Brown is just another colour
Very recently my daughter asked me, “Why is my skin not as white as Tanvi(fictional name)?” I tried making her understand that no colour is superior and its just how God has made us. But I know she was not convinced. And I was wondering what made her think that white is better. It also took me back to my childhood where I always had this inferiority complex of being brown. It is so inherently conditioned in us that white is fair n beautiful and black or brown is not. And its just deja vu, where I realised somehow things have not changed much. Even now the little girls still feel the same. I wonder though, what made her think that. My husband and I never discussed or spoke anything of this sort even remotely with her but certainly something made her think this. Is it the movies, is it the makeup that I put on or is it social media(though shes hardly exposed to that)? It made me question it all. I have wasted a lot of my time energy and self worth on these things throughout my life and I don’t want her to go through the same. One thing that I have started doing recently is zero makeup and zero filter on pics/videos(one can already notice this change in my reels)unless it is a party/wedding. I know I cannot change society but I can surely change this at home. I know when we already have issues like women safety in question these things are just small yet so relevant in shaping the personality of little girls in these impressionable age.
Your words totally resonate with so many girls and boys both, who have felt the same.Especially in the times that we grew in, fair complexion was the basis of beauty being selected in particular role in school play etc. So many times my heart was crushed just because my looks did not fit in but now especially we have become strong headed mothers showing our daughters and sons what real beauty is, not colour,height,weight,but confidence,compassion and independence.These virtues will surely be our future someday🤞
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