Brown Skin-ded in the White House
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Will Michelle Alter the Standard of Beauty for Black Men
By Victoria Clark
I laughed when media observers clucked over the supposed need for Michelle Obama to soften her image to become First Lady worthy. The fuss over Michelle’s image seemed to stem from the realization that a Michelle Obama can exist and thrive. For people who live as citizens of the world, Michelle Obama is not new. She is a human and humane integral part of the world.
In other words, we get her because she has an authentic, heartfelt commitment to her family, her various roles and (equally important) herself. Because of who she is, her new role as the first African American First Lady of the United States will have ripple effects for years to come. Historically, sartorially (Love the red dress she wore to the White House!) and culturally. Lucky for him, President-Elect Barack Obama got her, too.
Watching their obvious affection for each other, I’ve become mildly obsessed about how Obama’s choice of a life partner might impact dating and colorism for black men who due to talent, skill or luck are in the public eye. Because Michelle doesn’t fit the prototype of the women often chosen to be on the arms of the powerful, wealthy and/or famous black men.
Two things spurred me to put my feelings out there. A commenter on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ thoughtful, humorous blog post, Who Knows What Lies in the Heart of sistahgirls, which explored what would be the fallout from black women if it was discovered that Barack Obama cheated on Michelle with a white woman:
I have often wondered if Barack would have deemed Michelle “good enough” because of her dark skin if he had grown up in the AA community and had the same kind of preference for light skin/long hair drilled into him by other black folks. White beauty standards may be the historical source of our colorism, but we are engaging in self-inflicted wounds at this point. Your daughter was probably dealing with boys who wanted the kinds of girls in hip-hop vidoes. When I see a dark skinned girl in a music video it still catches my attention.
Then I read Entertainment Weekly’s Margeaux Watson’s blog post Beauty and the beat which explores how colorism is possibly impacting the current crop of women in R&B/hip-hop:
As Michelle Obama prepares to take her place in history as the nation’s first African-American First Lady, it feels regressive to have to point out that the female presence on today’s R&B/hip-hop charts looks alarmingly pale in comparison to the abundance of guys like T-Pain, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West. Before you get your knickers in a twist, let me be clear: I’m not talking about the crossover success of pop stars such as Fergie and Gwen Stefani, but rather the current lack of diversity among black women in music. Hugely talented as they are, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Alicia Keys have all undoubtedly benefited from a color-conscious double standard that favors artists who look like them over, say, Estelle and Kelly Rowland.
More fuel to wonder if Michelle in her dark & lovely glory might make the best and brightest black men reconsider their love of light skin/long hair and/or white aesthetic.
Looking at Tiger Woods. Eyeballing Russell Simmons. Carmelo Anthony. Kevin Garnett. Oh hell, most of the NBA could be on this list.
Statistically, the choices of Kevin and Carmelo may not prove my point, but there is some truth that famous black men seem to prefer women with lighter skin tones. I don’t presume to know the reasons. Do parents whisper a light is right mantra from birth? Peer pressure abetted by media? Who knows the cognitive road map that makes several successful black men believe a woman with skin color darker than a paper bag is inferior?
I do know the history. A quick visit to a make-up counter showcases the limitless range of African American skin tones. Tawny, antelope, warm caramel, sheer espresso, toffee are just a few of the enticing names that reflect this diversity. Years of involuntary and voluntary miscegenation has made it so. The sadness is how many people nurture and nourish the belief that the closer a black person approximates whiteness in skin tone and hair texture automatically translates into being the best. It’s this type of shallow, vapid thinking that limits us all. It forces people who could be natural allies to question each other in dimly lit crowded bars, at business meetings and college dorm rooms. From a friend:
College repeated the same social pattern among the black students, but having gone to a racially-mixed high school in New York City, I was used to having all kinds of friends. Can’t say it didn’t hurt at times to be overlooked. I had a roommate once who told me that the reason boys didn’t notice me was because they couldn’t SEE me in the dark of a party.
I wonder how many people can relate to my friend’s experience and how many will find it relatable in the years ahead.
I don’t know what’s going to happen during an Obama Presidency. I will admit my concern for black men to reconsider the worship at the light skin altar is not the biggest problem facing the world. But I would like to imagine that every time Barack and Michelle emerge from Air Force One, take a trip abroad or host a State Dinner, there will be one, two and then hundreds of black men expanding their horizons of who they can love.
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[...] Brown Skin-ded in the White House [Black Power] Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)HONK IF YOU’RE MAD AS HELL [...]
