Tag Archives: Karyn Washington

The War On Melanin

There’s a caption I saw on the internet that states, “If tomorrow, women woke up and decided they really liked their bodies, just think of how many industries would go out of business.”  For women of color, that statement should be magnified a thousand fold.  Throughout my lifetime I’ve seen Black women chase the dream of being cover girls, the ghosts of being centerfolds, when in essence, they’ve always had the beauty to stand side by side and toe to toe with any of the women on the planet.  While most women embrace the skin they’re in, others feel that their melanin is a curse.  It hinders them from securing gainful employment; prohibts them from being cast in roles if their pursuits are the arts and fashion; binds them to a time period where the darker skinned women were regulated to physical labors during the time of slavery, while the fairer skinned had the comforts of being in the home as maids and servants, or paraded around as trophies.  So as your comsumption of entertainment grows, you hardly notice the lack of dark skinned women in music videos, being cast in television shows or receiving movie roles.  There are some exceptions, however you’re oblivious to that fact because you’ve be programmed to believe that beauty is determined by complexion first; everything else is secondary.  Don’t attempt to resist, it’s inbedded in your subconscious.

What is Melanin?

As a child you may have heard phrases like “Black don’t crack” or “The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.”  All of these quotes can be derived from the fact that people of color produce a large amount of melanin.  Melanin is the primary determinant of skin color, hair and iris of the eye.  Cells called melanocytes, located just below the outer surface of the skin, produce melanin, which is in higher levels in people with darker skin. Melanin’s primary function is to protect the skin from sun damage, but it carries additional benefits that are enjoyed mostly by those with darker skin; Africans, natives of India, and native Australians.  The production of melanin allows the individual to maintain their youthful appearance as they “age gracefully”, reduces the risk of skin cancer and the development of wrinkles.  For the purposes of this read, I won’t touch on its spiritual aspects.

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Skin Bleaching

So when the topic of skin bleaching is broached, the first person usually mentioned is Michael Jackson.  He is thought of as its pioneer; coming to the attention of the masses as his pigmentation lightened from the albums “Off The Wall” and “Thriller” to his appearance on the album cover “Bad” and thereafter.  However, in a February 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey and later confirmed by the autopsy report after his death in 2009, the “gloved one” suffered from vitiligo, a condition that causes depigmentation of parts of the skin. It occurs when melanocytes die or are unable to function.  So what are the excuses for celebrities like Nikki Minaj, Lil Kim or former all-star baseball Sammy Sosa, as there’s no evidence that they suffer from skin aliments?

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The Perception

In an interview recently, rapper Kendrick Lamar told radio personality Miss Info that he fired the original female model chosen for his “Poetic Justice” video and chose another “darker-toned” girl from the pool of extras to play lead. The TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment) representative told Miss Info: “We had another girl for the lead but I had an idea where I just wanted a little bit of a darker tone [girl] in the video. It’s almost like a color blind industry where there’s only one type of appeal to the camera. ….. I always kept in the back of my mind like ‘you don’t ever see this tone of a woman in videos.  No disrespect, I love all women, period. But at the same time, I still feel like it needs that balance.”  In addition, according to the Compton spitter there’s a preference for lighter-skinned models in the entertainment industry and Lamar wants to change that.  Now scroll down your mental memory deck and think about all of the music videos you’ve watched that featured light-skinned African American females, women of Hispanic decent or Caucasians as the lead or featured on the cover of magazines as opposed to those that have a darker hue.  Karyn Washington, the once inspiring now deceased founder of the site For Brown Girls and #DarkSkinRedLip project, looked to empower women of an assortment of shades by offering them a forum to express their displeasure, boost self-esteem and triumph over any short-comings.  Her initiative, #DarkSkinRedLip project, came into existence after rapper A$AP Rocky said that women of darker complexions should not wear red lipstick.

