Black-ish

Joanne Kuria, 32, cannot understand why some Africans are so hang up on the idea that a lighter complexion is better. That is why she succesfully ran the 'My Black is Beautiful' campaign.

- Andanje Wobanda

Colourism in Kenya is a widely ignored topic yet it is one of the most complex and sensitive issues that dark skinned women have to deal with because they are made to feel that they are, ‘less than.’

Although we are in a predominantly black region, East Africans are obsessed with the notion that lighter skin is better as evidenced by billboards, music videos and every mainstream media platform. This notion has been so internalized that we do not consciously note our biases when dealing with different shades of black. It is why we hear comments like, ‘Vera looks better after bleaching her skin.

Joanne Kuria believes that uncomfortable truths need to be explored on this subject and that we have to start unpacking our prejudices and biases against darker skin and challenge these colonial-based beauty standards.

Why are you so hell bent on dismantling colourism in Kenya?

I have a mentee with low self-esteem who clams up when she is in a group despite being intelligent. Watching someone who has so much potential being so closed up because she does not think she is pretty enough because she is dark skinned and seeing how her skin colour affects how she relates to people, made me decide to do something about colourism. I kept wondering how many girls felt the same? Young girls will commit suicide, date douche bags or bleach themselves because they do not believe they are beautiful enough. This is why I started the Double X Agenda, an online platform and conversation starter on all matters women. Within it we had the ‘my black is beautiful’ campaign.

You are a dark-skinned woman, have you faced colourism?