By Ashley Kiser, age 13
A few months ago, my father drove me and my mother to a farmers’ market located in the depths of Long Island. As soon as we drove into the neighborhood, I saw big, beautiful mansions, and each house was spread apart perfectly, not a piece of trash in sight. I saw expensive cars in the driveway, and big, beautiful acres of land surrounding each house. I remember how smooth the roads were, the wheels of our car flowing smoothly on the pavement, compared to rocky roads and annoying potholes in my neighborhood in Queens. As of then, I realized the type of people who reside in this neighborhood: white, wealthy people. Our car pulled into the driveway of the farmers’ market. There was so much good-quality land surrounding the farmers’ market in the distance.
I looked through the windows of the market and saw one group of people: light-skinned, wealthy people. I almost threw up. “Ash, just because these people are white and you’re Black doesn’t make you any less than them,” my dad said to me. My father and I have always had an open dialogue about our skin tone, especially since we have darker skin tones than my mother. All my self-identity issues about my skin tone came flooding back into my mind.
The three of us walked into the farmers’ market, and I immediately noticed how different I looked from the people there. It felt like I was on a different planet where I didn’t belong. These people had straight, light-colored hair, while I had curly, multi-patterned hair. I saw a young lady, maybe in her early thirties, carrying around a Chanel 11.12 handbag, which costs thousands of dollars. “I wish I could afford that bag,” I said to myself. What I noticed most, though, was the difference in our skin tones. They had white, light skin, which, in my mind, looked like they were all wearing shirts saying, “I’m better than you because I’m white and you’re not.” My skin is darker than theirs. I felt like I was wearing a shirt that said, “I’m Black, so therefore I’m at the bottom of society.”
Similar to my experience, many people of color, including Black, Latinx, and Asian, feel as if they are less than or not good enough because either their skin tone is “too dark” or they are simply just not white. As KFF Health News reports, “Black children with the darkest complexions experience higher levels of depressive symptoms.”
Adolescents and adults with darker skin tones often feel less than or belittled simply because they are not white. This is an issue that becomes of bigger importance every day. Talking about our skin tones, no matter how dark, should never be “awkward” or embarrassing.
Love your skin tone, no matter the color. Here’s the reality: As we grow up into young adults and go into our careers, or wherever life takes you, there will always be someone who might say something or label you just because of your skin tone. But don’t let that determine your potential throughout your life. No matter how light or dark your skin tone is, you’re capable of anything you put your mind to, no matter what anyone else says. Celebrate your skin tone, no matter the color.