> BlackPower.com has posted an edited version of my post « Tallulah Bankhead
Fierce article.
> Brandon Lacy Campos
For Victoria Clark:
I commend you on an excellent article - another way to RIGHT this obvious WRONG
is for black women filmmakers to cast across the color spectrum [include a wider range of the hues of skin color] i took notice of this recognition
in the recent The Secret Life of Bees and Cadillac Records [both directed by black women].
BLACK MEN FILMMAKERS….help us out here!
> Louise Fleming
OUTSTANDING ARTICLE!
I applaud you for challenging African American minds on this issue. The analysis of “I have often wondered if Barack would have deemed Michelle ‘good enough’ because of her dark skin if he had grown up in the AA community and had the same kind of preference for light skin/long hair drilled into him by other black folks,” is SPOT-ON! What a fascinating look into the mind’s of African American people. If mother’s and father’s are chanting mantra’s to their son’s, then mental slavery has a greater grasp on black folks than physical slavery ever did.
How do black folks break the cycle? Is the image of Michelle Obama a start?
Too often black men do gravitate toward women of a lighter persuasion if and when they become famous.
Here is another question. Now that Barack has had fame thrusted upon him, WILL HE STAY WITH HIS CURRENT WIFE OR WILL THERE BE A FEVER IN THE FUNK HOUSE? Prayerfully NOT!
To all my darkest of dark “skind-ed” sista’s, motha’s, daughter’s, aunt’s, neice’s, lover’s, friend’s, cousin’s, wives and lover’s again…there is a new day for beauty…and you are it! Don’t let your darkness be a hinderance to your achievement!
Victoria Clark, I stand and salute you for such a thought provoking article, the best I’ve read on BLACKPOWER.COM so far!
> Brian Holmes
Thank you, Sister Victoria, for putting The Word out there as Flesh and letting it dwell among us, resonantly and resolutely striking the drumskin of our aesthetic.
From the Darkness must come out the Light. Love ye one another!
Louise Fleming, my classmate and world class filmmaker, if that is you. Seek me out. It has been an age. khalidmoussa@gmail.com
> Saabir Khalid Moussa
EXCUSES EXCUSES!!!! This article is very well written but lacks true insight. You can’t judge a person by what they feel is beautiful. Most Just because you are a dark” sista” doesn’t mean you are fine or attractive. The same goes for women that are light skin with straight her. It doesn’t mean they are attractive. With that said the men that you mentioned all have some fine ladies, our President elect included. I think the darker shade black woman should banish that lame excuses, step up their games and rise to the occasion letting their black counter parts know that they are interested in them!! Obama is light skin and half white, so as a very dark skin “brotha” should I write an article stating that” I hope light skin men aren’t back in. Of course not. How shallow. Live ya life ladies and if that famous man don’t want you I’m sure there is someone some where that does. Regarding talent and color For every Beyonce/ Alicia Keys there is an Amerie or a Christian Millian that couldn’t buy or download their own the own cd’s. Sex sells but in terms of talent and star quality Kelly needs to dance and write like Beyonce before I compare the two. Estel gotta hit them high notes and bring that soul that Alicia can. Stop using that “colorism” excuse and again step it up. You sound like the black men that do a crime then Blame it on the “The Man” Cut it out! Its 2009
> E Jones
I’m furious at this article. How could you throw cheap shots at Black Men and leave out Black women? Now since Obama is in the white house will all the sistas start yearning for light skin brothas. They will if they like them so lets expose your lil double standard here. You mention, Garnet, Russell Simmons, and Carmelo Anthony for their choice of light skin women as mates. What about the most powerful women of color. As stated michelle obama is married to arguably the most powerful man in the world. LIGHT SKIN Oprah Winfrey has dated Stedman for 20 years. LIGHT SKIN. Star Jones was married to Al. GAY (nothing against homosexuals, just a point) AND LIIGHT SKIN Naomi Cambel is engaged to a white Billionaire. BEYOND LIGHT SKIN. So lets be fair and look at our darker shade women also, before you bring up the ancient stereotype of the black man, dating lighter women
> E Jones
Hi E. Jones…
thanks for your insight.
> tallulahbankhead
E Jones
Typical Black men will never acknowlege how Fed up they are this article is deep
> Croy
*F’ed
> Croy
I enjoy each and every post, esp the pics.
> fetishlover
Hi hunnie, great blog! I really appreciate this article.. I was curious about this for a long time now. This cleared a lot up for me! Do you have a rss feed that I can add?
> Makeup DIY
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