You would’ve thought in 2018 the whole ‘Light skinned vs dark skinned’ argument would’ve calmed down not died out just calmed down a tad, but nope it continues with full force every day, Twitter is where I see everything and I’ve seen the same topic upon my TL for a solid two months, being engulfed by black twitter with the same debate/argument every day gets extremely tiring, I was doing Twitter fingers for about a month to get my point across but getting your point across on such a large scale social site is near enough impossible, my thought process is if I can’t get my opinion out why not listen to others so that’s exactly what I did I held two separate polls called ‘Colourism question thread‘ & ‘Colourism question thread part 2‘ The first one I did it didn’t do too well on votes but I realised I was very uninclusive to other races which weren’t fair I really only did questions for the black community when colourism really involves more races than the black community, kindly enough a girl named @yazzwilson kindly messaged me and we were talking on whatsapp for days about colourism and honestly she opened my mind to things I never knew about and she helped me come up with part two of the thread. Part two did so much better than part one but really I involved everyone this time and the number of votes the questions received was crazy! From part one through to part two I received over 400 replies I really tried to reply to everyone but I swear my fingers were literally about to drop off and it’s not like I reply to someone and the conversation is done I had to constantly go to and fro, listen you twitter famous people I don’t know how you do it.
Hearing different opinions and for the person to then further explain themselves is what I need, I don’t really like to take sides too often if my mindset was how it was two years ago I would’ve been having arguments for a month, but I’ve learnt to accept that everyone is different and their thought processes are also different, this world was never meant to be perfect. There were a few views I saw and I was thinking in the back of my mind ‘how the fuck can you be so backwards’ but hey their mind is certainly not mine and vice Versa.
There were a few people I really had to raise my uneven eyebrows at, I had a fair few people in my mentions stating ‘facts’ that were clearly their own opinions, I’m sorry but your opinions are not facts and if that’s what you think then I’m sorry for your mindset because that is just the worst thing ever, I really asked some people for evidence on where is this a fact and they came back with nothing.
I have many subtopics that I want to talk on and shed light on, some are good exposure and some not too good but hey this is a touchy topic and life is not a bed of roses.
But first let me talk about myself and my own personal experiences, how I got shaped for my own life.
My Personal Experiences
While I was growing up I lived in two separate locations one of them being London and the other one in a town not too far from London probably about 45 mins away, your probably thinking how does that even work? Well both of my parents were born and bred in London, my mum moved out of London before I was born but we also had a family house that was still there, the biggest reason was London is too bloody expensive everytime you breathe money gets deducted out of your account, but we always went back forth between two locations and my dad never moved out of London so I grew up around West London & North West London I know them equally well as each other. I wasn’t born there I was born in the town unfortunately but this has shaped who I am today.
Town life as a black girl, there is a small minority of black people here, the area I live in is profoundly white, on my street, there is just one other black family, and in my area probably about 5-10 black families, my area I mean my side of the town because believe it or not towns do have different sections.
It’s only when I go on nights out in town which is hardly ever, is that I see more black people, but it’s only from the past few years I’ve seen more blacks since they built a university campus here.
All my friends from around here are white, in my school, I had a few black friends but switching to city life all my friends are black. Weird right?
But I have been teased a lot by black people because I have friends who are white or any other skin tone, and it’s really weird like I never grew up with that mindset, no one can ever hinder my thought process of who I choose to spend my time with, like their my friends, some of these people I’ve grown up with, but it bothered me that my own race people who shout about diversity all day every day and they spun around and laughed at me.
I have white family, mixed raced cousins, like I shall never understand the mindset that people possess of having different skin tone friends. I’ve generally posted on my snapchat of my older mixed cousins and clearly stating their my cousins and people will still come back and ask ‘who are they, are they your family‘ like I don’t know if some people are generally dumb, but its big 2018 diversity is coming into families it’s been in families for a very long time.
Interracial Relationships
“They are here to stay”
Let’s get one thing straight, interracial doesn’t mean just black and white, it can be anything, it seems to centre on just two races, please there are more races than just those two.
It doesn’t just centre on sex, there are some people that literally get with dark-skinned men or women to get ‘mixed raced’ children, which I find sick and it has to be a mental illness for you wanting to breed someone for the outcome of mixed children.
Are Asian girls more submissive? Are black girls freakier? Who has the bigger penis latina men or black men? All these perpetuate stereotypes and turn all of these ideas into experiments. We aren’t bloody science experiments, we are human love who you want for who they are, not for anything else.
There’s a fine line between admiration and fetishization, being seen as a fetish other than a person is disgusting like interracial doesn’t mean a better life. Admire other races as they have a lot to offer.
For the love of God just because someone dates outside of their race it doesn’t mean they hate the people, like allow people to have a preference, have your preference and keep it moving don’t have a preference then knock the people in your own race down.
I saw a horrendous tweet on just this on the 22nd February 2018, honestly, I was horrified, dishearted and angry.
