As I was flipping channels yesterday, I ran across the Tyra Banks show. Normally I don't watch it, so I'm not sure why I even stopped on that channel. She had several black women on stage. The subject of the day was why these women chose to bleach not only their own skin, but also the skin of the school age children. And by school age, I mean like kindergarten and elementary school age.
The reasons were that the mothers thought that lighter skin was more attractive. And I guess that it helps the kids fit in at school better, since apparently the darker the skin tone, the more prejudice the person faces, even from other African Americans (which I have heard before.)
I guess it's sad to be that the skin color is still such an issue. And I think I'm troubled because I know that it's important for kids to fit in, and that kids can be cruel. Being overweight in school, I can kind of get that part of it. But is it okay for the kids to try to change who they are to fit in? Or is it more important for the kids to learn to love themselves for who they are? It feels to me like every time the kid is told to bleach their skin, it's like a message from their own parents that they aren't good enough the way they are. Is that really the message we want to be sending to our kids? And will there ever be a time when skin color won't make a difference in self image?
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