Thread by @IWriteAllDay_

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:

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***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.