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Ever heard of the term "shadeism"? Whether you've heard that word or not, the phenomenon of discrimination within communities between those who are lighter and darker skinned is not anything new. This is especially the case for women in communities of color who are constantly struggling to challenge often internalized beauty standards that intertwine "whitness" and "beauty" (and sistahs like Beyonce, who keep getting whiter and blonder, aren't helping either). Anyway, here's a short documentary that I recently discovered and watched, about the topic of shadeism, that I thought was worth sharing.
Through the voices of 5 young women of color, the documentary shows how pervasive the concept of shadeism is, impacting women from all backgrounds. Especially heartbreaking is the little girl featured in the documentary, age 4, who describes her own skin as not pretty and expresses a "white is better" perspective. Even at such a young age, the little girl (Manisha) has internalized and formed strong views about what constitutes beauty--white skin.
Other topics covered: skin "bleaching," colonialism, and "pigmentocracy," a social structure based on whiter people on top of the social ladder. The ultimate plus is that it actually ends on a hopeful note: “I think the time has come for us to challenge the idea that beauty only comes in one form." Amen!
The documentary is a short (enjoyable) 20 minutes, about a topic that needs more discussion -- well worth watching!
