Divine Dark Skin (Facebook)
Social media personality Chrissie has established a fundraising account to launch a magazine that will cater to dark-skinned Black women. The self-described colorism activist explained Divine Dark Skin Magazine will be a publication that represents “chocolate and mahogany-colored skin on nearly every page.”
“The magazine is for Black women so it will include all shades but dark and brown-skinned women will be the majority and there will be no light-skinned, racially ambiguous looking women,” Chrissie told Atlanta Black Star. “Dark skinned women and girls are severely misrepresented and under represented in today’s media so this online and print publication is necessary for those reasons.”
Chrissie, who has remained anonymous online for the past five years, explained on her GoFundMe page that the online and print magazine will be a place where dark-skinned women can share their experiences.
“Are you excited to finally flip through a publication or go on a site that has chocolate and mahogany-colored skin on nearly every page, a magazine that is TRULY exclusive for Black women?” she asks potential donors. “What about an authentic safe space for our stories, our triumphs and our pain as Black women and girls?”
Chrissie promised DDS magazine is “coming soon” but explained she needed help raising funds for website expenses, manufacturing costs, advertising and overhead fees like insurance and equipment purchases. The account, which has been established since Dec. 13, currently has raised $1,350 of a $15,000 goal.
Donors have left messages of support for the effort on the page.
YouTube page Black Men Taking Our Community Back applauded the move forward.
Victoria Hope aligned herself with the effort and vowed to donate more toward the publication.
Carla Wheaden backed the positive representation of Black women for young girls.
Sullivan Young Jr. promised to continue contributing to the fundraiser.
New subscriber Darnell Johnson may sometimes have different views, but he wished Chrissie well with her new endeavor.
DDS magazine is only the latest step in Chrissie’s crusade for representation of dark-skinned women. She established a Facebook page called Divine Dark Skin in 2012 that collects testimonials from women with dark complexions who have faced hardship based on their skin tone. Additionally, Chrissie’s YouTube page features videos discussing the way Black women distance themselves from their race, including a critique of Serena Williams’ engagement to white Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
Both the YouTube and Facebook pages are currently accepting donations that will be used toward the magazine.
