What makes a brown skin girl? Pearl Thusi brings colourism to the fore
People were trying to deny Pearl's blackness but on the same hand had glorified Beyonce for saying the same thing in her song 'Brown Skin Girl'.
Pearl Thusi. Picture: Instagram
Social media may be a little bit more negative lately than usual and the backlash actress Pearl Thusi experienced might be the sign of this.
The multi-talented personality shared a picture of herself in a bikini with the caption: “Brown skin girls, your skin like pearls.”
The caption is a lyric from the popular song Brown Skin Girl by Beyoncé featuring Wizkid. The song celebrates black women in all different shades.
But negative Nancys thought that Pearl is too light-skinned and she didn’t “qualify” to view herself as a brown woman.
Brown skin girl… skin just like pearl’s…???? pic.twitter.com/V4JFm52iBg
— #QueenSono (@PearlThusi) August 4, 2020
One user commented: “Pearl Thusi and Khanyi Mbau can’t call themselves Brown Skin Girls.”
Another said: “Brown skin girl is about dark skin girls. Beyoncé never claimed it was about her or claimed to make the song about herself. Even the visuals of the song shows it’s for dark-skinned girls. And Pearl Thusi knew what she was doing. ‘Hypocrisy’ ‘colourism’ STFU.”
Colourism is real.
People were trying to deny Pearl’s blackness but on the same hand had glorified Beyoncé for saying the same thing. This is not the first time this debate has occurred surrounding Pearl, some have said the reason for her success was because she had “light-skin privilege”.
The song Brown skin girl is about black women OF ALL SHADES.The entitlement of dark skinned women is nauseating!We’ve all been bullied for one thing or another. Your insecurities won’t change a particular context to cushion your feelings.Pearl Thusi is brown!
— Katherine KG Naudé (@kaydaviper) August 5, 2020
Pearl hit back: “People who don’t like you will even hate how you blink. Just keep walking your path. If they were focused on their own path they wouldn’t have time to address every little thing about you. And they want you to stop and address their issues with you to slow you down. KEEP MOVING!”
This country is really bored, fighting over skin colors now, even worse its a song. shine wena brown skin girl, call yourself green skin mawuthanda???? pic.twitter.com/Pthf2mUo9n
— Prince Thusi (@princemduthusi) August 4, 2020
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