Dear Black Girl: Run Towards The Sun
Dear Black Girl,
It is time to run towards the sun instead of away from it. To applaud the deepening of our shade as the magic that only our skin can so easily do, rather than a punishment from the sun, meant to be avoided.
Of course, those of us with darker skin tones have no need to lay out in the sun for hours on end in order to glow, but now is our time to embrace the brightness of the summer months. I, personally, can bloom a few shades darker within mere minutes of sun exposure — and I’m thankful that my upbringing groomed me not to think twice about it. But somewhere along the way, I learned that others of my shade didn’t share this sentiment.
I’m not trying to go outside and get black! Girl, get out of that sun or you’re gonna get too dark. I’m black enough already, I don’t need to be in the sun.
If you are melanin-rich, you’ve heard these things, and maybe you’ve even said these things. A wise proverb once said, “Let it go, let it go!” and we should all follow suit. Let’s release our fear of the sun instilled by euro-centric ideals.
Growing up as a brown skinned African American girl, I never thought too much about my skin color. I had friends lighter than me, I had friends darker than me, and I knew that my shade was pretty middle of the road, as far as black folks go. Most importantly, I looked like my mother, who was the epitome of beauty for me. My grandmother and her siblings were a fair vanilla that I found beautiful as well, and my aunts and uncles ranged from toffee to chocolate, it was no big deal. But as adolescence approached, things began to change.
Light skinned girls were “in” and if you were Hispanic, there were extra bonus points. Growing up in the colorist South, being “mixed” was a badge of pride, leaving dark skinned girls with their own unique battle for self-esteem and acceptance. But I won’t hold The South responsible for solely perpetuating this narrative. It was in 2018 when a New York City Dominican man I was dating told me that I should feel proud that he was dating me since he “usually only dates women lighter than him.” That, of course, was our last date.
The colorist accounts could go on, and they are most often found within our own communities. This doesn’t just exist in communities of the African diaspora. We see this same problem mirrored in Asian communities, dark skinned Desi girls are constantly pushed out of the limelight, and it definitely plagues the Latinx community. As the liberation of black and brown people continues, we must also break free from the colonization of our minds that taught us that lighter skin is most beautiful. All shades under the sun should be celebrated from fair and freckled to dark and sultry. This summer, like every summer, I will continue to wax deeper and browner, and I will love every minute of it.
I invite you, too, to embrace your summer shade, and here are a few sunscreens that will help you get the job done! We all need SPF to protect us from sun damage, no matter our skin tone, and these sunscreens will help you do it without that frustrating white residue. So go ahead black girl, get a tan!
Has this story made you reflect on your own relationship with the sun? Tell us how you’re feeling in the comments below! We’re also down for recommendations. Share a residue-free sunscreen that you’ve loved on your skin.
With Style + Soul,