Health officials in Ghana recently issued a stern warning against women taking pills during pregnancy to lighten the skin of their unborn children. These illegal drugs could reportedly lead to birth defects, damaging the baby’s limbs and internal organs.
It’s opened a worldwide conversation around why Black people bleach their skin.
The practice of skin bleaching today is steeped in a devastating history of colonialism, enslavement, and global white supremacy affecting Black men and women across the entire world.
Skin bleaching is a multi-billion dollar industry. Corporations based in China, Europe, and the U.S. benefit from colorism and perpetuate it through advertisements depicting lighter-toned celebrities and people living their best lives because of lighter skin.
Products also use deceptive language to mask racism and colorism, like it’ll lead to “brighter,” “cleaner,” or “clearer” skin. But all that means is “whiter.”
Because of colorism, folks with lighter complexions are often seen as more beautiful, capable, and valuable. As a result, some darker-toned Black people have desperately lightened their skin to get jobs.
For example, one hospitality training program in Jamaica specifically requested light-skinned Black women for receptionist or front-house roles.
Skin bleaching has less to do with self-esteem than you may think. What it does do, however, is point out a “systemic, global culture that normalizes colorism and racism.”