When Black Isn’t Beautiful

Black is as chocolate; dark and beguiling and like good chocolate goes straight to the brain. Like gold it glitters but like the night it can hide pleasures unknown or signal fear. Some say it’s as good as gold signalling exclusivity and power. Black summons our old nemesis, Death. Black is the colour of my skin; is it a colour or the absence of light? Black is infused with much symbolism. Black can be scary. Black can also be beautiful. Alas not every person with copious melanin believes “Black is beautiful”. For some of our “sisters”, lighter is better; not just equal and different; but better. Do black men prefer lighter? Some will. Some won’t. But a woman who’s gone from black to powder surely loses the allure; the shine; the glitter; the refractive qualities when well-oiled. Besides, bleached skin looks surreal, unreal and almost always quite disgusting.

“Whitenicious is the skin care line launched by Nigerian-Cameroonian pop singer Dencia. Dencia who once had Naomi Campbell chocolate skin is now as pale Lady Gaga. [Whitenicious] is being marketed as a “fast acting, 7 day dark spot remover” that targets “dark spots caused by anything from acne, wounds, hyper pigmentation bruises.” Whitenicious sold out [in the US] in days at $50-$150 a pop. Studies show that 77% of Nigerian women use skin lighteners regularly, but it’s not just Nigerians lightening their skin.”

http://www.centrictv.com/whats-good/entertainment/2014/01/17/african-pop-star-s-bleaching-cream-line-sells-out-fast.html