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Light Skinned with Good Hair: the Role of the Media and Christianity in the Maintenance of Self-Hatred in African Americans

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Light Skinned with Good Hair: the Role of the Media and Christianity in the Maintenance of Self-Hatred in African Americans DOCUMENT RESUME ED 408 962 IR 018 375 AUTHOR Akintunde, Omowale TITLE Light Skinned with Good Hair: The Role of the Media and Christianity in the Maintenance of Self-Hatred in African Americans. PUB DATE Jan 97 NOTE 9p.; In: VisionQuest: Journeys toward Visual Literacy. Selected Readings from the Annual Conference of the International Visual Literacy Association (28th, Cheyenne, Wyoming, October, 1996); see IR 018 353. PUB TYPE Opinion Papers (120) Speeches/Meeting Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Aesthetic Values; *Blacks; Christianity; *Mass Media Effects; Mass Media Role; Physical Attractiveness; Racial Bias; Racial Differences; Religious Factors; *Self Concept; *Self Esteem; Social Cognition; Social Influences IDENTIFIERS *African Americans; Hairstyles; Skin Color ABSTRACT This paper explores how feelings of self-hatred in African Americans are perpetuated through media and the standard physical and ideological manifestations of Christianity. The notion that skin that is closer to white and hair that is closer to white are both more desirable attributes is a dominant theme underlying the African American experience. The implications of such a notion (being African American is unattractive) cannot survive as a singular pejorative idea; it must be reinforced from every possible social milieu. Yet most African Americans deny or are at least unaware on a conscious level of the impact of their perceptions of these phenomena on the formulation of their self-image. The consequences of such pervasive beliefs erects a social, psychological, and cultural construct which leads African Americans to believe they are inferior by virtue of their birth. Examples include:(1) in film and music videos, the concept of the white female as more desirable is perpetuated, so that African American women spend millions of dollars each year on products to make them look like white women;(2) in a study of four-year old African American girls, researchers found that there was a clear majority preference for white dolls;(3) African American comedy as evidenced on television is also replete with self-deprecation and with black audiences who laugh at it;(4) feelings of self-hatred perpetuated and ensconced in the standard physical and ideological manifestations of Christianity, through images of a white God. Until racially biased images are eliminated, the notion that all humans are not equal will persist. (AEF) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Light Skinned With Good Hair: The Role Of The Media And Christianity In The Maintenance Of Self-Hatred In African Americans by Omowale Akintunde Abstract Most African Americans deny or are at least unaware on a conscious level ofthe impact of the media and Christianity on the formulation of their self-image. The phrase "light-skinned with good hair"isstillcommonplace within the African American vernacular. What is particularly remarkable about this reality is the lack of recognition of this cultural phenomenon as indication of a deep, subliminally anchored self-hatred. This paper explores how feelings of self-hatred in African Americans are perpetuated through media and the standard physical and ideological manifestations of Christianity. Light-Skin, Good Hair: What's The Americans have such a low perception of Media Got To Do With It themselves.On the surface, the import of There has been little attention paid to the such a basic acceptance of a group of people politics of hair texture and skin color within isnot evidentnot eventothemselves. the contextofthe African-American Becausethenaturalhairanddarker Experience. Most African Americans deny complexions of African Americans are in or are at least unaware on a conscious level and of themselves considered unattractive, of the impact of their perceptions of these the resultant psychology and social attitude phenomena on the formulation of their self- arethat being an African Americanis image. The phrase "light-skinned with good unattractive.Conversely, since light skin hair" is still commonplace within the African and straight hair are considered in and of American vernacular.What is particularly themselves attractive attributes, the resultant remarkable about this reality is the lack of psychology and social attitude is that being recognition of this cultural phenomenon as white is attractive. indication of a deep, subliminally anchored The consequences of such pervasive beliefs self-hatred. erects a terrifying social, psychological, and This, however,is not to lay blame on culturalconstructwhichleadsAfrican African Americans.These perceptions are Americans to believe that they are inferior by born out of the oppressive state in which virtue of their birth status and European African Americans are forced to live and as Americans to falsely believe that they are with any society based on an oppressor- superior by virtue of theirs. These feelings, oppressed relationship, the oppressed are not constructs, and social interactions are not to be blamed for their own oppression. The always conscious and deliberate. In most all self-hatred as expressed throughAfrican instances they are so deeply entrenched in Americans' obsession and affirmation of the very fibers of our psyches thatitis "light skin" and "good hair" is a reaction to impossible to be aware of when and how racism. Thus, this and similar conditions are these inclinations manifest themselves.A bestcharacterizedas"racist-reactionist few minutes of video-watching on BET phenomena." These phenomena though (Black Entertainment Television) will clearly directly resultant from overt racism are now demonstrate what I mean. perpetuated through other conduits such as Here, one may view hour after hour of self- the media. hatred conditioning. Light-complexioned Given the preponderance of media images African American women with long (often and racist dognia that continually portray the synthetic) hair writhe suggestively in scant skin and hair of African Americans as ugly attire. Theselight-skinned,longhair and unattractive, it is no wonder that African "beauties" are often depicted as objects of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Off ice of Educational Research and Improvement "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION BEST COPY AVAILABLE MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as 161 received from the person or organization Alice D. Walker originating it. Minor changes have been made to TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES improve reproduction quality. 2 INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent . desire for African American men, while the variations of this same theme with other African American men themselves are often noted African American male performers. depicted as the embodiment of White sexual The Bill Cosby Showisalsoa prime fantasy: black,bald, muscle-bound, and example of thisphenomenon. Inthis virile. While this depiction appears the situation comedy, Bill Cosby, a dark African antithesis of the lig:it-skinned with good hair American male is married to a light skinned syndrome, it is not.In depicting only light woman with long, straight hair.All of the skinned,long-hairedAfricanAmerican daughtershavethesesameattributes. women as desirable to African American However, the other black male in the family, men, these attributes are reaffirmed.To the son, is dark like the father. apply the concept of light-skin with good Of course African American men and hairasattractiveattributesof African women both suffer tremendously from such American men as the norm is contrary to the images but perhaps the African American historical image of African American men as female suffers even more. For in addition to brainless, animal-like, studs whose ultimate being portrayed as being beautiful only when desire is the acquisition and deflowering of she is light complexioned with long hair she the White female for whom these attributes is also made to suffer the woes of sexism. In are the norm. such videos she is reduced not only to being This concept of the "black buck" whose a facsimile of herself but also a sexual sole life endeavor is "having a white woman" object.Given the preponderance of such has been a popular visual media image since imagesandacceptedattitudes about the inception of the form.D.W. Griffith's ourselves,itisa wonder thatAfrican "Birth of a Nation," one of America's earliest Americans prosper at all. One may only say filmproductions,clearlyillustratesthis that the fact that African Americans are cultural view. In one segment of this film, a surviving is an undeniable indication of their white woman is pursued relentlessly by an tenacity. African American male (actually played by a More important than the fact of media white actor in "black face"). As the woman depiction of African Americans as desiring runs desperately through a forest, shefinds to be Europeans, is the horrible side effects herself at a cliff.Her pursuer approaching of suchaninclination. Most African her from the rear, she is faced with a horrible American women will straighten their hair dilemma: stand there at the edge of the cliff their entire lives without ever allowing it to and await the "dehumanization" of being revert to back to its natural state. Hair in the "taken"
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