The beauty to come from interracial relationships and all relationships is that you learn you become open-minded to learn about the other person, their beliefs, mindset, goals, background and a whole different perspective for you.
I never really deeped the fact that people have been racist let alone a colourist towards me until I did both of those threads, when the threads were done and I was scrolling back through the replies I kept on saying to myself ‘that’s happened to me before’ or ‘ I never knew that was happening on my own doorstep’ As I was growing up in school from year 7 straight through to year 11 I never even knew what I was experiencing maybe because I got into so much trouble in them years everything must’ve gone up and over my head.
I watched one movie called Holes while I was in year 9/10/11 I have no idea, I don’t even know when I finished school.
Besides that I loved this film so much I even begged my mum to buy me the book, I got it if you’ve never seen the movie I suggest you watch it.
There was one scene that really captured me which was about interracial relationships, in the book Holes Sam a black man falls in love with Kate a white woman, in that time it was still unheard of, long story short Sam got killed.
There were times in school where I would get picked on as a student by teachers and me being a bad child in school had nothing to do with it, there was one time I was in my school main playground minding my business chatting with my friends and I literally turned around to go to the canteen to grab food I was on my way there and a teacher told me to come to her so me being me I rolled my eyes and went over, she started hassling me over my skirt being to ‘short’ I can’t lie it was short but that’s how I felt comfortable and this skirt wasn’t one of those that it would look good being long, in school you follow the fashion ok, so anyways next thing you know I was being ushered off to her office and when I got there all I was hearing was “don’t you feel uncomfortable like that” but my argument back was there was plenty of other girls that had their skirts way shorter than mine to the point if they bent over you would see their vaginas I’m not kidding, I basically got sent home to change, but the point is there were white/mixed girls walking past us while I was out getting lectured about my skirt, honestly I was so mad I went home got changed stayed home for like 2 hours and came back half way into the last lesson.
There was another thing I hated about school was when people touched my hair, I HATE when my hair gets touched and white people especially would say “ew whys your hair so greasy/creamy” um maybe just maybe so it stays moisturised as a black girl having our type of hair is a pain finding a hairstyle, no one in my school had wigs it was either natural, weave or braids. After my hair kept on getting touched by disgusting bacterial invested hands I had to get braids to reduce all the consistent touching. I’m pretty sure my school went through a phase about haircuts and hairstyles like no wacky colours or haircuts, I really had to have regular shmegular black hair while white/light skinned were allowed any hair colour or haircut possible, it was literally ridiculous.
I’ll have to say personally I don’t think I went to one of those schools where there that much more whites than blacks it certainly wasn’t even, all the races that attended pretty much balanced out the equation, if it was teachers compared on skin tone there was certainly way more whites than blacks actually there was like 5 black teachers, but in opinion it didn’t bother me at all who educated me, it was just the way they’d deal with certain situations.
There were many times where I should’ve been kicked out but having the right people on your side helped me a whole lot more, I was one of those kids where if anyone did anything wrong I’d automatically reply “is it because I’m black?” That one sentence will have people flustered because there is no comeback.
But I’m grown now and still growing, and I still have a lot more to learn.
Recently (I lied) about two years ago I went to Spain on my first holiday alone no parents just three of my friends, when I tell you I’m laid back I’m so laid back, one of my friends who shan’t be named kept on noticing stuff that would fly over my head, one time we were walking to the beach and I kid you not there was a swatchsticka on the floor fully spray painted, and then on the way back it was gone, can’t lie I didn’t even see it I was too busy enjoying myself, we also took a few days to go to the town and my friend was like these people are racist I fully didn’t know what she was talking about but when we got back she was like “People were staring at us” I didn’t know how to take it I was really not bothered at all like I fully don’t know what’s wrong me like I’m the most unbothered person ever.
I would just like to say that’s the end of my personal stories but I’ll probably be doing up Esther (BkchatLDN) and relating back to any and everything while I’m talking on subtopics.
Black skin vs Light skin, the number of tweets I saw on this one topic please I can’t some of you lot are bitter.
But one thing I can’t seem to get my head around is “You’re attractive as a black girl” what does this mean I’ve heard it too many times where someone has said it to me and honestly I was spinning. I’ve been reciting the same line in my head for months and I just can’t figure it out I’ve heard that for no other race, personally I think when people say that, they must think us black girls are bottom of the barrel within the human race because if we go back to slavery days our ancestors got treated like shit on the bottom of these slave masters shoes, I will never seem to understand actually I don’t think there is a possible explanation of why there is so much hate on the black/darker skin tones, it’s really a skin tone people act like we chose, like colour selection is a thing. Every day I’m disheartened but more importantly, I end up getting desensitised because where is the end for all of this?
Stefflon Don
We all know what got the Twitter timeline going a few weeks ago and that was the tweet that got retweeted by somebody on the TL which brought a tweet back from 2013 and into 2018.
At first, I was thinking “this bitch”, but I thought about it and compared it to one of the questions in my thread, some of you who voted probably are dark skinned so what Stefflon Don said isn’t entirely false.
