After watching the trailer for Dark Girls I was left with many questions about Black American culture. Are we really that racist with each other? Do young black girls really wish to be lighter or more importantly, white? Are black men aiding in our self-esteem issues by gawking and praising the exotic look? That last question was a stretch but these are all questions that I’ve asked inside my social circle.

The answers to all of those questions are YES. Sadly I don’t think I will find a solution with just this one post. But I recently read an interview Dream Hampton did with Jill Scott in Ebony Magazine. Which got me thinking. Jill Scott spoke on how she was a huge flirt and always offered compliments to any stranger in her path. She said, “I just think it’s silly to be stingy with compliments. If you see someone and they strike you as beautiful in any way, why not let them know?” I say we could learn something for Jill.

I challenge you to offer compliments to our young people. Especially our young women. We have to change this cycle. So tomorrow (and each day after) when you’re getting your coffee and rushing to the train or driving to get the kids off to school, take a few seconds to dish out some compliments. It only takes a moment and I bet you’ll find a good feeling when you see that smile you’ve caused.

THE CHALLENGE

I reached out to my fellow brown bloggers who were all outraged at the topic/title of my post but all felt strongly about their skin. Simply put, we love our brown skin. Whether it took years to form this bond or our mothers drilled the importance of our beauty early on, we all agreed – we’re beautiful and we want you to know it. I asked them to write a post titled “Why I Love My Brown Skin”. The post could be a poem, an essay, a rant, a pictorial dedication, or even a video log. Anything they wanted! The only stipulation was that they had to share it with you.

I decided to write a poem. Which comes with the same disclaimer as the others. “I am an artist, and I am sensitive about my ish!” so please be kind, LOL.

Why I Love My Brown Skin

You’re asking me why I love my brown skin.
Well really, it’s simply because it’s mine.
It’s the only skin I’m ever gonna get.
Smooth and soft. Ya know…
Sometimes in the summer, I am rich golden brown.
Much like the wood of my favorite oak tree.
And then in the winter
I am a delicious coating of caramel.
And I mean who doesn’t want brown skin.
Girls everywhere love my skin.
They spend hours trying to get like me.

I mean…my skin represents my struggle.
My everyday struggle, My great grandmother’s struggle, her mother’s struggle
The struggle I don’t have to go through because
She’s let them know how much she loved her brown skin.
And because of this, we all love our brown skin.
So why do I love my brown skin?
It’s the only skin I’ve ever been in!