Page A3
October 24. 2007
Light Skin Promotion Outrages
Club owner
says he didn’t
mean to offend
( AP) - Y asinine Toney describes
herself as a "dark-skinned sista.”
So when she heard about a lub
promotion in Detroit, allowing all-
night free admission to black women
with fair or light skin, she was in
censed.
“It’s offensive,” Toney said. “It
continues a negative stereotype.”
“ I’m perceived to be aggressive,
assertive, attitude-having... a lot of
things, because my complexion is
darker,” said the 24-year-old recep
tionist.
The party was canceled last week
after its promoter, who is black,
received dozens of complaints.
How black women are viewed—
and treat each other — depending
on the hue of their skin, eye color,
and the length and grade of their
hair has long been a point of con
tention for many in the black com
munity.
Many women with lighter skin
frequently are accused of believing
they are better than those with
darker complexions. Many women
with brown ordark-brown complex
ions complain that they too often
are not treated as well socially or
professionally as those with fairer
skin.
Ulysses Barnes, who goes by
the name DJ Lish, says he canceled
his “Light Skinned Women” pro
motion after complaints rolled in
from women, activists and organi
zations across the country.
“1 thought it was a brilliant pro
motion at the time,” said Barnes.
Highland Christian Center
78th & NE Glisan
Wednesday * October 31st
7-9pm
yc>M.'R.e iN virer»
Y asm ine Toney, right, w as in c e n se d when s h e heard about a
club prom otion allowing free adm ission to black w om en with fair
or light skin. (AP photo)
who has spent the last several days
apologizing to people. “I didn’t
anticipate any type of feedback. It
was just a party thing.”
Barnes, 27, also canceled future
“sexy chocolate” and “sexy cara
mel” promotions andj ust wants the
controversy to go away.
But Detroit author and anti-rac
ism advocate Elizabeth Atkins be
lieves it’s time for open, effective
dialogueon how black women truly
see and interact with one another.
‘T he celebrated standard of black
beauty have been the Lena Hornes
of the world,” said Atkins, referring
to the fair-skinned singer and ac-
tress who became one of the most
popular black performers in the
1940s and 1950s. "It’s been the fair
skinned, straighter hair, biggereyes
and pointed nose.”
Atkins and Los Angeles author
and women’s movement activist
Pearl Jr. say media portrayals of
black women feed into the stereo
types that are perpetuated by
blacks.
Women who should be embrac
ing their shared racial and cultural
heritage instead harbor suspicion
and resentment, Atkins said.
Symposium Tackles Mental Health
An impressive list of experts
on m e n ta l-h e a lth issu es w ill
speak downtown this weekend
as part of a meeting of female
African-American lawmakers.
The National O rganization of
Black Elected Legislative Women
conference opens 7:30 a.m. on
Friday at the Hilton, 921 S.W.
Sixth Ave., with addresses from
Oregon Senators M argaret Carter
and Jackie W inters.
S a tu rd a y ’s w o rk sh o p s are
capped o ff with a keynote from
Judge Karen Freem an-W ilson, a
form er Indiana attorney general
w ho w ill hig h lig h t her w ork
against drugs and dangerous driv
ing.
For more information, cal 1503-
227-5591.
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