“I just want to be lighter” I’m convinced at least a few dark skinned girls must’ve voted this option because what other skin tones would want to go lighter???
This doesn’t mean I agree with what Stefflon Don did at all because it was a serious low blow she and her PR team should’ve been smarter and removed this tweet years ago but tweets can also resurface.
She didn’t handle this situation correctly at all telling people to suck their mums, what sort of role model?
But Stefflon Don, what were you doing at 21?
Hair
Our pride and joy
My hair is honestly my pride and joy I’m either natural or has braids, personally, I don’t like weave or wig at all I’ve tried them both once and honestly never again.
But for you other girls that wear weave or wig you continue to slay but also please let your natural hair rest.
I’m sure I can speak for a majority of black girls that we do not like getting our hair touched at all, the blood, sweat and tears that go into looking after it, finding certified hair vendors, hairdressers, products, tying it up every night.
Hairdressers for me, I don’t let anyone do my hair I only go to two women and they really do God’s work.
Hair products honestly rip holes through my bank account like it’s so expensive, I can’t shop in regular shmegular boot’s or Superdrug for hair products, I have to go to Black/Asian owned businesses, they’re the only shops that will sell the products I need.
Experimenting with black hair it can really go two ways very well or extremely bad, a few years back I tried to relax my hair God forbid the outcome the hairdresser made my hair drop out, it actually took a good 3 years for parts of my hair to grow back, the growth is what kills me it takes such a long time, that’s why I hate my hair being touched.
We’re always fighting our hair edges, sometimes I want a slick ponytail or even a cute bun, but the hairs along my hairline do not allow that to happen at all, it’s a constant battle.
Wash Day, this is actually war three hours to comb out my hair, wash, condition & shampoo about 1/2 times, add in leave in conditioner let the conditioner soak into my hair for a good hour, separate my hair into four sections to then comb it out again! ( I hardly blow dry my hair) once its all combed through I proceed to straighten it either with a straightening brush as these aren’t particularly hot and heat damage is a killer or actual straighteners (once in a blue moon).
My point is I’ve received aggro in particular from white girls saying how their hair is difficult to deal with, honestly, it’s nothing compared to what us black or even mixed girls have to deal with.
The modelling industry (I wrote about this briefly in my last blog) but the model world we’d open magazines, watch adverts on televisions/billboards, see highlights from fashion weeks and still see a high number of lighter skinned people fulfilling these jobs when we also have darker skinned models that wanted the same dream to break out within the industry as well.
As a black girl, I know what colours work well with my skin tone and last year orange and yellow was popping on my skin tone, on lighter tones no offence but it defiantly didn’t do there skin any justice. The fashion world want to keep up with trends but are unexclusive on who they involve, first we were dealing with how you have to look a certain way, weight issues but we’ve always been dealing with skin tone and it’s just blatant racism, black people hardly ever feature on front covers of major magazine covers. Black model Jourdan Dunn told The Guardian back in 2013 that ” people in the industry say if you have a black face on the cover of a magazine it won’t sell.”
Recently I literally just learnt how bad the colourism problems were in Asia and the people that were quote tweeting saying how Asia was the worst place to come across anything to do with the colour I was like”Yeah whatever” but little did I know you lot was actually right. From what I’ve heard I now understand I know black people that have gone to China and they’d constantly get stared at and prodded by Chinese people, what’s that about? But you know what doesn’t surprise me as China are quite limited as they’re a communist country.
But first, let me talk about Vogue India and why they cast Kendall Jenner instead of an actual Indian model, it actually made no sense it was nonsense, it spun me even more that Vogue India did that, not Vogue New York, can’t lie but that sounds like self-hate, how can you not cast someone from your own country and as a 10 year anniversary to your magazine that’s what you wanted to do, completely flabbergasted. Kendall Jenner, I respected her but she really accepted this job, she ACCEPTED THE JOB, her manager let her accept the job as in Kris Jenner you let her accept it, Kendall is 100% American nothing else, how can you go so wrong with something so simple. Vogue really thought they were not going to receive heavy backlash, Kendall thought, bitch you thought!
Update: 04/03/18
Someone, please tell me why I’m seeing this family again with Vogue India, it’s like the backlash last time was not enough, Kim Kardashian is American with Armenian heritage, did anyone see me mention anything to do with Indian heritage? No neither did I, I can’t figure out why they keep taking jobs because they damn well know they’ll get done for cultural appropriation, and better yet Vogue India switched off their comments on all of Kim’s photo’s because they know as well what they’re doing, these people make me so enraged.
Kim Kardashian looks stunning in all these photo’s but girl this is not your culture at all, you’re American Armenian, there’s no Vogue in Armenia go create it there and model for them, you celebrities cry when you get backlash as if you didn’t create it yourself.
Vogue India you lot are dumb and disgustingly stupid, your whole magazine doesn’t even represent India, it represents everywhere but India, you hire stylists that will happily play dress up with American models and dress them up, you have a whole country of models to pick from yet you play pick n mix with the rest of the world. Get a grip.