We live in an era where the mass media determines what beauty is, and the customers are forced to follow suit.  From the covers of People, Style and Vogue magazine, commercials ads that unbeknownst to the viewer depict cleanliness with the removal of “dirt and grime” to have perfect skin with a bar of soap or bath gel, to television shows like “Project Runway”, vanity is always clear and present, and for people of color, especially those of whom provide amusement to the public, it’s an never ending race to remain relevant and use the resources available to remain in the public eye.  For those of you that watched Spike Lee’s movie Jungle Fever, do you remember the round table discussion that the women had after it was discovered that Wesley Snipes’ character “Flipper” cheated on his wife his White (Italian) mistress.  The sentiments in that discussion are the anger and pain felt by many women in the Black community. A constant battle between shades of brown and sometimes those of an entirely different skin tone.   So not only do Black women have to contend with the battle of keeping their natural hair, perming or putting weave it, they also have to remain diligent within themselves to remain self-confident with their own exquisiteness.  All the while, corporations bank on the fact that you’ll go to their stores, purchase their products, alter your appearance in an attempt to become something more than you already are.  I often ask women why do they feel the need to purchase eye lashes, weave, skin lightening cream, get clip on toe/finger nails, etc?  The response I receive is “For me!  I wanna look nice.”  I then counter by saying, “If you were truly happy with yourself, there shouldn’t be a need to enhance what your deity has already given you.  People should accept you the way you are.  You don’t put rims or paint an exotic car.  The value alone should tell you its worth.”  I’m usually met with silence after that.  “We Are The Change!”  I’m gone! (b)

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Perception Isn’t Always Reality

The warmth of a smile can brighten any room upon the entry of a person who radiates with the energy of a star.  However, a smile can also hide the pain of a soul tormented by interal demons that plague their psyche.  We live in a world where our actions are monitored whether willingly or unbeknownst to the person being assessed.  Our state of consciousness is determined by images telecast for our supposed viewing enjoyment; words and musical notes blaring in varying volumes emitted from a speaker.  From the innocence of adolescence to our development as adults, we all deal with moments of insecurity and inadequacy.  On April 8, 2014, Karyn Washington, founder of the site For Brown Girls and #DarkSkinRedLip project, passed away amidst reports that she committed suicide.  A mere twenty-two (22) years of age, the inspiring young lady looked to empower women of an assortment of shades by offering them a forum to express their displeasure, boost self-esteem and triumph over any short-comings.  Her initiative, #DarkSkinRedLip project, came into existence after rapper A$AP Rocky said that women of darker complexions should not wear red lipstick.  In an interview with Madamenoire.com, Washington discussed the creation of her initiatives in the following statement:

“When the blog was initially created, my cousin and I were dealing with self-esteem issues relating to our complexion and we would vent to each other.  Through talking it out and building each other up, we felt better but also didn’t like the fact that we were even having these feelings to begin with. We also realized that other girls may be going through the same thing and wanted to use Tumblr as a means to vent, encourage others and overcome. Since then, I have gained a greater passion for the cause and helping others.” 

The irony is, in her attempts to empower others, like many people, Washington was reportedly dealing with depression; attempting to cope with the loss of her mother.  As people, we tend to mask our emotions in an effort to conceal feelings that have a tendency to be sometime overwhelming.  There are many forms of depression; symptoms dependent upon the circumstances of the individual.  Failed relationships, financial difficulties, the death of a loved one or issues with self-worth, all become engulfed in a tidal wave of emotions contributing to the thoughts of emptiness and despair.  Whatever the symptoms, depression is different from normal sadness in that it immerses your day-to-day life, interfering with your ability to work, study, eat, sleep, and have fun. The signs aren’t always visible.  Some people describe depression as “living in a black hole” or having a feeling of impending doom. However, some depressed people don’t feel sad at all—they may feel lifeless, empty, and apathetic, or men in particular may even feel angry, aggressive, and restless.  A perfect example of this is the United States penal system.  The United States makes up 4% of the world’s population, but is responsible for 25% of its incarceration; thereby having the highest incarceration rate in the world.  Keep in mind that convicted felons are ineligible for welfare, student loans, public housing, food stamps, and are often socially disconnected from community and family support structures.  So in addition to having high recidivism rates, convicted felons also have a high rate of homelessness and suicide.  Isn’t that information alone enough to make you depressed?  So how do you think a person in that position feels? And just like with going to the doctor for an annual physical, many people of color pass on seeking help and counseling because of the worry of public opinion, ridicule or shame.

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Karyn Washington inspired many women to believe in themselves and encouraged all who followed to be accepting of their appearance and other personal attributes given to them at birth.  Behind that wide, beautiful smile, no one truly knows what horrors she was dealing with in her mind.  Like many advocates for change, Ms. Washington’s efforts will not soon be forgotten.  And as the condolences pour in from colleagues and followers alike, the question remains, are you willing to share your soul with someone in an effort to seek assistance with what’s ailing you, or do you continue to suffer alone; confiding in no one to help you overcome the anguish you feel?  If you suffer from the symptoms of depression, please seek help.  There are places available which are a mere phone call away.  Rest in peace Karyn Washington.  (b)