Ok. So I was just reading a post at one of my favorite blogs, The P.O.S.H. Life and I ran across this flier from an old party here in Detroit that stated Light Skin Women get free entry all night and that it was a "Light Skin Libra Birthday Bash. I was hella embarrassed to go to this blog and see this flier that was from my hometown. When I first saw it I noticed the club, "The Apt", which I knew we had one in Detroit but, I didn't think it was the one in Detroit. Then I noticed the address and was like damn! How fucking embarrassing. I'm not even sure if the author of Posh is from "The D". If the author isn't and found that flier I'm even more embarrassed. I know that the whole light skin vs. dark skin issue still exists in the Black community as well as other ethnicities as well but, I don't even give it any air time because it's non-existent in my life. I usually don't even fully read posts pertaining to the issue because I feel like it's so old and ignorant but, I guess it's still relevant in some people's lives. For me to see this flier, only dated back to 2007, all I can say is wow. I can't believe someone would actually host a "Light Skin" party and base free entry off of skin color. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall at this event just to see how many people went for that mess. I know a lot of people actually did and fell into the whole "I'm light skin act". So sad. I never really liked "The APT" anyway because it was too small and the parties held there were just not "my type". It's actually called "Club Pure" now. I'm not sure if it's under management or what. This club always has a new name like every year but, I will never be back there for the simple fact that the owner would even condone of party of such ignorance and mess. I'm sure a lot of people thought it was out of pure fun but, please. I can't imagine myself getting to the door and possibly one of my friends getting in for free and then they tell my brown-skin ass "oh you have to pay you're not light skin". It would honestly bring back years of pain that my race has went through. Knowing myself I'd probably protest, make a scene, and tell everyone not to go in just like I did at the IHOP on Jefferson a few years ago when a young Black man that was in front of me was searched but, a white man that went in before him wasn't. Yes yall. I said searched at IHOP. That's how it is in Detroit. You can't even have pancakes and eggs for breakfast without being frisked. I still can't believe that incident even took place at IHOP. The security guard wasn't white either, he was Black. That makes it even worse. Anywho, I'm suppose to be working and this bit of ignorance has gotten me off track, so now I'll get back to it.
10 comments:
When will black people of all skin tones realize that we as a race must stop discriminating amongst ourselves? it starts with us. How can we then complain about white people or any other race for that matter. We have to set the example of how we want to be treated by other races. I am what you would consider a "light skin" woman. I see this happening a lot and it saddens and angers me.
And here I was thinking you were gonna talk about the mayor or the city council.
That is sad though. I can't imagine going to something like that. I can only imagine what the party planner's personalities are like.
The deepest that the light skin/dark skin thing goes with me is a light hearted debate about who gets called the worse names. Which usually ends up with "I guess we all got it bad!"
I got no problems though since my Hershey bar colored wife stays with my bannilla colored ass...
Stuff like this is strange to me and it is frustrating because it seems to create distraction and division.
It is often the same in the Native community. I say I am Ojibway and have Ojibway heritage and sometimes other Natives look you up and down. It is interesting because Ojibway are in the north where it is cold and haven't spent much time in the sun so we are not that dark like the Navajo or Ute for instance.
Anonymous- I agree. When will the ignorance stop?
The second sixty eight- LOL Ha! I fooled you guys. I figured ppl would think I was going to talk about the mayor but, I've had an overload on him. I think I'll take a vacation on talking about him the the clown council for a while. Exactly, I'm quite sure that the party's planner is very vein, fickle, and superficial.LOL.
Cecelia- See. I know that this stuff occurs within many cultures. It's really sad. When will everybody learn that we're all the same although we may come in many different skin tones, hair textures, etc. That's the beauty of it though. Like it's beautiful that we can all be different,and yet still be the same.
Also Cecelia there is a nice percentage of people in the Black community who also have Native American heritage, especially here in Detroit and in Canada. Sometimes a lot of people will say "oh you can't have Native American heritage because you don't have "good hair" or because you're soooo dark. Isn't it crazy how people just try to deny someone's heritage or tell them that they can't possibly be apart of an ethnicity because of whatever reasons. it's crazy
Yes, I just try to live this in my daily life by seeing the beauty in all and that we are all the same. Thats what it means to celebrate diversity!
Yes, I have been finding that out more and more as I am living in Detroit. I have met a lot of Blacks who have Native heritage like Choctaw, Blackfoot and Cherokee heritage. Even within my own family some of my cousins are mixed with Ojibway, Black and French. And we continue to keep on mixing and blending cultures, which is great!
I do find it very crazy that someone denies who they are for whatever reasons such as appearance, hair color or skin tone. Although I am not 100% Ojibway thats why I don't deny my heritage and who I am. I honor it for reasons such as prior generations denied their Native heritage like my Grandfather.
Wait a minute, people get patted down and searched at IHOP?! Da Hell?! And really, light skinned libra parties...I can't. It is 2008 and the fact that we are even having this discussion is sickening and shameful. It is to the point where there isn't anything else left to say. Ignorance is as ignorance does.
Cecelia- Exactly! Diversity is beautiful! Also, yea it's a lot of native americans and mixed native americans here in Detroit. I'm sure that you know some of Detroit streets were actually named after Native Americans for example, the Indian Village area.
F.U.- Yes Maam! Detroit is ghetto like that. Our IHOP that's located downtown searches people. The last time I went during that incident and to find out we had to be searched I haven't been back since. I actually walked out that day and encouraged others to do the same. Yes. Girl it is very sickening.
I love my dog, I love walking my dog. Unfortunately, I don't feel comfortable walking my dog down the street, knowing, that within a minute, I'd be accousted verbally by passer-bys in cars. Why does a women, light skin, dark or whatever, have to be disrespected by men in this community ? Why does a generation of black men, being RAISED by single mothers, feel it necessary to treat other women as less then human? I don't think it's about the color of our skin, I think its about the lack of respect for females. What's the answer? Teach our GIRLS to respect THEIR bodies, and feel worthy enough to go to school, play sports, go to college, and have a life, without needing the attention of boys to feel special.
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