HOUSING THE PSYCHE OF THE OPPRESSOR

Call it what you may but we are guilty. Guilty of the continuation of a society that sells its whiteness, those on the top of the hierarchy don't have to  try to control/police those beneath them as those on the bottom already have the effects of having internalized self-hatred. 

The controversial documentary DARK GIRLS explores the roots of world prejudices of dark skinned women with regard to classism, racism and self esteem. 

Picture a little girl about 8 years old dressed in one of her favorite dresses, hair neatly pulled back with a bobby. A beautiful shining dark skinned countenance being asked why she doesn't like a compliment of someone saying she's a pretty black girl. It's obvious this question makes her uncomfortable. She hesitates, and from this very first scene the viewer senses her pain as she answers "because I don't like to be called black." The racism we hear is an attitude ingrained in Black American culture.

This film DARK GIRLS is divided into History, The Impact, Family, Men: On Women, Women: On Men, Global, The Media and Healing.

There are many powerful messages in the telling of the story of  Dark Girls. As the African proverb states "Until the lion has a historian, the hunter will always be a hero." If not confronted this  degradation and perpetuation of stereotypes will continue. And as the film ends may we all understand a little bit better the importance of the individual embracing who they are. "Rise, dark girl, rise."

*Both NETFLIX and Amazon Prime have this 2011 documentary 

'Just found this link on youtube to watch: DARK GIRLS