Just when I thought we were turning a page in America – or at least in “Black America”—I run across some foolishness that lets me know that the “House Negro vs. Field Negro” mentality is still brewing in …not the Deep South…but live and in living color on a cable network near you.
TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras gives us yet another look at how there are some “real” sad cases making a fool of themselves for “reality” TV. What is even more disturbing is that these sad people are mothers. In particular; Selena Cruz’s mother.
This thick, dark-skinned mother is not allowing her chubby, fair-skinned 3-year-old daughter (who is absolutely adorable) to play outside because she doesn’t want the child’s skin to darken… like her mother’s.
Little Selena is forced to stay inside—with her nose pressed up against the window pane—and look at her brothers have all the fun, as shown on the series.
Of course, mom rationalized it for viewers.
She said she needed her daughter to maintain her “natural, golden skin tone,” adding, “she has to stay inside, so she has to follow proper protocol.”
WOW!
It appears mom may be suffering from some form of self-hatred that she is passing through the generations. I think she missed the “I’m black and I’m proud” revolution.
I am a beautiful dark-skinned sistah, reared by a beautiful dark-skinned mother and my wish growing up was that I would grow up to be and look JUST LIKE MY MOTHER!
Even when the outside world of fools tried to tell me that black WAS NOT beautiful when I was a pre-teen, I knew that was not true. In my household, deep chocolate reigned supreme! My mother was a head turner and she was known as “Pretty Black Dana.” Yes, it is sad that back in the day people acted “surprised” if a darker skinned woman was pretty, always saying “you are so pretty FOR A BLACK GIRL,” and other silly statements like that, but I always knew “Black was beautiful” and it damn sure didn’t crack.”
Someone needs to pass this message on to this “pageant mom” who should be focusing more on her and her daughter’s overall fitness – allowing the child to get some fresh air and EXERCISE – instead of keeping her locked up like Rapunzel hiding from the sun.
“I really want to play outside,” Selena said. And she should be able to. After all, others pay and/or lay out in the sun for hours to get a little (or a lot) of extra color. But then again, some take it to the extreme! Remember the “tanorexic” mom?
Education, my dear is needed here…and a hug….and Bill Duke’s documentary, “Dark Girl.”
Let’s pray for this mother and the little girl stuck behind the window pane.
