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Chicago 2009: Color Consciousness — Redefining Beauty Standards

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SUPER: The Conversation Room

SUPER: Color Consciousness
Redefining Beauty Standards
Chicago 2009

Dr. Eno Nsima-Obot, M.D. (Moderator): I come from Nigeria, which is a country in west Africa. We were once colonized by the British. Now, there was such an urge to be light-skinned that women would actually use steroid creams more powerful than hydrocortisone. And the thing about Nigeria and most third-world countries is that you have access to prescription medications without a prescription. And so, women would actually, because they wanted to look light-skinned and more attractive to the men, because this has been driven by society and the men and the need to get married, they've actually bleached themselves with a combination of hydroquinone and ...

SUPER: Hydroquinone

SUPER: Steroid Creams

Moderator: ... steroid creams in order to look light. And you can imagine what that does to the skin. So we're not just talking about just the color, but the damage it does to the skin. And they keep on doing this in order to maintain that light-skinned appearance. So, that's the impact that color has even in a continent about 5,000 miles away from here. So, where do we think color consciousness started amongst us? How did it start?

SUPER: Where do we think color consciousness started?

Participant: I think that it does kind of stem from the predominantly white environments and facilities where they kind of put that impression on you. Like OK, well, you're black. And tell us something new. And tell us something different. And be the catalysts for change. And show us how to be diverse. And I've been in a lot of environments where it's like, there is so much pressure, you're like, I'm just a regular person. And I just want to work and be in my position. So, I think for me, it's come from the predominately white areas.

Participant: I think it also stems within our families, because within my family we have a rainbow of colors. And my father was born in 1920. So, he had a large family and they were all different skin tones. And the lighter-skinned ones were treated one way and the darker-skinned ones were treated another way. And grandparents color struck. And it just continues on. And what's really sad is that while I was standing in line, that long line out here to get in here today, I actually heard a woman say that one of her friends called her and says, "Oh no, I'm going to have a dark-skinned baby. I'm going to be the only one of my friends with a dark-skinned baby." I was just really kind of heartbroken and disturbed ...

SUPER: Heartbroken and Disturbed

Participant: ... by that, that someone could make that comment in this line, which is the reason we are here, to show that we are all sisters regardless of our skin tones. We are all beautiful. But, she made that comment, and I'm like, she should have brought that person here to learn what it's really all about.

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