Hannah Kelley
Black Community Privileges
We all know that privilege exists among all races and ethnicities but one that we have not focused on yet is privilege among the black (African American) community. White privilege is so vast in our country so even black people are trying maybe without even noticing to appear whiter or lighter because it is more socially favored and gives a person more privileges. For example some black women, use fake hair in order to make their hair straighter and more manageable. This is taking away from their hairs natural state and making it more like white hair. (whether they mean to do this or not) Also bleaching is something in the black community that is used. This means some people actually bleach their skin in order for it to be lighter. I saw a television show that a woman bleached her three-year old babies skin because she wanted them to be able to have more privileges in this country. Also among the black community there are many shades of skin color. However it is favored to have lighter, fairer skin because to many it is looked at as being more beautiful and more beneficial. To me, this is extremely sad because all shades of black skin are beautiful and unique. Also for biracial people in the black community, they are looked at as higher breeds. Some think because they are lighter, have more Caucasian hair, and have some white in their genes that they will be able to have more privileges and not feel as much oppression as a darker person. I am biracial, my mother is Italian and my father is African American and this is something I have struggled with all my life. I have included an exerpt from an article by Zuhey Coria Lopez about oppression and change. It is looking at what I have discussed about privilege and oppression in the black community.
Internalized Oppression in the U.S. is Hard to Change, but Never Impossible
by: Zuhey Coria Lopez
According to two researchers Kenneth and Mamie Clark, most African Americans preferred to be white. Both Kenneth and Mamie perform a research on both African American children and on adults. Based on this research, Kenneth and Mamie state, “That black children preferred white dolls and pictures of white children to black dolls and pictures of black children (Clark and Clark 1940; Clark and Clark 1950)… Hill (2002b) showed that black interviewer evaluations of black respondents' attractiveness were highly correlated with lighter skin tone for women, and moderately for men.” At such a young age, African American children have a mentality that white dolls are more beautiful and preferable than black dolls. However, it is not necessarily just their fault because most toys stores tend to sell lighter skinned dolls than dark ones. On the other hand, African Americans prefer white women because society views them as better. Since society sees white as better, citizens try to talk and affiliate with white woman.
Light skin is considered beautiful and as the best way to look because white people had more power than people of color and were seen as the best. White people were seen as the ones who did not commit crimes. Hunter believes “Light skin is described as more “beautiful” both inside and outside of the African American and Mexican American communities.” (Hunter 102) The advantage for light skinned minorities caused them to act or want to be white in order to receive privileges. However, because society views white as being the best, this leads to internalized oppression. Dark skinned women are not satisfied with the way they look. Instead of women living a normal life and appreciating themselves for what they have and look, they worry about their exterior. Since everyone wants to look beautiful, people of color are willing to change themselves in order to look better.
nice job and good points. very valid. I wonder if these beauty practices stem more from cultural preferences versus trying to be "white" and assimilate. I do understand what you're saying about people identifying with "white" baby dolls and toys over black ones. I wonder why this is? I hate to admit this but growing up we had a barbie we called "blackie" because she was dark skinned. Looking back I wonder what my interpretation of race was at such a young age.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful article and I appreciate your comments. It's also sad to me. Skin color is something a person cannot change, (unless bleaching works a little), so one must either live their whole lives feeling inadequate and "less than" or try to find peace within who they are. This is something a person can't hide from. It is sad that they would have to. I also think media is becoming somewhat more diverse, but media and the image of the white thin female has a lot to do with what why aspire to. An aspiration some of us will never meet.
ReplyDeleteI think that beauty ideals are so interesting, and vary so widely from culture to culture... while I think this post was important. Beauty ideals definitely have a lot to do with privilege, thanks for including this
ReplyDeleteThe idea of fair skin being more beautiful is ironic considering how many fair skinned individuals spend hundreds of dollars on spray tan or tanning booths. Beauty is so much more then skin color. I will admit from the other side that i hate when my tan fades because i think having tan skin is more attractive.
ReplyDeleteAlso I have heard the statements about African American children being given white dolls to play with and growing up thinking that the stereotypical Barbie is the way to be is unfortunate. Shaping children to feel that way is setting them up for shame in who they are which is equally as terrific.
This post makes a lot of good points when it comes to white privileges. The example you use when it comes to white privileges that kind of makes me feel bad is when you talk about when black people are trying maybe without even noticing to appear white or lighter because its more socially favored and this usually gives them more privileges. I think its unfair that people feel that way, not matter what color they are. People should be able to embrace their skin color and be proud of what they look like and not have to worry about be accepted by the public because of it.
ReplyDeleteHannah,
ReplyDeleteYour post definitely hit home for me, as I am also biracial and have felt both the privilege that my light skin affords me and the oppressions of not being totally white. I often struggle with things like whether or not to relax my hair. For a couple years I didn't and then it got long enough where it was too hard to pull up so I relaxed it. Whether this makes me seem "whiter" or not isn't really an issue so much as to why I do it, but it does make my hair more manageable. I guess if I'm being honest I have felt less attractive than someone who is white because my hair can't do the same things.
I also can relate to growing up with no instances of "black women being beautiful" my father is black which meant I was the only black female in my family. I had to learn what that beauty meant on my own. All my barbies were white and I definitely think that it does effect how black children see themselves to not have black dolls, or see 1 black child for every 10 white ones on TV, or to have no black children in their picture books.
When I visited my father's island however, people there told me that I had the ideal skin color and that I had "good hair".
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ReplyDeletewow sorry about that! My computer wasn't showing that I had posted anything so I kept trying then I had to delete a bunch of copies!!
ReplyDeleteI have read the Clark's study before and it is unfortunate that the same white privilege prevalent in the ‘50s is still applicable today. However, some good did come from the Clark’s evaluation of African American student’s perspectives. I believe Kenneth Clark was one of the primary speakers in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. His empirical evidence of continued oppression contributed to the desegregation of public schools and a step towards equality.
ReplyDeleteWow Carolyn that is amazing. I am familiar with Brown v Brown but I had no idea Clark was a part of that decision. It helps me to remember that one person can make a difference and that a lot of patience and different positions go into making such a huge decision.
ReplyDeleteThe black v. White dolls and black v. white pictures of children and the fact that most black children will choose white ones over black makes me sad. I feel it is such a shame that societys power and white privilege can make an effect even on young children who are supposed to not have to deal with those things yet. I guess it opens my eyes to the fact that it is in everything and of course children are going to be affected by it.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't this still reflect white privilege? I was just watching an old episode of the L word last night and one of the characters his biracial, white mother; black father, she was in a therapy group and was verbally assaulted by another group member who was black. She accused the biracial character of being too white to be considered black, that she talked white, dressed white, and was going to raise her children to be white. She expressed that she suppressed her African American roots. I wonder if this kind of situation actually does happen to those who are of color. A form of segregation between those with lighter skin and those with darker skin?
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