HomeOld_PostsLet’s be proud of what we are

Let’s be proud of what we are

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FAKE hips, fake buttocks, skin bleachers, fake nails, breast implants, nose jobs, lipstick, fake eyelashes and ‘human hair’, what are we coming to?
In this issue we highlight the dangers of skin bleachers that come in the form of creams, pills and injections, but the problem is much deeper than just the dangers of skin bleaching.
What we are seeing manifesting is not just a desire to be beautiful.
What we are presently experiencing is self-hate by black people manifesting itself in the persistent and alarmingly increasing use of dangerous skin-lightening creams and skin bleachers.
It is sad that the scourge of trying to change one’s colour that we once saw elsewhere and experienced locally to a lesser extent has become more prevalent in the country.
It is disturbing that quite a huge number of people now equate beauty as well as success with light skin.
With our levels of education, one would assume that we know better.
But alas even the so-called educated are among those bleaching their skins.
It seems there is a drive to ‘wipe’ away our blackness, as if that is possible.
Our young have joined the bandwagon of those consuming these dangerous products, all in a bid to have light skin.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has even embarked on an operation to rid our streets of some of these skin-lightening products, most of which are finding their way into the country through illegal means.
Searches, especially of women’s bags done in public transport systems are unravelling dozens of these dangerous substances.
What is the problem?
Is it the images projected by mainstream media that have embedded in the brains of Africans the idea that white is better.
The honest and brutal truth is that no matter how much we bleach our skin, we will never be white.
Even if we become whiter the whites will not accept us as part of them.
What we are doing is enriching whites who, a lot of them are behind most of these products.
And after giving them our hard-earned monies through procurement of these products we will give them some more when we visit their medical facilities with complications.
For instance the hair industry is a billion dollar sector and blacks are the largest consumers.
It appears we have a deep seated psychological problem of self-hate, disgust and resentment.
We are a people that are increasingly having little thought of ourselves as black people.
There are people that now have a rabid disgust with their physical appearance that they do not dare venture out in their natural state. 
For hundreds of years have been deliberate efforts to demean, humiliate, disregard and degrade black people.
And perhaps it should come as no surprise that so much self-hatred is now deeply embedded within more than a few of our people of all ages.
But the truth and reality is that we will always be black and nothing else.
No amount of lamentation and efforts with all sorts of products will make us white.
If we fail to stop the onslaught of the ‘world’ that bases the ideal of beauty on whiteness we will lose more than our health.
Our identity as Africans, as Zimbabweans will be totally eroded.
Let us consciously assert our hunhu/ubuntu and stop to unconsciously yearn to be white.
Let us not expose our children to images that propagate that white is superior and black inferior.
Let us rekindle the African, the Zimbabwean spirit and restore confidence in ourselves.
Let us be proud of who we are, be proud of our colour.
Let us be ourselves in the family of nations and not apologise for what we are.
We must be proud to be black.

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