My Africa - Black Is Beautiful

"Aunty Koko, I want to look like her", my five year old niece uttered one day. "Like who, I asked offhandedly, reluctantly looking up from the book I was buried in to pay attention to her. My gaze followed her eager gesture towards the Telly. She was watching the Cinderella movie. They might not have a full grasp of the core of the Cinderella fairy tale, but most girls her age were fascinated mostly by the Cinderella's ball gown costumes which is the main reason for their Cinderella obsession. Or so I thought. "You like her dress", I asked her assuredly. "Yes, she's fair and fine", she replied.With her innocent view, I presumed that it was the platform to lecture my niece about self esteem once again, so, I bookmarked my book and placed it aside.

Lectures as these weren't new to me. They had come in handy when I had had to convince her that she looked more beautiful without a smudge of lipstick or eyeshadow or that her natural kinky hair suited her better than weave-on or attachment.

However, because I didn't want to put intricate ideas into her light brain, I prodded discreetly, "yes, she's fine and so are you". What followed proved my presumption. "But I' m not fair", she countered.

I tried to explain to her in the simplest way I could the beauty and uniqueness in the diversity of  the physical characteristics of all people. Luckily it didn't take time to convince her.  I have come across people, ladies particularly who share the same sentiments as my little niece, in many cases due to feelings of inadequacy, the need to be validated by the society that has been brainwashed to believe in the supremacy of lighter skin or it is the gratuitous  or oblivious opinion that light skin equates to beauty as was the case with my niece. I believe these notions are the reasons why Dencia's popular and controversial "Whitenicious" sold out within one day that it was launched and also why 77% of Nigerian women have been reported by the World Health Organization to use skin lightening products on a regular basis, despite hazardous effects of mercury and hydroquinon which are the bleaching chemicals used in their production. 

From the study, it is apparent Nigeria women bleach their skin more than their counterparts in Mali, Senegal, South Afrrica and Togo, which I find alarming, depressing and stupid on our side. I mean, it's unfathomable that in the year 2001, an outstanding 18 year old DARK-SKINNED young Nigerian woman dazzled Jerry Springer, judges and 1.2 billion audience worldwide with her intelligence and beauty, ahead of the other 92 contestants and was crowned the most beautiful in the oldest and most popular competition that is an embodiment of beauty and elegance.

Remember her? Abgani Darego?

It is the same way Oluchi Onweagba's charm earned her spots on the runway strutting for Christian Dior, Armani, Chanel, on the  covers of Vogue, Marie Claire, Allure, Elle and numerous other modeling gigs her beauty fetched her.

We have Genevieve Nnaji

Chimamanda Adichie

 Joke Silva

 Kate Henshaw

Onyeka Onwuenu

and a troop of other everyday dark skinned Nigerian women who not only epitomize beauty but intelligence, hard work, elegance, success and virtue.

More recently is the idolization of Lupita Nyong'o for her powerful portrayal of Patsey in the movie, "12 years a Slave", her exquisiteness, gorgeousness and intelligence. I know she's not Nigerian, but pardon my fixation over anything Kenyan, plus you can't convincingly discuss modern black beauty without mentioning her. So, what then is our problem? What is the source of our insecurities and self-hate.

Well, the history of slavery could have led to the skewed perception that because blacks were harshly and intimidatingly subdued to the whims and caprices of the whites, it automatically translates to superiority of their nature over ours, including the colour of their skin. We could also trace this trend back to the colonization era when Western colonizers "favoured" African men and women who had a closer resemblance of whites and so on. It can be inferred therefore that the aftermaths of such prejudices have been passed on to our generation and have played a huge role in influencing our minds. Whatever! I still ask, are we so gullible that we can't reason for ourselves anymore?

I know human level of reasoning and rationalization tend to be influenced either negatively or positively when external events infiltrate the mind. Adam and Eve's temptation and fall in the garden of Eden come to mind. These two clearly understood God's instructions but still managed to fall for empty promises. It all boils down to choice. I mean, if you're old enough to distinguish among the green, red and orange traffic lights, then you're old enough to rectify your skewed thoughts that you're better-off torturing and destroying your melanin. Actually, the conflicting truth is you're worse-off when you consider the health risks associated with bleaching creams.

Apportioning some form of importance to someone's shades of skin is the dumbest and most shallow stereotype, and that clashes with every principle I want my niece to imbibe as a dark-skinned growing girl - respect, kindness, humility, diligence, dignity, honesty, brilliance and so on. Because in the end, she won't be remembered for the colour of her skin, but her accomplishments.
 

I'll leave you to ponder on Lupita's wise words at the Essence's 7th annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, "And so I hope that my presence on your screens and in the magazines may lead you, young girl, on a similar journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty and also get to the deeper business of being beautiful inside. There is no shade to that beauty".