Once I had a conversation with a man,
who was supposed to be my man
but he was my brotha.
He fixed his lips to say,

“I dislike black girls… well not black girls, just girls as dark as you.”

My ears weren’t foreign to such ignorance,
but why is darker skin so shamed?
I thought I was ugly with black circles around my eyes and dark brown cheeks.

Skin-lightening products were too strong
for my sensitive, dark skin.

The bright sun was my biggest enemy because it baked me into something my brotha’s didn’t prefer.

Why can’t I have the same preference?

Why can’t the other dark-hued sista’s have that same preference?

Can a brotha handle being turned down because he’s a ******?

Would he too attempt to lighten his God-given skin?

Would he feel ugly?

If the dark-hued sista’s had the luxury...

Oh, if only!

Why must our brotha’s make us feel so down about dark hues?

We are all black and face enough over what we didn’t ask for.

All black women are beautiful,
but the milk chocolate and dark chocolate
ain't appetizing enough to be on your arms.

Is it self-hatred?

Our brotha’s came from black women.

As a matter of fact, we all did.

How dare one of us be disrespected in such poor taste?

A preference is fine, but disrespect because of hues is idiocy.

Like what you like, prefer what you prefer.
Don’t like my darker hues?
Fine.
But don’t attempt to put me or us down to lift up yourself.
Us dark-hued sista’s are as gorgeous as the morning sun.
No matter how dark we are,
we were baked under the perfect and strongest lights!


5-13-2021
Mia J

© 2021 Mia J