Why The Obsession With Lighter

By Williams Patrick Praise

(from Iwaegbe Family)

From my experience, when I was younger I was so dark my mother nickname me 'black smoke' She only used that word though when I offend her. You know our African mothers; they are too smart they have a way of correcting you by calling you name that would make you regret ever breaking the golden rule. However, did I grow up using bleaching cream to look lighter? Capital NO.

Yea, during slavery/colonialism, that was a major problem but I have found the way you present yourself to the world is the same way the world will treat you. It has nothing to do with one’s skin colour. The greatest racism, which we hardly talk about, is ECONOMIC RACISM. I have work as a model and I can tell you, ladies and gentlemen, black is beautiful in photography. Though I am dark, I am photogenic. People love you because of what comes out inside of you. The way you present yourself to the world is the same way the world will take you.

Yea we know, we Africans must work harder to access economic opportunity because we came from a history of slavery, colonialism and oppression. The economic opportunities we are trying to access has never be available to us, those who readily enjoy it for themselves for hundreds of years, some are willing to share, even in this 21st century many still don’t want to share. I really do not see this as blame game or everything on slavery/colonialism perspective but rather on human greed. I am sorry to say, the world is a wide jungle only those with strong will survive.

In Africa today the people who hold Africa progress back are African leaders because they are greedy blindfolded, short sighted with poverty of the mind.

Truth is, people who bleach their skin are suffering from inferiority complex. They lack personal confidence, to boost their ego they want to look like someone else, by bleaching their skin to look lighter and feel accepted. What does banana have to do with apples? Even light skin wants to be darker. Oyimbo wan be black and black wan be white, wahala dey o!

I have seen black ladies and black guys, they are not light but really dark. When you are around them, they light up your world. When they open their mouth and smile, their teeth is white like melon seed, it just brighten up your world. Like me, I am dark but my teeth are yellow but it fit my eyes though. People love me wherever I go; I’ve seen white folks who wish they had my kind of skin. Because I have learn to just be myself and be beautiful.

@WPPraise

Insecurity is a disease that can be cure by accepting yourself as you are. Not trying to be what you are not. That alone is a burden and it leads to stress. A man or woman cannot walk in another person’s shadow. Just be yourself and be beautiful. Who says monkey is ugly?

Ladies and gentlemen, no offense this is just my take on this subject. Before bleaching cream was invented, our ancestor says. . .