The darker the berry, the sweeter the juice.

Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.

I found this preview this past week and it looks awesome! It touches on some very present and historical topics/issues in regards to intra-racial discrimination and societal perceptions. Being a 'Dark Girl' myself, I look forward to seeing this documentary and hope that others learn from it as well.

Personally, my own story is not as intense as some of the ladies featured in the preview. However, if it is felt by one, often times the experiences are synonymous with another. Growing up, my parents always made sure to reinforce my beauty regardless of external influences and supported their own beliefs with images and literature featuring dark skinned beauties. It was not until I grew up and left home that I truly began to experience what could be perceived as the burden of having dark skin in a particularly light world (on this side of the ocean at least).

One poem that I specifically remember growing up is "Sweet Blackberry”  from the book, Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes.

Danitra says my skin’s like double
Chocolate fudge ‘cause I’m so dark.
The kids at school say it another way.
“You so black, girl,” they say
“at night, people might think
you ain’t nothin’ but a piece o’ sky.

I never cry, but inside there’s a hurting place.
I make sure no one sees it on my face.
Then mama tells me, “Next time, honey, you just say
The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.”
Now, that’s what I do.
I sure wish I had told them that before.
Those kids don’t bother teasin’ me no more. 

I think that this poem sums up the pressures of the world along with parental support very well and should be used as a tool to inspire young girls all over the world.


Now, on another note... I don't want to get too into this here, but the issue of intra-racial discrimination always perplexes me. As mentioned in the preview, it's origins can be traced back to slavery with the concept of the field slave (the dark skinned) and the house slave (the light/er skinned). This concept always cracks me up because at the end of the day, whether field or house, a slave was a slave. I find it hard to conceptualize a 'better slave.' From that point, Blacks with fair skin have been considered 'more acceptable' in society because they are closer in appearance to our White counterparts, leaving dark/er skinned individuals with the perception of being 'less than'. I personally feel like that mentality puts Blacks, light and dark, at a mental disadvantage...if they accept it, that is. Especially because it is effecting our children immensely!! (also previewed in this documentary) Hopefully we can get past this as a community (some day) and stop breaking each other down; as a complete unit we would be so much stronger in the world and for each other.

Ok. I'm getting off of my soapbox for the moment.

Enjoy the preview, stay Black, be easy, keep it classy, stay beautiful, keep it real and all that jazz.

...but what do I know?