Source: WENN
Colorism issues seems to be one thing that have withstood the test of time in the African American community, but thankfully we have women who can be honest about their struggle and even more forthcoming with their ability to overcome it.
Actress Keke Palmer is one such woman. While speaking at “The Hollywood Confidential Panel” in LA this Tuesday discussing images of African American Women in mainstream media with a number of influential women, the 20-year-old admitted:
“When I was like 5 years old I use to pray to have light skin because I would always hear how pretty that little light skin girl was, or I would hear I was pretty to be dark skin. It wasn’t until I was 13 that I really learned to appreciate my skin color and know that I was beautiful. “
Knowing Keke’s history with her color, accusations that the young starlet has bleached her skin have to be especially painful for her. Last Fall, Twitter followers attempted to call the Illinois native out for a photo she posted in which her skin looked a tad lighter than it’s typical gorgeous bronze hue. In response to the hurtful talk, she frankly told her followers:
“Enough with the crazy complex accusations. We need to stop separating ourselves by how dark or how light we are. I have been the same complexion all my life and if you think otherwise don’t follow me. #nofilter.”
Another brown-skinned beauty, Kimberly Elise, joined Keke on the panel and she expressed similar sentiments about not only black people’s need to embrace one another, but Hollywood as a whole. She told the audience of her career trajectory:
“ I didn’t want to change who I am for a role; I want people to embrace who I am as an African American Woman.”
In order to help Hollywood embrace African American women, viewers can no longer be ambivalent consumers of media, panelist Endyia Kenny-Sterns of the OWN Network toward the audience.
“We can’t be on the sidelines quiet, we have to speak up,” she said. “We really have to see our value and be who God created us to be.”
Thank God these women see theirs. Check out pics from the panel on the next page. What do you think about what the women said?
