“Dark Girls” Documentary Sheds Light
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By VANESSA W. SNYDER
When I was about eight or nine, I wanted to be a flower girl.
A woman and fellow church member who my family knew well was getting married. My two girlfriends and I were like three peas in a pod. They were picked to wear the pretty, fluffy, baby blue dresses and carry flowers.
I wasn’t.
I was convinced that the reason was my skin color, me being the darkest of us three. That feeling of being too dark plagued me through my college years. From the name-calling to the skin-lightening creams, it was a cross I became used to bearing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otyiofu1wO8
I actually used to feel good when someone would say, “She’s dark, but she’s pretty.” Or, “She’s a ‘pretty black.’” Not until attending college at a predominantly white university did I start to feel pretty.
Suddenly, the boys liked me. Maybe I looked “exotic” or something. Whatever the case, it was enough to make me feel better about my skin color and start accepting my particular brand of beauty. I matured and grew in confidence over time, and I can honestly say it doesn’t bother me too much anymore.
We’ve made some strides in terms of seeing beauty in all complexions, but we still have some work to do.
A documentary like “Dark Girls” is pretty important. As a teacher and former Girl Scout leader, I find girls all the time who still worry about “turning black” because of the sun, or who make derogatory comments about dark-skinned girls. It’s hard to believe we’re still dealing with this, but we are. So when I saw a preview of “Dark Girls,” I was excited to see the topic talked about in the open.
Maybe we can stop the madness if we just finally discuss it.
