I ended up not liking myself because I felt that too much attention was given to me and others ignored of it. My sisters and I ended up being torn by this (amongst other things) because they felt like I was favored more. *Thank God for Jesus because eventually my sisters and I overlooked this*
Initially I wanted this article to be about "light skin girl problems" until I realized that it is much bigger than that (don't get me wrong we do have problems and sometimes from the opposite sex but that's a topic for another time). I started my search with light skin women which Google showed me pictures upon pictures of information that light skin is "better and prettier." Events that promote battles between women of different skin complexions, ways to get fair skin and people saying "they were tired of being ugly" because they were not light/fair skinned.*Honey, if you're man doesn't love you for who you are, then he's not worthy of your everything (my opinion)*
As I was doing the research, I came upon an article that threw me way back. Back to the history of how it all came about and I want to share that with you. It is a speech made by Willie Lynch (a slave owner) in 1712 and it reads;
"Gentlemen. I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First, I shall thank you, the gentlemen of the Colony of Virginia, for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me on my modest plantation in the West Indies, where I have experimented with some of the newest, and still the oldest, methods for control of slaves. Ancient Rome would envy us if my program is implemented. As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious King, whose version of the Bible we cherish, I saw enough to know that your problem is not unique. While Rome used cords of wood as crosses for standing human bodies along its highways in great numbers, you are here using the tree and the rope on occasions. I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree, a couple miles back. You are not only losing valuable stock by hangings, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the fields too long for maximum profit, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed. Gentlemen, you know what your problems are; I do not need to elaborate.
I am not here to enumerate your problems, I am here to introduce you to a method of solving them. In my bag here, I HAVE A FULL PROOF METHOD FOR CONTROLLING YOUR BLACK SLAVES. I guarantee every one of you that, if installed correctly, IT WILL CONTROL THE SLAVES FOR AT LEAST 300 HUNDREDS YEARS. My method is simple. Any member of your family or your overseer can use it. I HAVE OUTLINED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENCES AMONG THE SLAVES; AND I TAKE THESE DIFFERENCES AND MAKE THEM BIGGER. I USE FEAR, DISTRUST AND ENVY FOR CONTROL PURPOSES. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies and it will work throughout the South. Take this simple little list of differences and think about them. On top of my list is “AGE,” but it’s there only because it starts with an “a.” The second is “COLOR” or shade. There is INTELLIGENCE, SIZE, SEX, SIZES OF PLANTATIONS, STATUS on plantations, ATTITUDE of owners, whether the slaves live in the valley, on a hill, East, West, North, South, have fine hair, course hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action, but before that, I shall assure you that DISTRUST IS STRONGER THAN TRUST AND ENVY STRONGER THAN ADULATION, RESPECT OR ADMIRATION.
The Black slaves after receiving this indoctrination shall carry on and will become self-refueling and self-generating for HUNDREDS of years, maybe THOUSANDS. Don’t forget, you must pitch the OLD black male vs. the YOUNG black male, and the YOUNG black male against the OLD black male. You must use the DARK skin slaves vs. the LIGHT skin slaves, and the LIGHT skin slaves vs. the DARK skin slaves. You must use the FEMALE vs. the MALE, and the MALE vs. the FEMALE. You must also have white servants and overseers [who] distrust all Blacks. But it is NECESSARY THAT YOUR SLAVES TRUST AND DEPEND ON US. THEY MUST LOVE, RESPECT AND TRUST ONLY US. Gentlemen, these kits are your keys to control. Use them. Have your wives and children use them, never miss an opportunity. IF USED INTENSELY FOR ONE YEAR, THE SLAVES THEMSELVES WILL REMAIN PERPETUALLY DISTRUSTFUL. Thank you gentlemen.”
(http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Perspectives_1/Willie_Lynch_letter_The_Making_of_a_Slave.shtml)
First of all - this content is not to anger anyone nor to look at white people with hate because as much as black people are different amongst each other, so is every human amongst their own race. This statement was made by a person who destroyed the image of many others who don't believe in what he said but were/are hated for it because of their skin color.
Second of all - don't even get me started on this man's understanding of the Lord and the Bible (that's a topic for another day).
Last of all - By us still seeing color amongst each other, we continue what someone put in place 303 years ago.
We are ALL beautiful in the eyes of our Maker, so why should we compare ourselves to the next person? I chose a long time ago not to see complexion between my sisters (family and friends). I chose to look within, to complement other women and to encourage them to love themselves.
Let's decide today to SEE NO COMPLEXION, HEAR NO COMPLEXION AND SPEAK NO COMPLEXION.
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