The women and men still striding down the runways are all still profoundly white, diversity isn’t a trend it’s certainly here to stay forever. Many models have been rejected because of skin colour or apparently “we have too many black girls”. Every race has different features, why on earth would you not want new unique features instead everyone is still looking at the same blonde haired blue eyes or brunettes.
Change it up
Models
Duckie Thot is Sudanese-Australian and was a runner-up on Australia’s next top model and is now making her way to be an international model. Duckie Thot revealed that she struggled to get her coins down under and decided to relocate to New York City, she was also worried about being in a country that didn’t promote black models.
Shaun Ross is of African-American descent and was born in the Bronx, as Ross was growing up he received a lot of discrimination as he was albino, he was bullied for years and called names such as ‘powder’ ‘white-out’ and ‘Casper’. Ross was discovered on YouTube and switched over to the fashion Industry when he was just 16 years old. Before modelling Ross was a dancer and appeared in music videos like ‘Pretty Hurts’ ‘Party’ by Beyoncé and a few more.
Joel Mignott is a 19-year-old model & an aspiring DJ originally from Leeds. Signed to AMCK, Joel has travelled the world with his job & modelled for names such as Viviene Westwood, Adidas and Diesel. Joel has experienced setbacks within his career as people always wonders what race he is, Joel finds the issues of where to fall in.
Destiny Owusu is Virginia born and of Ghanian descent, Owusu first started her modelling career at 22 years old. Owusu has experienced many setbacks being a black model, she stated “We have to work 10 times harder, because with agencies as long as they have that one token black girl, that’s all they want.” Owusu also said that if she could change one thing in the industry it would be diversity. Owusu’s African beauty & melanin movement has inspired many others to feel comfortable in the skin they’re in, she created the hashtag #isyourmelaninonfleek she has paved the way to becoming influential with no representation.
Khoudia Diop is Senegalese, Diop was teased as a child because of her dark skin but after moving to Paris at age 15, she was approached consistently with the suggestion she’d be a supermodel. In 2016 Diop moved to New York as was featured in the ‘Coloured girls project’ this led to Diop becoming Instagram famous and appeared in advertising for French cosmetics brand ‘Makeup forever’.
Ashely Chew is 25 and the brain behind the movement #blackmodelsmatter, Chew is a model, activist and fashion & arts passionate, who fights every day for her rights. Chew was asked if she had ever been rejected from a casting her simple reply was “I’m lighter toned with green eyes” Chew has also struggled with modelling as her hair isn’t what is expected, they’ll ask her to straighten her hair or say they already have a girl that looks like her, Chew also stated “It’s almost like being too light for the black castings and being too dark for regular casting.”
Winnie Harlow is a Canadian fashion model, spokesperson & activist. Winnie gained prominence as a contestant on ‘America’s next top model’ while having the skin condition vitiligo, while she was growing up Winnie was victimised and continuously got called names such as ‘cow’ or ‘zebra’ etc, she is of Jamaican ancestry. Winnie was diagnosed with Chronic skin condition characterized by depigmentation of portions of the skin. All the abuse she received Winnie considered Suicide.
Personally, if people accepted that people of different skin tones and ethnic backgrounds were different and learned we all possess different qualities and look different a lot of problems from this century wouldn’t arise, a colour should no way determine what you can and can’t have, there’s space for everyone on this scene people just need to learn how to use all these features to their advantage.
Update: 01/03/2018
I only saw these photo’s on this day, but 2018 black people being on the cover of major magazine’s we are certainly getting somewhere as a race.
Update: 07/03/18
I told Y’all.
Bleaching
Skin lightening/bleaching is a procedure to make dark areas of your skin lighter or to achieve a naturally lighter skin tone. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin it’s colour and protects it from the sun.
Bleaching never have and never will understand why you would want to go lighter like it’s so normalised now there are whole procedures to go lighter, the results aren’t even certain and the side effects you can get, do you people not fear God.
If you consider going lighter then please read and educate yourselves on what you’re doing to your skin.
Possible side effects
- Skin Irritation/Inflammation
- Burning sensation
- Itchy & Flaky skin
What else could go wrong?
- Skin turning to light/dark
- Thinning of the skin
- Visible blood vessels on the skin
- Scarring
- Kidney/liver damage
- Abnormalities in a newborn baby
Honestly, the side effects sound normal to me, all those unknown ingredients you would happily put on your skin it’s slightly worrying.
But when I read the ‘what else could go wrong’ I’m shocked! People will generally go lighter with the risk of their health.
“Health before wealth”
Update: 07/03/18
Look what I found, these celebrities think you lot are weird, period.
50 shades of melanin
Yet only a few makeup companies can actually get it right with the foundations and concealers, there’s really 50 shades of melanin yet most makeup brands give a pick n mix of about 10!
Personally, I don’t wear a lot of makeup at all, it’s effort to put on and take off! But that doesn’t mean I don’t see whats going on within, as an outsider looking in the makeup industry has messed up big time.
