For Black Girls Who Dream of Lead Roles When Light Skin Ain't Enuf

I am in a television watching minority when I say I have not watched a single episode of Love Is on OWN. A few months ago I saw the trailer on Twitter and was excited-- until I watched it. No shade to Mara Brock Akil, the legend and visionary, but quite frankly the trailer disappointed me from the start. Why? Honestly, the thought of another show centered on the love story of a lighter skinned Black woman was exhausting. 

The Black experience is not a monolith so why does casting give that illusion? As we continue to demand more representation of Black women in media it is our duty to be diligent in which representations we accept. It is our right to demand more. Our concept of representation, especially of Black women, in media cannot remain one-sided. Moreover, that side cannot be overwhelmingly lighter and middle class. As more Black women are cast in blockbuster films and hit series it is becoming increasingly clear that studios, producers, and casting directors are delivering the same monotonous image: light skin women. 

Now, this trope of the light skin lead actress is not new. It has been evident since the beginning of Black women on screen and off. Our discriminatory reality is that lighter skin actresses are deemed more appealing based on their proximity to whiteness. The name of the game is to sell Blackness, but make it palatable. Lighter skin women are stereotyped as more docile, more educated, and thus more acceptable in the grand scheme of white supremacy.

The bottom line: colorism ain't it. Period. The over saturation of lighter skin actresses with loose curls is exhausting. From film to television series to ad campaigns, the media is flooded with racial ambiguity. Brown and darker skin women deserve to see themselves experience love, friendship, and all the mess of being 20 something onscreen just like me. Brown and darker skin women deserve complex characters that reflect the nuance of their own lives.

Their representation and stories are long overdue.