Gabrielle Union and Erica Campbell are sharing how they're handling colorism talk with their kids. Go inside for deets about Gabby's talk with her stepsons, plus the emotional moment between Erica and her daughter regarding her skin tone and weight inside...
Whether you want to believe it or not, colorism is a REAL thing. And it definitely affects the black community more than some think. Take for instance Gabrielle Union.
The "Being Mary Jane" actress faced colorism head on during a conversation with her three stepsons and she shared the story in a recent interview with Refinery 29. She realized while chatting with her stepsons Zaire and Zion, along with Wade's nephew Dahveon (who lives with them) that they all had the same exact standard of beauty. They were talking about who were the hottest girls in their high school and that's when Gabby realized NONE of the pics of said girls included women of brown or dark skin tones.
“Literally, probably about 10 girls I looked at had the same light skin, curly hair, tiny waist, butt, boobs — it was the same girl over and over again," Gabby said in shock. “So I asked them to show me the most beautiful chocolate sister they’ve seen."
She certainly wasn't ready for their answer.
“They say there are none,” she said. “I was like, ‘Why do they get exed out so fast? What is happening in your brain that is causing you to look at these women through a prism that is distorting their actual selves?'”
Good question. Why don't they find girls the same skin tone as them attractive? There's not one girl in the school who's not dark skinned that they find attractive? Interesting.
So, the 45-year-old actress decided to school her sons on dark skinned beauty. Who better than Gabrielle herself? She pulled up "STAR" actress Ryan Destiny's Instagram to see what they thought about her.
“They’re like, ‘Oh, she bad!’ But do you know how many Ryan Destinies there are? I pull up every Black model, women from all over the world, and they’re beautiful. But they don’t see the beauty unless it comes from an actress or a supermodel or a video vixen. They have to have somebody else tell them that a chocolate woman is attractive for them to believe it,” she said.
It's crazy how society is shaping the next generation's standard of beauty. Then again, it's pretty much been this way since day one. Thankfully, are more aware of these issues and are hopefully combatting them in the home - like Gabrielle - because that's where it all starts.
Educate young people on how not to be colorist against dark-skinned women and not discriminate against women who look just like them and their own mothers, even when said woman is not a celebrity, is imperative. And we're def not mad at that. The universal stadard of beauty needs to be expanded. ASAP. #BonusMomWhoRocks
Another mom facing the effects of colorism with their kids...
Gospel singer Erica Campbell was knocked to her feet recently when her daughter opened up to her about being bullied over her skin tone and weight.
The Mary Mary singer discovered her eldest child Krista has been struggling with self-esteem due to feeling left out at school and thinks it has everything to do with her complexion and her size.
"If you look at all my friends, church and school, I'm the chubby friend. It's not like, 'Oh, God,' but I've accepted it. I've just accepted it," Krista told her mother on a recent episode of "We're the Campbells."
"You're not the fat friend, Kris," Erica replied to her daughter.
"I've noticed that I'm left out. When guys talk to them [her friends], I'm left out. I'm left to the side and I think that's why," Kris expained.
"Do you think it has something to do with your size?," Erica asked.
"Absolutely. I know it is," Krista responded.
"I don't think that's the case. I think that's the way that you're seeing it," Erica said.
"It's not because I'm ugly. Am I ugly?," Krista asked.
AWW! We can't take it! She's GORGEOUS! And her mother made sure she knew that.
"That's something too. A lot of the guys like light skinned girls. Look at my family. Look at my friends," Krista continued.
Then Krista started pointing out couples that are "light skin/dark skin." Erica then starts naming gorgeous brown women who have married men with their same complexion.
"You're light skin so you don't really know how it feels, you know?," Krista responded.
Ugh! This breaks our hearts! But we feel you Krista. You are certainly not alone, in how you feel, and you are all the way beautiful baby girl.
Check it:
Below are a few clips where Krista opens up to her family about how she was bullied by kids in school because of her complexion and her dad Warryn Campbell also touches on the subject, saying he wishes he could protect her from the same treatment he received as a kid:
To our amazing YBF parents...have you had a similar talk with your child about colorism? If so, share your experience in the comments. You could possibly help another parent who's not sure how to tackle this.
Photos: Getty/TV One
