Why is my blog getting cluttered up with stories of awkward racial encounters?
I went to the dermatologist the other day. (You already know where this is going, don't you?)
She was a pleasant, older white lady, and I appreciated the fact that she let me know that she was knowledgeable about the special considerations of people of color when it comes to certain skin issues. I really did.
But she should have stopped there.
I know in her mind, she was trying to compliment me/help me feel better about myself when she said the following, but it was kind of too much and, frankly, not a compliment: "You have the MOST PERFECT skin tone. Ah, that caramel-colored skin you have is the most beautiful. You and Vanessa Williams. God, just perfect."
Um, thanks, but no thanks. Really. Telling a black woman that she's beautiful because she's "caramel-colored" is not cool. So, if I were a darker-skinned black person, would I just be out of luck? Ugh. I don't consider myself more anything or better than anybody or prettier than anybody because I'm on the lighter end of the black folk's spectrum. And you shouldn't either, lady.
And you also should not have said anything about how flawless Oprah's skin is. Really? I'm glad you know the names of famous black women. Congratulations. But Oprah is a billionaire and she can get whatever the heck she wants done to her skin to keep it looking that way.
(Sigh.) I didn't say anything to old girl because I knew she meant well. But it's frustrating when people who think they get it really don't get it at all.
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