Oh how I love chocolate! Have you even gotten a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day or just because and noticed that each individual chocolate can be a different shade of brown? You may even notice that no two pieces of chocolate are alike! Each and everyone are a different size, shape and color. As you begin to explore and devour each yummy piece of candy, you notice that they not only look different but they taste different too. You want to stop...you really, really do, but you can't because each piece has its own unique flavor and is just as good as the last one. Some of you may think that I am solely talking about chocolate, but what I am really talking about are the different shades, tones and hues of beautiful black women and girls. I am basically speaking about YOU!
--Aleceia Kidd
Guest Blogger
Like many African American families, my family comes in many different shades of brown. My mom is what some may call butterscotch and my baby sister is more of a rich ebony. As long as I can remember my parents reinforced the fact that all shades of black were beautiful and that I was a pretty chocolate girl. As a matter of fact, all of my barbies were of color. I had Asian, Latina, Pacific Islander and tons of African American barbies. For the most part I loved and truly embraced my skin and no one could get me to think any different. This statement is still true today.
Now I'm not going to front. At times I would let outside influences such as the media or mean kids at school get into my head, but I never let it get the best of me. With the help of my parents, I realized that my color comes from a mixture of things, just like the chocolates in a box of candy. Each individual piece is different because one may have more cream while the other may have more cocoa or caramel. These individual ingredients go into each piece of chocolate to make them special and unique in their own way. My beautiful dark skin is basically a melting pot of everything and everyone that ultimately led to the makings of me.
African Americans have a rich and deep history in America. It is because of this history we all come in so many tones and shades. Some of us have red undertones, while some may have more golden or purple undertones. When you stand in a room full of black people, you notice that each and everyone of us has a unique shade and that it in itself is beautiful. Regardless of what you may hear or what you may see on TV, you must always remember and truly understand that black is simply beautiful.
As mentioned above, darker skin is unique and beautiful but it also has its benefits. African Americans ten to have a high concentration of melanin in their skin in comparison to other races. Melanin is a skin pigment or substance that gives the skin its color. Melanin often acts as a barrier or "sunscreen" and protects the skin from ultraviolet light, basically the sun. Now don't get it twisted! Just because we have higher concentrations of melanin in our skin does not mean that we don't need sunscreen...WE DO! SPF 30 is suggested and if you can get in your daily facial moisturizer that's even better! Another great benefit of melanin is that it tends to make our skin age slower.
As a brown skin girl, I know that we have our good and bad days. Some may look at Rihanna and wish they had her caramel macchiato skin. Others may look at Kelly Rowland and want to stay outside all day in efforts to get her mocha brown tone. Just remember that you are unique and beautiful just the way you are. True beauty comes from within and most importantly remember that brown skin girls are like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get!
P.S. Here are some of my favorite songs that celebrate the brown skin girls!
1. Chris Brown featuring Sean Paul "Brown Skin Girl"
2. Black Star (Talib Kweli and Mos Def) "Brown Skin Lady"
3. Les Nubians "Makeda"
--Aleceia Kidd
Guest Blogger
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