Comedian Amanda Seales is going off about how colorism affects light-skinned people.
The “Insecure” star posted a conversation with a fan on Instagram Monday, Sept. 17, where she called out the user’s joke about how handsome a man was even though he has a lighter complexion.
“He’s so gorgeous (and I don’t even like ’em high yella),” the fan said in response to one of Seales’ posts.
“Eww. But if I said ‘I don’t like em chocolate’ it would be colorism, right? Stop it.” Seales replied.
The fan explained it was just a joke, but Seales didn’t let up. She denied the fan made the comment in jest and signed off by telling them to have a good night.
(@amandaseales/Instagram)
“I’m not, nor am I ever, here for ‘jokes’ that 1: ain’t funny and 2: that attempt to diminish another because of their melanin quotient,” Seales said in the caption. “No ma’am. Some things you simply keep to yourself because they advance no one. Think before you speak. Happy Monday, y’all! [Before you DM me some basic s—, watch my IG Story for more on this topic!]”
As promised, Seales broke down the problem with making such remarks on her Instagram Story, acknowledging colorism faced by darker-skinned people makes them feel the effects of racism more than those with lighter skin.
“It is also a real thing for light-skinned people to feel marginalized and not as accepted by their dark-skinned counterparts,” she said. “Because for some reason they think that the privilege they get is something that they are choosing to get instead of something that is given to them by a leftover colonial racist structure that seeks to continue to create divisiveness between black people.”
As for those in her direct messages saying she benefits from colorism, she questioned what that had to do with folks saying they don’t want to talk to someone based on their skin tone.
“The point is that when we in the black community continue to purport divisiveness by acting on colorism against dark-skinned people and exclusionism against light-skinned people what we are doing is we are acting on the oppressor’s wishes,” she went on. “So stop, defy. Venture to impress ourselves!”
Those who caught Seales’ message had varied responses.
“Calm down! It’s not that deep! Hell I like a chocolate Man and its ok if I say it!”
“She is speaking real facts though!”
“Preference and colorism are two different things.”
“If your preference Is rooted in anti blackness, then you need to reevaluate.”
