Dark Girls Documentary Film

     The documentary, Dark Girls, takes a candid look at "colorism," a prejudice within one's own ethnic group about skin color. Producers and writers, Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry, are showcasing the film in a theatre tour that includes discussion after viewings. Taking a non-traditional route to showcasing the film, they have chosen the approach of stage play and concert producers, saying if plays and artists in concert can tour, a film can most certainly do the same. Showings of the film began on the East Coast in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and at the Apollo in New York City, and in upstate New York in Buffalo.

     "Is life different for women who are darker than most?" is the controversial question raised in the film. Because of the historical relationship of African-Americans with slave masters and white supremacy, it has been a longstanding, though negative aspect of the culture that light skin and straight hair have been the acceptable standards of beauty. In some circles, the "paper bag test" has been the criteria that determined acceptance or rejection. In securing careers, selecting mates, negotiating social circles, joining organizations, and in some cases, churches, the code was that one had to be lighter than a paper bag. Despite contemporary advances of African-Americans and greater acceptance of the diverse hues that characterize the race, the people in the film share painful experiences of distain, prejudice, and rejection related to dark complexions.

     As this bias is passed from generation to generation, children and teenagers have become the victims and perpetrators. In a psychological test similar to the infamous Doll Experiment of the 1940s in which black children repeatedly attributed positive characters to white dolls and negative ones to black dolls, a little girl in the film was instructed to give feedback about five drawings for which the only difference was complexion. The child equated the drawing of the light skin person to being smart and pretty, and that of the dark skin girl to being dumb and ugly. A teenager wished she could wash her color off because she felt dirty, and she hated her father because she inherited his dark complexion. Another asked her mother to put bleach in her bath water to lighten her skin. Still another teenager spoke of an instance in which she overheard her mother bragging about her (the daughter's) brillance and beauty, but added, could you imagine how much more beautiful she would be if she was lighter. After generations of attempting to eradicate colorism, it is still a pervasive issue for youth who inherit the physical predisposition for melanin rich complexions.

     Expert psychologists, historians, sociologists and others in the film point to several possibilities for addressing the issue. Colorism is a learned attitude that can be unlearned, according to one expert. There is nothing in human DNA that makes people inherently hate dark skin. As African-Americans and other ethnic groups continue to assimilate into American society, the perception of beauty must be continually challenged and redefined.

     People have to be self-assured and avoid becoming mesmerized by the standards perpetuated by mainstream media, and stop relinquishing power to social systems and political policies that do do not operate in their favor. There must be a collective effort to analyze images, understand their impact, work to heal wounds that have been inflicted, and change the awareness of self. Knowing history, defining goals and methods of repatriating culture, and realizing that the sum total of experiences helps determine identity are all key factors in addressing colorism. Families must play a role in combating negative attitudes. Black men must address the needs of family, community and Black women. Mothers must teach daughters that they are beautiful and to love themselves.

     Embracing and loving self should not be overlooked in combating colorism. "You are the keeper of your soul," says one interviewee. If you don't love and cherish yourself, how do you expect anyone else to...and loving oneself does not mean hating anyone else."

     Accordint to Berry, "the skin discussion is one we need to have once and for all...so we can eradicate it."

     Berry and Duke are currently working on another film, The Yellow Brick Road, which examines the experiences and suffering of light skin people. They maintain those of fair complexions have a story to tell as well, and pain is pain regardless physical appearance. Dark Girls received the Audience Choice Award at the Pan-African Film Festival, and is rescheduled to show in the Toronto Film Festival  in September. It is scheduled for release on DVD at the end of the year. For more information, visit www.officialdarkgirlsmovie.com.