In case you have been living under a rock you have probably seen the pictures of Sammy Sosa sporting his new look. Using what he called “skin rejuvenation” and contacts Sammy has become a lighter skin Dominican. Actually it made me mad and sad at the same time. Who knew that the desire to look Caucasian was a global thing. Well I actually knew that it was becoming a looming problem. Indians, Africans and Asians are top consumers of skin lightening creams. In many foreign countries lighter skin means an easier life. Of course African Americans have dealt with these issues since the day the stepped foot off the boat. However, not many of us indulge in skin lighting cream. Because in America black is black. For the most part it doesn’t matter if you the lightest of the light or the darkest of the dark , if black can be detected in your skin tone you will probably experience racism at one point or another in your life.
I am a darkie. I am one of the few dark skinned people in my family and I have been called every name imaginable. Blackie….black ass, darkness, African Boom-bata, African booty scratch er, ect…. And as a child it really bothered me. I would look in the mirror and wrap my head with a towel and try to imagine my skin being lighter and the towel would be my long straight locks. Each time I tried it would be hard to imagine myself as a light skin person. I could not put my finger on it, but I knew I would not be me if my skin was of a lighter shade. Today my skin tone is so integral to the person I’ve become. I could not imagine changing what God clearly thought what was best for me. What is the problem with being different? Why must we all be the same and look the same? Why do we feel that white is right and will sell our souls too look like what we have been programmed to think is real beauty.
I look at Sammy and although he is smiling all I see is hate. Look at what the brother did to himself he clearly does not like himself. Then he says that the camera flash makes him seem lighter than what he really is……..really Sam? And let me guess all you did was rub a skin cream all over your face and suddenly your face was white and your eyes were green. Sam….I am not Susie Sausage Head and I think you are full of it. But I can understand why he feels so pressured to lighten his skin. If you think African Americans have in bad in American, try being an African Latino in Brazil or the Dominican. The Dominicans consider anything black to be associated with Haitian. Haiti's slaves revolted against the French and in 1804 established their own nation. In 1822, Haitians took over the entire island, ruling the predominantly Hispanic Dominican Republic for 22 years. To this day, the Dominican Republic celebrates its independence not from centuries-long colonizer Spain, but from Haiti.
In much of Latin America -- the "one drop rule'' works in reverse: One drop of white blood allows even very dark-skinned people to be considered white. Racial identification here is thorny and complex, defined not so much by skin color but by the texture of your hair, the width of your nose and even the depth of your pocket. The richer, the "whiter." And, experts say, it is fueled by a rejection of anything black. Dominicans are encouraged to embrace Spanish Catholic roots rather than African ancestry. Walk down any city street in the Dominican and you will see a country where blacks and dark-skinned people vastly outnumber whites, and most estimates say that 90 percent of Dominicans are black or of mixed race. Yet census figures say only 11 percent of the country's nine million people are black.
It becomes painfully clear that being black is something people fear in many areas of our world. I could not imagine living in a land filled with predominantly dark skinned individuals and calling myself Indian, Latino or white. I am certain that each country has its shame to bear. But I guess I always imagined that if I lived in a land filled with black folks that we would treat each other like Kings and Queens. Sammy if you are reading this please stop the treatments. Get counseling and begin to heal by loving yourself. If people can not accept you then banish them from your life.
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