How Unfair and Lovely's Relaunch Will Combat Colorism
When I was fresh out of college, I spent a year teaching English in Thailand. It was my first international trip, and I knew that going there as a black woman meant I'd be treated differently than the white teachers who were in my program. Many of the people I met were fascinated by my looks — my natural hair, dark skin, and broad facial features. My appearance became the recipient of awe, confusion, and disgust. But, by the end of my stay, the wounds that arose from the discrimination I faced blossomed into scars of resilience and compassion — for those who looked deeper into my soul and appreciated my unique presence.
What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was meeting someone who identified with my complexion. One day, while I was sipping iced tea at a local coffee shop, a bouncy, dark-skinned Thai woman ran up to me. “You’re black! I’m black too!” she exclaimed. Speechless, I smiled and held her hand, suppressing my internal confusion. She pointed to her sun-kissed caramel skin, then to my deep chocolate tone. “See! We’re both black.”
We’re both black.
As the months carried on and I began studying Thai, I was able to begin piecing together the language. “Pu dam,” I’d hear some townspeople whisper in the market when I walked by. Black skin. This is what the woman in the coffee shop was referring to that day, that we both have dark skin. But, with my American perspective, I misconstrued her comment as her claiming to be a black woman.
My definition of black is loaded with history, oppression, revolution, and African ancestry.
My definition of black is loaded with history, oppression, revolution, and African ancestry. I’m of Ghanaian descent, and know very well that some parts of West Africa promote skin lightening. In Thailand, I witnessed the same thing. I scoured stores for skincare products that didn’t include whitening agents and found solace in tamarind soaps and coconut body butters in the marketplace. I wondered if the woman I met, and soon befriended, ever felt less beautiful because of her dark skin. If connecting with me, a black foreigner, was one of her ways of embracing her complexion, I’m proud.
Race and skin color are complex subjects in America, but we're finally having progressive conversations on how to transcend the systemic ideologies around these subjects. One complicated ideology — a creation of racism — is colorism. Colorism, the idea that people with fair complexions should be treated better or differently than people with dark skin, is a worldwide phenomenon. As dark skin isn't exclusive to black people, colorism isn’t found only in America. Globally, dark-skinned people of many backgrounds are discriminated against because of their complexions.
A vocal contributor to the growing conversation around colorism is Unfair and Lovely, a social media organization determined to widen the representation of dark-skinned people of all backgrounds. Their goal is to encourage dark-skinned people, particularly women and femmes, to embrace the richness and texture of their skin.
Colorism and racism are two parts of the issue, but when paired with sexism, transphobia, and ableism, they grow into an even larger monster of oppression.
Originally a hashtag that went viral in March 2016, #UnfairandLovely was first adopted by dark-skinned South Asian women, who became the focal point of the conversation. “While the movement continued to gain momentum, others, such as dark-skinned black, Latinx, Pacific Islander and East Asian folk were excluded,” says Sarah Ogunmuyiwa, content developer for #UnfairandLovely. Additionally, those who didn't fit restrictive beauty standards were also pushed to the margins. With their relaunch, #UnfairandLovely is now redirecting its focus to empower all dark-skinned women and femmes.
Colorism and racism are two parts of the issue, but when paired with sexism, transphobia, and ableism, they grow into an even larger monster of oppression.
“Systems of oppression work with each other,” says Pax Jones, creator of Unfair and Lovely. “Each system affects the other, so people existing at the intersection of these oppressed identities need to be protected and celebrated more than ever. The intersection of identities makes it absolutely pertinent for everyone to make an active effort to dismantle systems of oppression.”
Pax explains that the inspiration to start her photo series came from her friend, a South Asian woman that recounted similar experiences due to their shared complexions. “I was mainly interested in exploring the intersections of colorism, going between my own black experience and her South Asian, specifically Tamil, experience,” she says.
We are trying to dismantle a system of oppression brick by brick.
Normalizing deep complexions reshapes standards of beauty and gives young people with dark skin more figures to identify with. But, Unfair and Lovely isn’t skin-deep; Pax wants to stimulate our minds as well as our eyes.
“Unfair and Lovely isn't just about sharing photos,” she adds. “It's about making up for the damage colorism has done. It's about providing education and a platform to recognize the work of dark-skinned folk that's often overlooked as a function of colorism. We are trying to dismantle a system of oppression brick by brick.”
Sarah, who is developing content for the relaunch of Unfair and Lovely, pinpointed four methods they’re implementing this time around: educational material, podcasts, zines, and hashtags. “We're reaching out to professors, writers, and BIPOC on Twitter who research and speak about colorism as reliable sources for education,” she explains. She also plans on starting a monthly podcast that explores colorism and its intersections (such as colorism and dating, colorism in the workplace, and colorism and family). Unfair and Lovely will also release annual zines, filled with submissions from people discussing their experiences with colorism through art, photography, prose, poetry, and more.
Of course, Unfair and Lovely wouldn’t be complete without a revival of its original hashtag. “We're bringing our popular #unfairandlovely hashtag back, so dark-skinned people from all cultures can post their selfies and generate conversations,” Sarah adds. They also plan to host weekly #UnfairAndLovelyChats on Twitter to ignite public conversations on colorism.
Pax wants to communicate two things this time around: colorism is intraracial and colorism is global. “While colorism often hinges on anti-blackness, it also operates independently of blackness," she says.
Perhaps acknowledging this complexity will lead us all one step further to liberation.
Related: Why Instagram Accounts Dedicated to Black and Brown Beauty Are So Important
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