I fully don’t know whats wrong with the people in this industry, some of them have their head screwed on others are just bloody PR stunters.
Now I’m going to educate you about the unexclusive and inclusive makeup brands.
Inclusive
- Fenty Beauty
- Bobbi Brown
- MAC
- Maybelline
- Nars
Robyn Rhianna Fenty, she really has done that! After seeing a void in the makeup market Rhianna really experimented with the best of the best in beauty. 40 shades of foundation and still plans to bring out more, not only is it inclusive it’s affordable.
Those two factors definitely lured me in, normally I would never leave my house for a launch but as soon as Fenty Beauty landed in the UK I know I had to try it, so I gave it three weeks before I went to Harvey Nichols, I really thought bitch I thought that there would be no queues, me and my friend were sadly mistaken. We turn up I kid you not the queue was three hours long so yeah I joined I certainly was not turning around like an idiot and going home! Fast forward now I get close to the front and finally let in, so of course, I bought the Foundation and KILLAWATT highlighter and they were my best purchases of 2017.
Bobbi Brown is No.1 leading makeup brands in the world for the past two decades Brown has worked on creating products to suit all skin tones. It’s the newest foundation called ‘Skin long wear weightless foundation’ contains 30 diverse colour options. The brand is available in over 60 countries and at 17 exclusive stores including Harrods, Macy’s, Selfridges etc and 75 freestanding stores. In SoHo London, Bobbi Brown recently opened a store it looks like a normal store upstairs but downstairs they hold masterclasses.
MAC is a leading professional makeup brand, co-founded by Frank Toskan. Toskan realised the lack of suitable colours and textures needed to maximize performance, Mac celebrates diversity and states on their ‘who are we’ page on their website that ‘We are for ALL ages, ALL races, ALL genders’.
Maybelline the company was created by a 19-year-old entrepreneur named Thomas Lyle Williams in 1915. Williams noticed his older sister ‘Mabel‘ applying vaseline and coal to her eyebrows to give them a darker fuller look. Williams adapted it with a chemistry set and produced a product sold locally called ‘Lash brow-Ine’ Fast forward now in addition to its expanding range Maybelline added on the ‘Fit me’ range which includes 40 shades.
Nars is a French Cosmetics and skincare company founded by makeup artist and photographer Francois Nars in 1994. In 2017 Nars announced that despite being against animal testing, it was a requirement for them to sell in China. Nars continues to grow it’s shade collection the brand’s new ‘natural radiant longwear foundation’ is available in 33 shades with a various amount of medium to deep tones to choose from.
Unexclusive
- Kylie Jenner Cosmetics
- KKW Beauty
- Lancome
- Physicians Formula
- Benefit
Let me be straight I love the Kardashians/Jenners but they’ve pulled some horrendous stunts lately.
Kylie Jenner Cosmetics, none of her products bring the wow factor, her whole range has no originality for example ‘Kylighter’ all she did was add in her first two letters of her name to try and give it authenticity. Kylie recently bought out a makeup brush set costing $360 and had the audacity AUDACITY to compare her brand to high-end luxury brands such as Kevyn Aucoin, MAC etc, she received a substantial amount of backlash towards her twitter post announcing this, I wasn’t surprised they looked like paint brushes and lord they fray, no one wants to put makeup on with a brush that frays.
KKW Beauty, ah with Kim Kardashians makeup line I really I just can’t, just look and tell me is that not clay?
The other three please just look at the shade range and ask yourself “In big 2018 where is the diversity?”
Advertisement
PR stunts: A planned event to attract the public attention to the event organisers or event
PR stunts are what gets everyone talking, H&M, Dove if you really believe they didn’t know what they were doing then I’m not sorry but you’re deluded.
These companies know what they’re doing, they love our arguments, the more we talk and type about their brand, the more money they’re receiving.
The H&M ad was genius apart from the smashing up of the stores in America, the creative team knew what they were doing, whoever passed that and allowed it to be drawn up and distributed those people are honestly laughing at us, even though they had to pull it from the stores in the end, the more we spoke, the more we typed and included them in our tweets or on any social media they were receiving money, and frankly that is all they care about. People were still going to shop their regardless of colour, they did an 80% off sale in some countries. The mother of the child she was going to get paid regardless so of course she allowed it and told everyone to ‘shut up’ in the process, imagine if she declined that opportunity…
The Dove advert when they showed a black woman turn into a white woman after using Dove body lotion, Dove responded with “We missed the mark” they didn’t miss the mark they knew exactly what they were doing.
When I first saw both of these adverts I thought it was a bluff but it was real, honestly, if I had a company that was known worldwide I’d be dropping stunts every other week, because when you lot speak and type they just earned money! Social media is where the money is, the sooner some of you realise that the more woke you’ll be.
The Nike Advert, that is one advert I can’t fault Nike really did that, included the London music scene and sports all in one advert! The only people that faulted this ad was really the Asians, like really who did you guys want Nike to include in the ad??? And the worst thing is you guys were screaming at black people like we were the ones that created, directed and published the advert it isn’t our fault, you lot had so much energy, redirect that to Nike headquarters.
