Unlike Bow, my light skin doesn’t come from a place of love or consent, but is instead a constant reminder of the violent transgressions my ancestors faced. |
And this is where it gets personal, because for a lot of us lightskinned black people, there is no conflict. While many have asked which one of my parents is white or what I’m “mixed with,” I’m not mixed at all. Both of my parents are black, but a few generations ago, whiteness was forced onto my family. Unlike Bow [Tracee Ellis Ross], my light skin doesn’t come from a place of love or consent, but is instead a constant reminder of the violent transgressions my ancestors faced. I never had a kind, white family member to turn to with my questions, I only had skin that allowed me some privileges over my dark-skinned family members and, unlike Bow, I hated being a living reminder of white privilege and colorism within my own community. It’s an important distinction because even though Bow and I came to our color differently, we still share the same experiences and sense of alienation.
Ashley Ray-Harris, “Colorism and interracial dating bring the “ish” in Black-ish into focus,” A.V. Club, December 1, 2016. http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/colorism-and-interracial-dating-bring-ish-black-is-246705.
Tags: A.V. Club, Ashley Ray-Harris, black-Ish, Tracee Ellis Ross