What Light Girls Can Teach Us About Beauty

In the African-American community, there is a certain degree of separation: dark-skinned, brown-skinned, and light-skinned. The Oprah Winfrey Network recently aired a documentary by Bill Duke called Light Girls that outlines the effect of these color divisions; the special was a followup to the film Dark Girls from 2011. Skin color is often a way that society (and young women) measures beauty.

Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o once said, "I remember a time when I felt unbeautiful. I put on the TV and only saw pale skin, I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin." Light Girls explores the reverse of that paradox: women who have been ridiculed for being too light or not "black enough." Keep reading to find out why every beauty girl should watch and learn from the special.

Source: Getty / Timur Emek

from POPSUGAR Beauty