I AM NOT THIS SKIN - by Queensley Okon

I don't know how many of you are real music fans because if you read my title, a particular musician should come to your head Yes, the one and only Indie Arie!!!!!! 🎶🎶I am not my hair, I am not this skin🎶 Okay I will stop now because I have a responsibility to my readers 🌚😎But Indie is so talented and her voice is so soothing I sometimes forget what that feels like especially with the music of today Everyone just sounds different and good but not soothingShe and Sade have a unique ability and I appreciate them so much Anyway, let us get down to business Sometimes I sit and wonder; why do we stay fixated on skin color to determine our worth?Race, skin, whatever, why do we do that? We are very unique, each of us but for some reason, one person or a group of people managed to convince us that one colour is more valuable than the other As if we do not have enough things to fight about as humans; we had to add more division hence the thriving of slavery I mean, look around you; it takes a while for someone to admire someone who is darker skinned than a lighter toned personI remember growing up, people used to only call fair people beautiful and they were always the first pick before the darker onesIt never felt right to me because it generated a dislike for fair people Well not dislike, but it probably helped form my preference for dark skinned guys.Actually, I always liked dark guysThere was just the way they looked that was so beautiful and kept my attentionFunny how my dating history tended to negate that but I digress🤣🤣🤣 Yeah, so this was really terrible because that was also the time when bleaching became rampantYou would see someone who used to be dark all of a sudden develop a fairer complexion but the knuckles always gave the person away. Of course there were those who did it successfully but you always noted how terrible their skin looked after a while especially without makeup or early in the morningThe esteem issue color brought with it was really damaging and you see in other climes how degrading it is, especially in movies and music.Executives would rather push those who look lighter in complexion, regardless of talent(female rap game now) and if you are darker, they tend to give you makeup that betrays your complexion. It may seem funny but it is not and is really damaging but that's not my direction with this post My point was to highlight something Idris Elba and Nia Long had said recently that really makes a lot of sense even though it rubbed some people the wrong way. Nia Long stated that calling movies "Black" made them dismissive and was limiting the extent it could go. For her, they are movies and doing the same thing other movies are doing. It just limited its reach and it makes sense to me As for Idris, he stated that he does not want to be called "First Black" anything as for him, it puts him in a box and limits the roles he may get and undermines his talent. For him, his worth is not tied to his skin color and is not his name. He is Idris and it should be based on the value he brings as removing the "Black" in front of his achievements helps break more barriers. I actually agree because I think we have gotten to the point where we attach some irrelevant things to achievements and everyone is desperate to appear different and special, it begins to look like a token adventure and now brings your talent down to skin color or any other addendum and not just the fact that you did a great job. Of course a lot of Black Americans were up in arms with these statements, calling it "erasure" or "them not being proud of being black" or calling them sellouts or "color blind" . I can understand their anger because Black Americans fought through slavery to get into a lot of rooms and these statements to them would look like those fights are being undermined. Some said putting "Black" in front of anything is a celebration of their blackness. I'm not really sure what that means; what is "blackness" and why do you need to celebrate it that way? Of course I cannot tell you how to live your life or do your thing but if you don't want reminders of what you went through, why do you always feel the need to remind people that you are "Black"? Or what is the difference between "Black films" and "nigga films" because that is how it sounds or appears to me? And it definitely looks limiting because no matter how good you make a movie, it would just be regarded as a color film rather than just a movie in a certain genre. And here is the thing, they say they are celebrating their blackness but get offended when "white people" celebrate their own whiteness. So the question is, are you celebrating your ethnicity or race or you just want to appear superior or maybe it is still an esteem issue because I can understand that?You were mocked for your features but they are celebrated on other people now who aren't the same as you. Your hair, lips, shape(Sara Baartman) were very sensitive points and still are.I mean, braids are seen as not official in the office which I find comical. But where do we draw the line? For me, these things were borne out of low self esteem but became defense mechanisms which is understandable. But they also are limiting because you say you want to be global but label your work "black business", "black owned", and go on with the "Black movies", "Black Girl Magic" and whatnot. This now becomes limited because you see them ending up being restricted to "Black roles" instead of just being actors; and there is the pay gap which is definitely not their fault but is worrisomeI don't know but for me, I feel we should start seeing ourselves as more than skin colors because your color determines nothing, you just can't be like the next person. That's how you came out the womb so embrace it!!Your value should be in the work you put in, your self-assuredness and it should be reflected in the lives you have touched. But hey, I may just be talking out the side of my mouth so what is your take on this?

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