Dark Dark Skin Mary Mebane Summary

Mary Mebane conveyed in the article that having “dark dark” skin, resulted in a social stigma among not just white people but black society as a whole. It wasn’t just a way for others to critique you, but with how the individual viewed themselves, as they also were treated differently by black people. She discusses her own feelings and experiences, while articulating various mechanisms of those around her during the era in dealing with the stigma that being darker meant you were less desirable. She sites how in time these stigmas were less prevalent in society.
I agree with her largely on the subject, although I still find it prevalent in today’s society. Beauty today may not entirely be defined by skin tone, but popular opinion seems to steer this way. I often don’t see modeling advertising featuring darker skin toned women; often they’re of lighter pigment. I think it goes largely unsaid nowadays, but the pain of stigma and the relations between those of darker and lighter skin tone remains the same. It’s not so subtlety swiped under the table until protested, while as in the author’s day it was more blatantly done.

Such as how those around her viewed her being darker as a negative to be pitied, causing her to feel inadequate in beauty to girls around her that were lighter in skin tone. Going on to describe how even her teacher attempted through makeup to disguise her darker pigment resulting in an absurd ghostly appearance. Also describing how accepting those oppressed by this stigma were whole heartily supporting it to their students. Such as when girls were arraigned for performances, they were placed in order on stage by pigment instead of talent with few exceptions. This created a since of self-pity onto the authors own depiction of