Contrary to popular belief, social media works wonders by facilitating dialogue between opposing parties, bring attention to certain causes, and it can also piss you off incredibly. As always my timeline never fails to fill itself up with something ridiculous that has me shaking my head in absolute horror at the stupidity that some people tweet.
A series of tweets are circulating Twitter and Instagram after a young man tweeted cartoon figures ranging from fair skin to a dark skin tone, and started a chain reaction among other males using it as a scale to rate stereotypes and lifestyles. The tweets exhibit colorism, a term used to explain the "prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group" leaving people angry and more than ready to tweet back their two sense.
The"jokes" that users are deeming these tweets as did not come out of nowhere and are merely a reflection of what some people actually think of women (Black women especially). This system of ranks merely leads the younger generation into a world of misogyny and colorism that leads themselves to either see themselves as inferior or superior to others.
I don't know where this idea that skin tone and a person's sex life are one in the same comes from but this is far from making sense. Assuming that the darker toned women are "whores" implies that they have no sexual worth and are immoral in the eyes of the rest of society, when that is far from the case. No matter what the skin tone, women will do what they want because that is what they are comfortable with. Their sex lives (whether they have one or not) are up to them, not their skin tone, not their size, nothing but them but their own beliefs and feelings. Then again, coming from an account whose avatar is a Pepe meme, I'm already going to assume that there maybe some sense of low self esteem issues here.
The whole independent vs child support debate is basically a cop out for anyone who refuses to take care of their children financially and I stand by that opinion wholeheartedly. Whether a woman can financially afford to take care of her child on her own or may need a little help in the form of child support, does not make her any less of a good mother. Not to mention, if you think just because someone is lighter toned, that makes them more independent, than you know nothing at all. Independence is more than just standing on your own two feet. Just like women, it can come in various forms and shades.
I don't know why some males dislike and degrade Black women who wear "weave." I don't care what race, ethnicity, or culture you come from, "weave" comes in many forms and are used by a variety of people. From the extensions you see on infomercials that you can clip in, to the hair you can see displayed in your neighborhood beauty supply, anyone and everyone can get themselves some extensions if they really wish to. It doesn't matter whether you're natural, have your hair permed or relaxed, or enjoy a good weave, hair is up to the person who's wearing it.
Everyone has their moments and perpetuating the idea that the ladies who are heavily blessed with more melanin are pettier only adds fuel to the "angry, black woman" stereotype. Trust me when i say we're not angry, we're just sick of this discrimination. No matter how fair the skin or not, believe me when I say any females out there will fight back if tried the wrong way. It's all about respect and equal treatment. If not given either, then why would you expect it back?
It's perfectly fine to be attracted to whatever person you want to be, regardless of their ethnicity, race, ability, etc, but that doesn't mean you can bash/disrespect others, especially those of the same race as you in the process.
Whatever the user's intention was when he made the first tweet does not matter, as this thread has taken on a new meaning. For some, it's merely a joke in the face of a real issue, for others this cuts deep as their abilities are merely measured by the color of their skin. This isn't just about Black women, but for every woman on that spectrum. For those who say colorism isn't a real problem, look at these tweets and see that it is.
