As many black people celebrate the richness and beauty of their God-given melanin, there are also those who are still steeped in the deep-seated roots of colorism within the black community. Not discussed enough in general, and certainly not on reality TV, TV One’s family reality series We’re The Campbells tackles the issue of colorism head-on in an upcoming episode.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, tonight should be the night you tune in to We’re The Campbells, which follows the lives of Mary Mary star Erica Campbell, her husband/producer Warryn Campbell and their three children. While the show mainly focuses on the hectic lives of Erica and Warryn as they balance careers and home life, tonight’s episode takes a serious turn when their oldest daughter Krista deals with bullying due to her dark complexion.
In one heart-breaking clip from the episode, Krista is seen asking her mom if she’s ugly because of her dark skin. This is something that unfortunately many dark-skinned black women have had to face and this open dialogue can hopefully help kids Krista’s age and beyond build up their self-esteem. The episode also impacts Warryn’s sister (and aspiring artist) Joi, when he tells her of the discrimination she has unknowingly faced within the music industry.
The episode’s synopsis reads:
Erica discovers that her eldest child Krista struggles with self-esteem because of her dark skin tone. Erica introduces Krista to Kheris, a social media star who has her own fashion line dedicated to embracing her dark hued complexion. After Erica shares Krista’s concerns with Warryn, he reveals a secret he’s kept from Joi that certain record executives refused to work with her because they thought her features were too dark. When Warryn shares the truth, she questions remaining in the music industry altogether. Meanwhile, Warryn asks Erica to co-preach with him at church but Erica doesn’t have time to prepare.
We’re The Campbells airs Tuesday nights at 8PM EST on TV One. You can check out clips from tonight’s episode about colorism BELOW:
