Black Features In Mainstream Media

African-Americans physical features have been and remain devalued in the media. Black features, including a broad nose, thick hair and darker complexions, were and are seen as unattractive, and most of the time black features are not praised in the media as white or lighter-skinned features are. Most advertisement with white or lighter-skinned females are hold to a higher standards and the public perceive these ads in a good way. The media puts white beauty and black beauty into two separate categories, where European features is socially acceptable in mainstream media. The current beauty standards did not began in mainstream media; it started during slavery from the division of slaves by color and European-African features.

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Dark-skinned slaves were left to feel insecure by their skin complexation that carried on to the next generations. The market tapped into black females’ insecurities by promoting advertisement about skin bleaching creams that help to lighten darker skin tones. "This sense of being better because you are light-skinned has been ingrained from generation to generation. This does not bode well for a large sector of our population, as those who are darker begin to feel inferior. They feel that they are not worthy and that they cannot be beautiful” (“Dark side of skin lightening”, anonymous). They used these bleaching cream in hope to become more confident and develop a higher self-esteem. "I love it and wish I could swim in it. I travel to many Eastern countries and I get attention because I am now so light-skinned. I wasn 't fair and didn 't feel pretty enough. Now I feel beautiful and I know people are looking at me because I look so much whiter," said the 49-year-old woman (“Dark side of skin lightening”, anonymous).

A slave with a lighter skin tone meant they were “more intelligent and capable than pure Africans, who in turn were thought to be stronger and better able to tolerate the hot sun” (“The color complex, pg. 18). Even today, “studies have shown that African American people with lighter skin are perceived as more attractive, more intelligent, and more successful. With hashtags like #teamlightskin and #teamdarkskin frequently trending on Twitter, it is clear that there is very real distinction between the two” (“We should accept our dark colors”, 2016, Saba