I love my black skin

I DECIDED to write about this topic knowing full well that this column would not afford me enough space to speak about the complexities of skin whitening. Also, knowing full well that I am not an expert on the subject, but rather somebody who understands what it is to feel ‘lesser than’ based on a physical feature.

So I will touch the surface of a topic that I think needs to be dealt with on a much deeper level. My interest was piqued in September when I read that the eThekwini Municipality was lending their support to the Ngimnyama Ngimuhle (‘Black is Beautiful’) Anti-Bleaching Campaign. They hosted a range of experts to speak to both men and women on the dangers of skin bleaching as well as promote self-acceptance and self-love.

Then, earlier this week I read a story with the headline, Celebrities join I Love my Natural Skintone campaign. The story spoke about how Ghanaian celebrities had teamed up to highlight the risks and dangers of skin bleaching.

It struck me then that there was thousands of us still suffering. You might argue that Apartheid ended some 20 years ago and that the ‘suffering’ too had ended. The emphasis then was on ‘white is right’. The whiter you were, the more opportunities you were afforded. But it went further than that, light skinned domestic workers for example, were more employable that a darked skinned domestic worker. Some people believed that a dark skinned domestic worker, would scare their children – yes it was that bad.

But the women who continue to bleach their skin today, are suffering in a way that is far more detrimental – they haven’t learnt to embrace their skin tone, for what it is… brown or black. They are indeed suffering.

In July this year, it was recorded in the British Journal of Dermatology that the use of skin lightening cosmetics is common among darkly-pigmented South African women, including those of both African and Indian ancestries. The authors said: “Despite more than 20 years of governmental regulations aimed at prohibiting both the sale of cosmetics containing mercury, hydroquinone and corticosteroids, and the advertising of any kind of skin lightener, they are far from having disappeared. The main motivations for using these products are the desire to treat skin disorders and to achieve a lighter skin colour.”

The authors said they had surveyed 600 women, of whom 32·7 per cent reported using skin-lightening products. “The main reasons cited were treatment of skin problems (66·7 per cent) and skin lightening (33·3 per cent),” the authors wrote.

Sadly, though amongst many communities, white is still a signifier or beauty. I, though, love my black skin.