London really used everything that makes ‘London Culture’
- Barbershops
- Corner shops
- Santander Bikes
- Chicken shops
- DJ
- Black Cabs
- The Underground
- Bipolar Weather
They used our slang they interpreted everything that is us and what makes a Londoner.
Music Industry & Music video ideologies
Matthew Knowles said “The music industry must stop ignoring singers with darker skin”
The music industry is doing so well in the UK with light/white men/girls and even dark-skinned men, but what about the dark skinned girls? Is the issue darker than colourism, could it be sexism within the race? To me, it just doesn’t make any logical sense how can the men of the same skin tone be doing so well but the ladies are literally fighting and scrambling to the top.
The Music videos are a different ball game, why are there so many light/white skinned females in music videos now and hardly any dark-skinned females, the UK music scene will not be diverse until it rectifies this problem.
Blitter
Ah Blitter the time where the Twitter purge began and everyone transferred to Blitter known as (Black Twitter)
Honestly, Blitter went downhill so swiftly and quickly, the app had no originality used the exact same features from Twitter, the interface didn’t change at all except there’s was 100 times shitter than Twitter. The owner of the social media application was absolutely crazy at the start I thought yeah he’s alright because really Twitter headquarters don’t interact with us all they want to do is suspend accounts all day but Pat the guy that created the app interacted with his supporters, sounds like a swell app right?
Oh, and by the way the app is racist and I have clear evidence to show this.
Deep the photographic evidence this guy has to be ill.
Racist/Discriminative Brands
Amazon
Wycon
Shea Moisture
Versace
Tommy Hilfiger
Marc Jacobs
American Eagle
Kendall & Kylie
BooHoo
Straight up facts, these have all been broadcasted on the news and social media.
Amazon recently had to pull a product of off their shelves which a third party user was selling which was products like baby bibs, mugs and T-shirts were all up for grabs, it had a saying printed on it that said: “Slavery gets shit done”. The offensive merchandise got removed and Amazon released a statement saying “It wasn’t me” but really in truth it was them because don’t you have any guidelines on your site or a process that you should go through to get a product posted.
Wycon an Italian beauty brand got into hot water internationally when they released a nail polish named ‘Thick as a nigga’ what colour was that meant to represent? Oh yeah of course black. After being called out Wycon never actually apologised they just changed all their nail polishes to numbers.
They further released a statement, honestly, you’re going to laugh about what they said queue the laughter ” We’re sorry this post triggered these types of reactions, every colour from our gel collections is ‘Inspired’ with a ‘Cheerful‘ attitude and a ‘Pinch‘ of naivety.”
Complete and utter bullshit.
Shea Moisture in the spring of 2017 black beauty brand makes the greatest stumble of all time (that’s my opinion) in their haircare commercial. A black woman with long stringy hair was compared to two white women who also lamented their hair struggle.
Some black women including me felt like shea moisture was turning their backs on their real audience to an audience that literally doesn’t know about struggle upon their head tops.
Shea Moisture admitted they ‘Fucked up‘ and also announced that Unilever is acquiring it, wonder what this means for future advertisements.
The one ad that I saw that actually made no common sense.
Versace
‘Versace Versace, Medusa head on me like I’m Illuminati’
In 2016 a former Versace employee vowed to sue the luxury retailer, accusing the company of discrimination for its use of a secret code they use when a black person enters the store which alerts staff and security. The former employee who was hired in the San Francisco store 2016 said the code ‘D410’ alerts when someone of black skin tone enters and is then followed around the store. The code is also the brand’s label for a black t-shirt. According to TMZ, the man was fired after telling his employer he was African American.
Tommy Hilfiger
“My passion for music has always inspired my designs”
Tommy Hilfiger was accused of being racist when a ‘Chain Letter’ went round of his saying if he knew minorities were going to wear his clothes he would’ve never made them and wishes they would stop wearing them. How lovely.
In 2014, however, Hilfiger did say that while hip-hop’s adoption of his clothing ‘Fueled growth‘ for his label, he’s disappointed at the urban demographic ‘Took us away from our roots‘ So is the word urban black?
Marc Jacobs
” I always find beauty in things that are odd & imperfect- they are much more interesting”
During 2016’s NYFW Marc Jacobs felt a wrath of Twitter backlash as he sent predominately white models down the runway in dreadlocks, which many felt was a blatant appropriation of black culture.
Jacobs response: ” all who cry ‘cultural appropriation’ or whatever nonsense about any race or skin colour wearing their hair in a particular style or manner – funny how you don’t criticize women of colour for straightening their hair” Ouch.
But wait is straightening only for white people? Because I’m pretty sure when I was growing up I used a flat iron comb, but hey you know what if that’s what Jacobs wanted to bring to the table than so be it.
A few days later he issued an apology on his Instagram page.
American Eagle
“Don’t quack like a duck, soar like an eagle”
In December 2017 people were outraged at American Eagle who was selling bracelets that looked like slave shackle cuffs.
