Skin Bleaching In the African American Communities Social Issue Project ETHS 2410 Spring 2014

My Social Issue I became interested in doing my research on skin bleaching because of:  Dark Girls Documentary in class  Personal interest  Media journal

Scholarly Research Black No More: Skin Bleaching and the Emergence of New Negro Womanhood Beauty Culture.  The skin bleaching products became popular in late nineteenth early twentieth in the African American communities.  I’ve learned that the ideal skin color for slave traders was light skinned blacks.  I’ve learned that blackness was then considered unattractive. Ideas  This article gave me the ideas of when,why, and how skin bleaching started. During my intervention people will understand why black people started to bleach their skin.

Scholarly Research Africa: Where Black is Not Really Beautiful  This article has facts and stories of why some black people in South Africa use skin lighting products. This article gives two points of views from doctors point of view and also consumers point of view of skin lighting.  I’ve learned that women or men usually bleach their skin to gain happiness or self-satisfaction.  I’ve learned that skin bleaching products has dangerous side effects Ideas For my intervention I will invite dermatologists to speak about the danger of skin bleaching. For happiness, I will invite motivational speaker to speak to teach women better ways to find happiness.

Scholarly Research Cream Offering May Bring Risk This article discuses the facts that skin lighting products that are sold over the counter are actually prescribed products.  I’ve learned that some of the products contain steroids and other products contains hydroquinone, hydroquinone is very harmful if people misuse it on their skin.  I’ve learned that there hasn’t been any major studies have been done on the skin lighting products. Ideas  On my intervention I’ll tell people who use and don’t skin lighting products that there are illegal ingredients in the product that’s dangerous.

Intervention On my intervention I will invite black parents, teenagers, and adults to come learn about a new product that can promise to make their skin look and feel better. This would be a false advertisement; I want to be able to see how many people will show up to learn about this new product.

Intervention Who’s Involve?  Dermatologist  Motivational Speakers  2 women who had bad experience with skin lighting products  Beauty salons owners Participates  African American Mothers  African American Teenagers,  African American Young adults

Goal  My goal is to educate the African American women of all ages the danger of skin lighting products.  I will show them that being black is beautiful by having an art gallery of beautiful dark skinned women. Cost  It will probably cost about $ For the hall, food, motivational speaker and educational flyers for beauty salons,

Resistance to the Intervention  Participant might leave once they find out that it was a false advertisement.  Young adult who may think they know better might leave.  I will greatly apologize for the false advertisement. I will tell them this is a serous matter that they should at lease consider sticking around and hear what my team have to say.

Support for the Intervention  I might get support from parents and other anti skin lighting women to support me to make this project bigger and hopefully to reach other women around the U.S and with the hope of even reaching women internationally. My interviewee agrees to educating women about the danger of skin bleaching products. “Where I come from (Jamaica) women don’t know how bad the skin lighting products are until someone skin gets burn. I believe it is very important to reach these women before the new generation continues this dangerous habit.” (Smith)

Impact of Intervention  I would like my participants to hopefully be aware of the danger of skin bleaching.  I want my participant to hopefully learn better ways to embrace their beauty. I want them to learn better techniques to boost self-esteem. I want parents to teach their kids that their skin color shouldn’t be the factor of their true beauty.  This is important in the African American community and internationally; because kids will grow up and hate their skin color and would also have the wrong idea of what’s beauty and what’s not..

Bleaching Side Effects

Black Is Beautiful

References Treva, Lindsey, B. "Black No More: Skin Bleaching and Emergence Og New Negro Womanhood Beauty Culture." N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar Louis, Catherine S. "Cream Offering May Bring Risk." N.p., 15 Jan Web. 27 Apr Fihlani, Pumza. "Africa: Where Black Is Not Really Beautiful." BBC News. BBC, 01 Jan Web. 01 May Dark Girls Documentary Interview Kerry-Ann Smith