Inside the �yellow bone� frenzy
Baboki Kayawe | Friday April 29, 2016 13:27
The pressure is real and fast-paced. Though not all-dark toned black women are part of it, there is a race to acquire lighter and fairer skin.
There was a madness in the 1980s when many dark-skinned sisters would use anything to make their skins lighter. From soaps, to creams and various washes with hope-inducing names and properties, many fell to the temptation of trying to “wash away” the blackness. Many fell victim to dangerous chemicals, preparations and processes of skin bleaching and many still walk the streets today, scarred.
The conversation on skin colour and colourism is topical again in Botswana as characterised by the popularity of phrases such as “yellow bone”, “stock sa lekgoa” and many others unknown to me. The labelling “yellow bone,” used to describe a light-skinned woman, is increasing in popularity on local social media and public discourse.
Being dark-skinned myself, and once a victim of bad treatment during my adolescence owing to my deep complexion, I recently started this conversation with a fellow dark sister who expressed concern that “our society is becoming more concerned about skin colour while we have serious issues to fret about.”
The weight of issues, however, whether social, economic or political, cannot be in equilibrium. That is to say, while my friend sees the debate over complexion as a trivial issue, for some it is of great concern.
Why does skin colour matter? Why is it fashionable, hype and cool to be of a fairer completion, and should this conversation even exist in a country where dark-skinned people abound?
“Yellow boneism” goes beyond the current frenzy, to the timeless debate on the ideals of beauty and perceptions of attractiveness as seen either through men or women’s eyes.
This labelling brings with it “colourism”, which is prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a darker skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.
According to an article by African-American journalist, Natalie Mendenhall, “colourism within the black community has been a serious emotional and psychological battle”.
Gosego Modise*, a very light-skinned researcher says if she is called such by a friend “in a light hearted manner” she does not mind because it meant to be a joke.
She says for her, this label simply divides and objectifies women on the basis of skin tone.
“This promotes colourism because most of the time the general perception amongst this lot is that light-skinned girls are better than dark-skinned women,” she says.
Further, she says the term “yellow bone” is supposed to be a term that praises or celebrates the light skinned but it is achieving the opposite.
“There have been instances where people in the community especially men would be extremely nice to me because of my skin tone. They are not even ashamed to say it. This usually causes other women to be hostile because they think you are responsible for this light skin privilege.
“We have definitely seen that African society especially men, regard light skin as the right skin. They are not even ashamed to say it and this does put (some) insecure women under pressure to bleach their skin so that they are also regarded as yellow bones.”
Gosego says the yellow bonesim trend is disturbing given the harm it does to self-imaging.
“We have seen this trend from international celebrities like Lil Kim who now looks Caucasian to Mshoza in South Africa to even some ladies here using dangerous products that end up damaging their skin.”
Gaone Nkoga-Arufandika is a “not light skinned” communication specialist, working in the construction industry. She believes every woman is created beautiful despite distinguishing physical features. Further, Gaone ascribes to the principle that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that each person should be free to hold a premise as to what they deem beautiful, be it dark or light.
However, she says it is unsettling when ideologies turn into stereotypes and mental strongholds as in this instance.
“My main concern about the yellow bone frenzy is that there are women who have gone to great and extreme lengths to bleach and damage their skin to meet these expectations. In that sense we wonder who is to blame? ”
“Is it the media or society that has started
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this? At the same time every human being has the power to choose. You can choose not to succumb to the pressure. How you view yourself is what matters the most.
“I don’t view myself as a dark skinned woman because I am aware that this can put limits on me in certain spaces. I see myself as a beautiful human being made in the image of an indescribably amazing God.”
Gaone posits that the conception that “light skin is the right skin” promotes colourism. On the other hand we have to understand that human beings love the feeling of dominating, she says.
“We want to feel more superior to the next person and will use status, money, colour, gender, tribes for instance to have the sense of superiority. I think what is more disturbing is after everything that black people, despite skin tones, have gone through historically to emancipate ourselves, we stand in the way of our own progress by placing these stereotypical definitions as to what is beautiful and what is not.”
Gaone has felt the pressure to be light-skinned especially where lighter people are being preferred over her and her fellow dark skinned people.
“I have considered using lightening creams but I haven’t done so mainly because firstly these lightening products damage your skin and increase the chances of you developing skin cancer. I understand that the products come in the form of pills and creams. Are these tested? Are these safe for human consumption? There is no concrete evidence for most of these products especially on the black market. For those treatments supposedly done by professional doctors, the side effects still remain scary,” says Gaone.
Is colourism self-imposed, self-inflicted due to lack of self confidence to oppose what society defines as beautiful and right, or a manifestation of low self -imaging?
Gaone however says the discrimination brought by labels such as this one does not happen primarily due to insecurity and esteem issues.
“Not really, because one is bombarded with pictures in the media and social platforms that echo what the ideal beauty is, this settles in your subconscious and before you know it, you find yourself willing to do anything to be lighter even if it puts your health at risk,” she says.
But is male chauvinism the underlying influence towards some black women’s desire to be fairer? A logistics manager at a Tlokweng based firm, Mark Nyangoni does not think so.
While he does not have a problem with men’s personal choices, Mark says it is important for all human beings to acknowledge diversity.
He does not take issue with men who opt to date or marry women (or whoever) naturally light in complexion, but he finds everything wrong with those who stay in relationships with women who succumbed to pressure to become fairer.
“Those men are not normal upstairs how would you prefer someone who uses creams and bleaches themselves? It is only a matter of time before the side effects show their ugliness,” he says.
“Dark chocolate ladies out should stay beautiful, keep up and be proud of what they have and what God gave them. True beauty!”
According to Nyangoni, “yellow boneism” is a trend more than anything else.
“It is fashionable. And all fashion comes and goes. Something else will be trendy tomorrow. Good for the naturals, but what about those who made themselves lighter?”
“You cannot turn back your skin colour to its initial shade.”
Do you ever wish to have been lighter than you are or darker?
Are you comfortable in your skin?