Clarkisha Kent Profile picture
Jun 26, 2018 21 tweets 8 min read Read on X
Since we are talking about colorism again, I need all my friends and colleagues--be you lightskinned or darkskinned--to understand some important things:
Feelings are admittedly needed to have this discussion because we wouldn't talk about it if we didn't give a fuck.

Clearly.
But your feelings should not take precedence over folx who are literally and systematically being screwed over in real time. Like as we speak. And have been systematically screwed over for YEARS.
Basically:

Are your feelings are valid?

Yes!

Are they more important than acknowledging a system you may benefit from and the harm it does to others when you don't speak up?

No!
Secondly.

When, I, a darkskinned woman, tell you, a lightskinned one to talk to your friends & colleagues as a response to you asking how you can help, I am not saying that to dismiss you.

I am saying that because 9 times out of 10, the only person they will listen to is YOU.
Just like self-proclaimed White progressives don't take anything Black folx say seriously unless a White face is cosigning it, the same phenomenon happens in these colorism conversations.

Like it or not, privileged folx [only] listen to privileged folx.
Prime example? Plenty of darkskinned BW critics like me, @ValerieComplex, and @FilmFatale_NYC talked about the abnormal nature of how #BlackPanther was filling all their important female roles with darkskinned BW. It was unheard of.

Four months later, it still is.
And I do not have to tell you what our mentions looked like. Being called "bitter" and "jealous" was perhaps the most generous and benign of the insults that were lobbed at us.
But you wanna know what happened? Lightskinned women who ARE ABOUT THAT LIFE like @JamilahLemieux and @ReaganGomez jumped into the conversation to also point out how abnormal it was and guess what?
Muthafuckas who would've called me "a bitter Black bitch" (lol) without question suddenly wanted to *engage them* on that point.

Suddenly, they wanted to talk and have a meaningful discussion.

Suddenly everything that they were saying "made sense".
The moral to this story? You as a lightskinned Black woman may not be dismissive of the experiences of darkskinned Black women, but you need to realize that the MAJORITY of y'all are.
Otherwise, colorist hierachy wouldn't still be in place. It exists because someone is mantaining it.

And that someone could look like Chet or Tyrone or lightskinned Tracey.

That is the truth of the matter 🤷🏾‍♀️
So realize when we tell you to talk this back to your circles, we are saying that because YOU are the only person who can change that circle if you are already asking yourself these questions.
I can write all the thinkpieces on colorism that my soul can muster (& I will continue because yall can't whoop my ass), but understand that many lightskinned folx will always see me as biased/bitter because I'm not lightskinned (& lol if you know me, it's not for lack of trying)
And that's why YOU need to say something. Not me, but YOU.
And the "you" includes all the Shipps, Halles, Zendayas, Amandlas, and Thandies of the world.

NONE OF YOU ARE EXEMPT.
Exemption = Complicity.

Debate your moms.
And before you start, I already discussed this Amandla situation so:

***Addendum: I wanted to correct myself and say that Jamilah DID in fact get some hate for discussing colorism on her TL (because mofos who wrong will dig their heels in no matter who you are), but it wasn't on the level that she may have experienced had she been darker.
And it's important to note both of these things.
Doing the right thing is not for the weak at heart & it's gonna cause you to bump some heads with certain muthafuckas. But understand that your privilege (while not indestructible) when doing the right thing will give you an advantage over someone who lacks it EVERY SINGLE TIME.

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More from @IWriteAllDay_

Oct 8, 2018
In my latest, I snarkily talk about all the reasons why #ColumbusDay is wack, ahistorical, and why it totally shouldn’t be a thing anymore.

essence.com/culture/christ…
Besides the “holiday” being an affront to our Indigenous siblings, it is also in line with America’s ever-present tradition of simultaneously celebrating White mediocrity and depravity and tbh, return to sender please 😐
In addition to this, if you *HAVE* to celebrate a “Christopher” today, there are others available, who aren’t directionally-challenged nincompoops.
Read 5 tweets
Oct 5, 2018
Hi. It’s true that America’s White supremacist “education” (re: propoganda) system purposely obscures & omits all kinds of Black stories. AND it’s true that the technology/social media boom at the turn of this millenia has given us access to an unprecedented amount of information
~Both things~ can be true. Because nuance lol
So I think it’s unfair to be all like “omg stop dragging him” when all folx are really doing is telling him to open a book, Google something, or leave his bubble to learn something new. I don’t think that’s an unfair thing to ask of someone who professes to know better?
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Oct 3, 2018
YETIDE IS BACK ON MY TV 😍

#ThisIsUs
(Looking good boo

@YetideBadaki 😁!!!)

#ThisIsUs
...When does Kate get to chew on some scenery that doesn’t include any mention of her being fat? 🤔

#ThisIsUs
Read 4 tweets
Oct 1, 2018
.@Bossip these mofos at it again. Biting you shit 😤
.@Buzzfeed I demand to know what White intern tweeted this 😖
“Dragged to smithereens”. The caucaci—
Read 4 tweets
Sep 30, 2018
I hate how this question is a thing too (i.e misogynoir & colorism) but the older I get, the more I realize that it’s not because the asker is seeking validation (eff y’all, BW are dope), but more so because bigotry in dating is an immense time waster & who got time to waste?
Listening to Dawson yesterday remembering some things that Toni Morrison has explained about racial trauma/race-specific gaslighting, I am reminded that the most violent thing about racism is not just the actual violence but the joy & the *time* that it steals away from us.
And BW in these asking scenarios (even when it comes to BM) find ourselves asking this question because we already have 502052950204 things trying to tug at our very precious & not-infinite source of energy & we definitely do not want to & wasted time & affection to that list lol
Read 7 tweets
Sep 28, 2018
*snorts*

As you are saying this, Debra, media outlets are still having a field day with male survivor Jimmy Bennett for even *daring* to come forward about being allegedly assaulted by Asia Argento.
What is with y’all and lying about the believability of male/non-women survivors? Like patriarchy doesn’t also chew them up and spit them out for being ~weak enough~ to be assaulted???? Hmm? What gives?
This ~superior victim~ thing that White women have going on is not the wave and it is precisely the thing that keeps undermining the efforts of #MeToo/#TimesUp and tbh, y’all need to let that shit go because if it that isn’t base narcissism, IDK what is.
Read 5 tweets

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