Dark is beautiful

We live in society where fair is synonymous with being beautiful. It’s no surprise that dark skin has never been welcomed in our society as a natural fit. Much before our young minds had begun to internalise race, colour, and creed, we were brainwashed into believing that our appearance justifies our position in society. It’s high time we change this age-old belief towards skin colour. If you believe that Indians face racism outside our country due to our skin colour, then you are wrong! The obsession with white skin in India has been a topic of discussion for years. Mostly, women are the ones who receive flak for their skin colour as it believed that being dark-skinned prevents them from getting ideal life partners.

While in India, we grow up believing that look determines our value as a person, in Western Countries people self-tan to enhance their looks. Furthermore, there existed a period of fairness creams selling like hotcakes at beauty counters, but now is the era of artificial tanning taking over the beauty industry. Yet in this advanced age, people in India harbour irrational and conventional perceptions of determining one’s worth by skin colour. Such perceptions are perhaps a result of a rigid mindset, lack of exposure and improper education. But we have to deal with it anyway. We can’t let our confidence shatter for a few unjust.

Regardless of how fair your skin colour is or how pretty you are, it will never be enough and people will feel compelled to comment. Hence, the right attitude and confidence is real beauty and truly attractive. Words can be influential, they can either build us up or break us down. Therefore, we have the power to decide which people and words are worth listening to and allowing to alter our self-perception. We don’t require anyone to validate our existence in colour, body, and qualities. People who shame women for their appearance should unlearn that it is not the colour of the skin but the qualities that determine one’s mettle and prowess. Only then can we begin to lessen our obsession with whiteness and realise beauty can be found in brownness, blackness, and every skin colour in existence.