my book club just finished reading 'reaching back' by nea simone...it was an interesting read...the story line was fabulous...the characters and the action alone made it a book that i couldn't put down...a real page turner...
however...the most important theme in the book did not center around a character or an incident...the driving plot point in this book was skin color...more specifically...light skin...and this family's obsession w/ light skin and passing for white...
now...i have been black all my life...let me clarify...i have been the blackest member of my family all my life...however...i was never made to feel as if that were a bad thing...i was never singled out in a bad way about my complexion...of course...my grandfather used to call me 'old black ass gal'...but he was almost as black as me...so i never took it as an insult...
it was surprising to me to read this book and find people SO caught up in skin tone...i guess...i'm saying all of this to say...that while living in my black skin is something that i realize is a part of my identity...my particular color of black has never been something that caused me any real issues...i've never wanted to be light skinned, hi-yella, red boned, pecan tan, mocoa brown...or any of the other wonderful adjectives that can be used to describe black skin....
my family is a rainbow of pretty brown people...from the light bright to the dark brown...
and i love my beautiful black skin....just like i love my beautiful black people...and u are truly beautiful creations....