The public started sharing photo’s of the bracelets on December 11th, by December 12th they issued out an apology.
American Eagle pulled the product from the shelves but a few days later the public still found them in stores up and down the USA.
Kendall + Kylie
“It’s always the people that know the least about you, that want to judge you the most”
2017 Kendall & Kylie Jenner were in hot water with the public again for plastering their faces over popular music icons.
After controversy and heavy backlash, Kendall & Kylie pulled the t-shirts from their site, the shirts were put on their website June 28th, 2017 and removed the very next day, the sisters put their faces over the likes of Biggie, 2pac and The Doors.
They were even issued with a lawsuit as their faces ruined the trademark of The Doors.
They issued an apology.
Boohoo/Nasty Gal
Before being sold to BooHoo (If BooHoo minded their business they wouldn’t have been in this predicament) Nasty Gal went under fire for appropriating black culture with a $50 faux leather do-rag.
The discontinued product sparked outrage in 2014 after users on Twitter questioned if Nasty Gal knew the true function of a do-rag, which is to protect and maintain natural hairstyles.
Blackface
“Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-black performers to represent a black person”
Blackface was either a layer of burnt cork, a layer of cocoa butter or black grease paint, in the early years they painted on red lips to resemble a clown, costumes were either swallowtail coats, striped hats and top hats.
Minstrel shows entertainment imitated black music, dance and imitated ‘plantation talk’. The shows featured some of the most ‘ugliest‘ African Americans from 1840- 1890, minstrel shows were the most popular form of entertainment in America.
The Golliwog is a black fictional character that resembles the exact same features as blackface.
It is the 21st Century 2018 and blackface and golliwogs still exist to this day, Blackface started in the 18th century over 200 years ago and us black people are getting resembled a doll and we still get taken for idiots by fellow white people. We are not clowns, we are not your entertainment at all.
Careers/Work Paths
“Ever felt like you haven’t been accepted because of your skin colour? Yeah same”
Some workplaces just aren’t diverse enough, to be honest, I’ve never let this stop me from getting to where I want to be, but I’ve had a good few arguments along the way because I’m always adding my signature somewhere to guidelines like ‘We accept everyone no matter what background or race your from‘ And most of the time it ends up complete and utter bullshit. I’ve been discriminated at work so many times, I’ve had managers all up in my space talking down to me like I’m a child and stupid, I’m far from that, did I ever report any of these incidents? No I did not my mindset back then and kind of still now is that the white man won’t listen and in my case it’s true, I’d report something and it will get shoved in the bin, a white person will report the exact same thing and of course it becomes a priority! Am I an idiot? 50/50 really. I wanted to quit some of these jobs so bad but no one will ever get in the way of my money and qualifications absolutely impossible.
There was one job I absolutely adored, but I started to hate it once we got new management, there was one event I had to work at over 1000 + people attended this event, my manager treated me like a slave like I actually felt like a slave, it was a 15 hour shift from the last minute planning to sort out big preparations, I value my job description and honestly the things he made me do, certainly werent in my job description, and oh yes I’m one of those people if it isn’t in my job description then piss off I ain’t doing it, I did as I was told for about 12 hours the last three hours my anger was boiling and honestly my anger is not something to play with because once I flip it’s game over. I’m 100% sure he was doing it on purpose long story short I flipped and got so angry I cried and traded some very nasty words towards my manager, I told my mum and she went ballistic because I never cry I also quit my job.
It was the fact I was the only black person doing the dirty work everyone was chilling, watching the boxing event, I was going back and forth like a flipping circus animal.
Update: 08/03/18
Honestly, I’m extremely upset & extremely infuriated about what I witnessed on Twitter 07/03/18 “Fuck the blacks” I felt extremely sorry for the girl that had to put up with this as she was the only black person on that floor, it is a hate crime! I know racism still goes on till this day, but it’s not even on a sly it was full on and I’m highly disgusted by Nottingham Trent Uni, they responded far too late for my liking, if this was dealt with earlier it probably wouldn’t of reached the likes of social media but I’m glad it did!
Now have a look at some more evidence and opinions:
Nottingham Trent University, look what you have done, you’ve ruined the reputation of your own university for not responding in the correct time frame.
How can this be reported on Monday and you want to come and issue a response 3 days later, the young woman had to bring the situation to social media’s attention just so it could receive an uproar so you lot could respond! You would’ve dusted this under the carpet like other issues, which I have further evidence on.
All these universities claim they have ‘support’ but you don’t, a situation similar to this happened at De Montfort University in Leicester (DMU). DMU I definitely didn’t forget about you lot.
You universities love ruining your reputation, either accommodate every single race or close them down.
Oh and the Daily Mail, I see how you were very quick to swoop down and collect the news and write your article.
Listen to me, you lot are not slick in the slightest.
Daily Mail keep the same energy! You hate us one week and the next week you want to write a supporting article.
Sorry but I don’t like you at all.
