Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” becomes powerful anthem for black people. While Beyoncé sings, “Brown skin girl. Your skin just like pearls. The best thing in the world. Never trade you for anybody else.” This was Beyoncé’s Message to Black People. Colorism is still a widely-discussed issue in the beauty industry. The term colorism is a term coined by Pulitzer Prize winner and beloved black author Maya Angelou. She defines it as the “prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their color.” In a world where megastar Beyoncé, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and tennis champion Serena Williams exist, Oscar-winning actress and model Lupita Nyongo still feels that lack of representation of black people in the beauty and entertainment industries.
Beyoncé’s Message to Black People Inspired Others
In a study undertaken by The Pudding in 2019, Mexican-Kenyan Nyongo has appeared on the cover of Vogue Magazine three times, a rare feat for someone with her skin color. Michelle Obama and Serena Williams have been featured on the cover as well. However, the algorithm that Pudding used showed that Lupita had the darkest skin color of the three. Additionally, it is the only black person on that color spectrum to represent that exact skin tone. Vanity Fair even lightened her skin when they featured her on their magazine and contributed the effect to studio lighting.
She spreads her beneficence and beauty around, which has the effect of both reinforcing her position as the ultimate cultural tastemaker and rendering her subjects abjectly grateful for her patronage.
This is well said.