Dying To Be Light: Skin Bleaching, An Undeserving Practice Gaining Strong Roots In The Ghanaian Entertainment Industry….

Globally, skin bleaching has become an entrenched practice in our various societies despite its serious repercussions on the human health and image.
This practice has become very common to the extent that, arguments such as we are predisposed as primates to accept the superiority of light skin as being beautiful, smart and adorable over dark skin cannot be easily refuted.
How can the above be easily disproved when a child as little as 3 years confidently pointed out that, a light skin painting was beautiful and smart whiles the dark skin was ugly and somehow unintelligent? (Watch the video here)
Even though skin bleaching has serious health problems, I am extremely worried about the image issues and the fact that it a great machinery being used to reinforce the unfounded assumption that light skin is supreme, smart, beautiful, desirable and culturally appreciated.
It is sickening to look around and find out that some of the very few people that our young ones look up to in our fast booming Ghanaian Entertainment Industry have been swayed into the diabolical enterprise of skin bleaching/lightening.
As far back as 2002, a survey indicated that skin bleaching was at the peak of about 75% in Ghana and Nigeria and the worst of it all is that, education in these two countries was at its lowest.
I will pardon the huge illiterate population who by virtue of their non-educational standing get sway into bleaching their skins but I dare attempt to even see a little sense and justification from the side of the very well educated and ‘intelligent’ individuals practising this in our societies.
Various unconfirmed rumours have it that, even the pop icon Beyonce has resulted to skin lighting to enhance her entertainment image and to somehow appeal to her large global white fan base. Though not a justification of any sort, she can attempt to argue that she wants to appeal to her other (white/light skin) fan base.
What will be the groundless justification our Ghanaian entertainment icons bleaching their skins even attempt to give?
From those who started with dark skin to those who were ‘blessed’ with a bit of light skin, what they modishly call skin toning or skin refreshment has over the years gradually made them fair and fairer.
I do not want to cause fuss with this write-up and as such I will not mention names of the various Ghanaian celebrities who in their attempt to add beauty to their image and personality have profoundly changed in complexion. The change has always been from a dark to a light complexion though…
It is dangerous when the doctrine of light skin supremacy grounded on skin bleaching is being championed in a community; it becomes even suicidal when ‘majority’ of the faces the younger generation see on our screens and adore are the foremost players.
I have not forgotten that we have several quarter/mixed race entertainers in Ghana, but check beneath the table and you will be distressed by the skin toning and lightening creams that even some of these people with light skin traces use.
What happened to black is beautiful? Even in our black communities, the beauty of the dark is under undeserving threat of extinction…It is sad but it is a fact! Remember True beauty comes from within…