If this was my situation, I can’t lie I wouldn’t hold back at all the same attitude you people think black people have ‘The angry black woman’ I’d unleash it 100% paint me with that brush, wouldn’t care less don’t be racist and not expect a backlash!
If a group of black boys were to walk past, those white men would’ve ducked their heads, a young black girl on her own in her accommodation had to experience this.
I could never imagine getting through all the stages of getting to university and then a situation like this occurs.
I understand steps have now been taken as arrests have been made & suspensions have been enforced, but that is not enough! Their courses need to be terminated, named and shamed, faces need to be shown, in the real world things like this cannot run at all.
A few of my opinions:
If you follow me you should know, that I was literally going for anyone with a silly opinion.
@RufaroChisango_ I stand by you, and so do a majority of Twitter.
Interesting Questions
Why is it acceptable for black women to openly prefer dark skin men over light skin men, but black men can’t openly prefer light skin women over dark skin women?
Do you pick friends based on skin tone?
Does dark-skinned privilege exist?
Jorja Smith
All races answer…Do you like your skin tone? If no why not?
&
If you could would you change your skin tone?
Do you think people use colourism as a scapegoat for the fact their ugly?
&
Why is it always the ugly girls feel a type of way, when it comes to colourism why do people relate to men’s preferences and not a social construct?
Now to all the tweets where I just couldn’t figure out where to add them in but all equally important as each other.
To everyone that enjoyed my thread and took time out to say, I certainly didn’t miss you out and I’m ever so grateful.
My Personal Hypothetical
Personally, to me, it all boils down to racism, colourism and discrimination.
If those three things didn’t exist this world wouldn’t be so twisted, looking at slavery it’s so immorally incorrect and I will never understand how you can punish someone on the colour of skin, if I had the option to change the skin tone I 100% wouldn’t if I have to take all the abuse that comes with it, then so be it. I’m black and I’m so proud some of the history associated with the colour black is disheartening, but our ancestors fought for our freedom!
Civil rights activist Rosa Parks 1913-2005, refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated Montgomery bus which spurred on the 381-day boycott. This helped launch nationwide efforts to end segregation of public facilities. The city of Montgomery had no other choice but to lift the law requiring segregation on public buses. Rosa Parks did that.
Social Activist and Baptist minister, Martin Luther King Jr led the civil right’s movement from the mid-1950’s until his death by assassination in 1968.
King received the Nobel peace prize in 1964 along with several other honours, assassinated in 1968 he still lives on to be one of the most influential African American leaders in history.
“I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.” — Martin Luther King, Jr. / “I Have A Dream” speech, August 28, 1963
South African Activist and former president Nelson Mandela 1918-2013 helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global advocate for human rights. A member of the African National Congress party beginning in the 1940s, he was a leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white minority’s oppressive regime in a racially divided South Africa. This manoeuvre landed Mandela in jail for nearly three decades, but he was the face of the apartheid movement. Mandela was released from jail in 1990 and participated in the eradication of apartheid and became the first black president of South Africa.
Antiapartheid: The anti-apartheid movement, originally known as the boycott movement, was a British Organisation that was at the centre of the international movement opposing South Africa’s system of supporting South Africa’s non-whites.
Honestly, we have so many more people but these were honestly the greatest people in my opinion! They lived and died by the movement and they will always live on!
I wrote something a few months ago and hopefully, it can sum up my conclusion because I am absolutely lost for words.
All colour, ethnicity & race is beautiful.
Black is beautiful.
Mixed Raced is beautiful.
Brown is beautiful.
White is beautiful.
We all slay every day, don’t we?
Don’t get it twisted we’re all ugly in someone’s eyes, but we’re all beautiful in someone else’s right?
We as humans weren’t made for everyone, we don’t get accepted by everyone but that’s okay because that’s life isn’t it? Or wait am I wrong is that just my conception of my life lessons, or is it the god damn truth that everyone should bloody well listen too?
Oh, I don’t know what is life, what is beautiful, what the hell is ugly, who created these words, was it YOU, did you give us your unwanted opinions?
My own words
This one is very short as I just didn’t know what I was writing, but in this day and age I see a lot of slander on race, colour, ethnicity the whole bloody lot, this hatred for other people will never stop, no race is better than one, no ethnicity is more powerful than the other and no colour is more superior, God created every single one of us differently so no one has the right to say anyone is ugly or disgusting. But I honestly do believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that not everyone will find us all beautiful but that’s okay, God created us all with different features so we can all individually stand out and be unique.
I’m pretty sure no one would like to be the exact same as someone else, everyone’s personality is completely different, we all get angry differently, for example, I get angry in the speed of sound while others can just keep their cool and act as if everything is a walk in the park. But don’t be scared of being different, act out, go crazy, experiment with things, do you!
Regarding my cover photo, I wanted to outline all the different features everyone possesses whether your black, white, pink, orange or purple, everyone is different in their own way, shape and form.
Hope everyone has seen my vision and liked it.
Teeks X
TEEKS THE BLOGGER 