Tuesday 6 March 2012

Accepting yourself


The early years of my life were a subject to scrutiny as my skin colour wasn’t considered a norm. At an early age you wouldn’t acknowledge vast differences in culture, skin tone, religion, race etc. You would think you are all the same as you are the same age and specie. Apparently not! In my first year of junior school we were given a task to colour a picture of a hand which matched our skin tone. Our table seated four, majority of white and a minority of other races. Before attempting the task I first observed other students who attempted the task confidently and articulately. The white children self-assuredly picked the colour peach and the Black children picked dark brown colouring pencil. I then made the conclusion that I didn’t have a dark brown skin tone therefore I used the peach colouring pencil. I was almost done colouring in the picture when my white teacher stormed over to the table and told me I hadn’t correctly picked the appropriate colour. She picked out a dark brown and told me that colour matched my skin tone. I evidently have a Middle Eastern skin tone which may be mistaken for a dark brown, but is actually a light tan/olive skin tone.
From the day onwards I had an obsession with being a lighter skin tone than the one I had. Obviously there isn’t a Crayola colour pencil designed to match my skin tone or anyone’s skin tone for that matter. In my head the only question would follow through a daily basis was “Am I that dark?!” Many years passed on I still had an obsession to be a lighter skin tone and I only now remember how that came about. Most Middle Eastern females use bleach to lighten their skin alongside a lighter tone of foundation. Another example of media bringing to our attention what skin tone is socially acceptable. L'OrĂ©al on which is the leading beauty brand may have women of different nationalities representing their products, yet they fail to make a suitable skin tone coloured products of the Middle Eastern advantage. I, on the other hand am still looking for that skin colour tone that matches my skin on the days where I have odd yet awkward breakouts but other than that I am comfortable in my skin. I found that trying to be a lighter skin tone was trying to be a different race. My skin tone plays a philosophical part in who I am and what I am.
Do you think having a lighter skin tone makes you socially acceptable?