him!! I may be wrong but I don't want him to think that someone who looks like his Momma is "less than".




i hope that is a joke and even then not funny.(i am just going by what i readin your post and what i know about young boys) he may honestly like light skinned women. it may just be that the girls he likes happen top be light. besides i think that eventually he may do it out of spite if he keeps being forbidden from liking light skinned girls.

Re: Re: This too will change...
 

BlueReign my sistah,

I meant no personal offense in my comment. I acknowledge the fact that women choose to do certain things to enhance their looks. I respect that fact. It just makes me sad when I see people try so hard to change what GOD gave them just to achieve some ill-perceived notion of beauty-which might include brightening their complexion.

You know I am always living on the edge. Thats why I pay my union dues! ;) They respet me enough to do it anyway, so I am not worried about it. I am not trying to change their taste just expand their options. I just want them no know that Beyonce looks good BUT so does Roshumba or Lauryn Hill. We also did a little survey with the Black males teachers they ALL said it doesn't matter to them. When I confronted my students with this info they assured me had another male asked them they would have answered differently. :confused:

A poem from Soul Food (an anthology)
 

Dark-Skinded Girl

I’m a Dark-Skinded Girl
And oh so beautiful
My skintone is farrrrrrrrr from a curse
It’s a glory
A gift
A blessing
Somethin’ the world can feast its eyes upon
And marvel
That’s ryt – this here skin of mine is no chore
It’s not a burden – not in the least
I’m so mesmerized when I look in the mirror
Honey, sometimes I lose tract of time
Cause I could just stand there –
Lookin’.
Studyin’.
For hours . . .

Oh what a fool I was
I used to be so ungrateful
Oh, how I longed to be caramel or butterscotch
I’m so ashamed of my previous shame

Oh, but you should see me now

Hell, I had to cut my hair ‘cause it was in the way of my Blackness
And it wasn’t even that long

But I love my tan
I’ve had it 25 years now
And I wouldn’t trade it for the world –
Wouldn’t have it any other way
So please don’t feel sorry for me when you see me walkin’ down the street
Don’t weep for me
I’m just fine
I’m having my own personal little celebration
And if you’re in the way of the sun, please move –
Cause like I said, it ain’t no curse
And it ain’t no chore

I’ve had it 25 years
And I’m gone keep on celebratin’, ‘cause I plan to be here another 70 years
And I’ll be lovin’ the skin I’m in
I’ll be celebratin’ my title as the “Dark-Skinded Girl”

~Akiba Jama

Maybe you can use it in your classroom. :)

Even though the model Kebede is on the cover of Vogue this month--or some supermarket fashion magazine she still has hair that isn't hers all the way... However, she is a very pretty darker toned--not the rich deep dark chocolate drop--but a nice tone girl that I just noticed to grace the fashion magazines...

I do think that these "fashion" (why I keep trying to type 'facist' is beyond me) magazines have "ebbs and flows" of what is popular and what is not... I thought the "Source" was beginning to change it, until the music started turning into a "tittie bar scene"...

Anyhoo, Alice Walker's the "The Life of Grange Copeland" short story of "You can't keep a good woman down" addresses this issue in and of itself.

And Paula Giddings does a good job in "When and Where I Enter"...

The other books that are useful are "Black Feminist Thought", "The Black Woman in America", and "Black Athena"... Although there is a huge arguement with Bernal and the Pan Afrikanists...

In short, you ought to tell these boys to write an essay about the Queen of Sheba, what her name truly is and the relevant importance she had in reshaping the whole of Eastern Africa...

Queen Nzingha is another historical figure they ought to research...

Hapshepset...

Neith...

Nut...

Auset...

Okoluleone...

Hayle, let them read Nikki Giovanni's "Ego Trippin'" about "even ERRORS being correct" and they will have a whole new view of women of Afrikan descent...

However, I do find some irony that this topic is on the AKA Ave... But that's just me...

However, I am a "sepia colored sistah" married to a "light honey toned" man--and I love me some "special dark chocolate"--like Hounsou style... But I the man I love the most who returned my love was carmelized...

Oh vell...

I guess that I would consider just talking to them to really probe what is so unattractive about dark skin. Probing and probing is bound to end at the result that they hate it b/c it's black - which can be eye opening. Are they dark skinned themselves? Do they think that their mother/sister is unattractive? Ask them. It may open up their minds a little.

I think that it would be kind of odd to parade women before them and try to convince them that each is attractive. but the men on this message board have spoken and men often have a thought process that i *truly* do not understand so I will defer to them on what to do with the youngsters. For parading, I guess that you might use some celebs - since youngsters may take to them moreso than random women in a book. there are the supermodels that have been mentioned. there are beautiful pics of iman and angela bassett on the cover and inside of may's edition of essence. there is also vivica, there is keli from destiny's child on page 5 or so, there is susan taylor on page 7 or so. on and on - garcelle beauvais is inside too. whoa, i just saw tiger in an essence ad...who would have guessed! lol i guess that cablanasians can be in essence too. lolol

sc

Re: Re: Re: This too will change...
 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by K.O.T.S

Quote:

Originally posted by BlueReign As a middle-schooler he is still looking at light-skinned girls with long straight hair! I'm about to beat it out of him!! I may be wrong but I don't want him to think that someone who looks like his Momma is "less than". i hope that is a joke and even then not funny.(i am just going by what i readin your post and what i know about young boys) he may honestly like light skinned women. it may just be that the girls he likes happen top be light. besides i think that eventually he may do it out of spite if he keeps being forbidden from liking light skinned girls.

No, it's not a joke. I didn't mean to be funny either.

Re: Re: Re: This too will change...
 

My brother, you know I'm not the least bit offended. I just hope that if I were to ever meet you face to face you won't be offended by the lipstick on your collar. ;)

no comment!!!
 

Awwh Dayum!!!!!!!:D

This hits home
 

I can personally relate to this. I was teased as a child and as an adult. The pain I have visited...... :( I woulod not wish on my enemy. I used to pray a lot. WOW does this bring back sadness to me.

MIXED UP
 

RECENTLY I WATCHED A SHOW ABOUT THE LOUISIANA CULTURE OF CREOLES ( A MIXTURE OF FRENCH, INDIAN, CAUCASIAN AND AFRICAN). LIVING IN THE SOUTH, I KNOW THAT MOST PEOPLE TEND TO THINK THAT IF ONE HAS ONE OUNCE OF BLACK BLOOD IN THEM, THEN THEY ARE COMPLETELY BLACK AND SHOULD ACKNOWLEGE THAT THEY ARE "BLACK" AND NOT "OTHER" (EX. STANDARDIZED TEST OR JOB APPLICATIONS) WHAT DOES THE ROOM THINK ABOUT THIS?