PROUD AH BLEACHING

LISA HYPE

BY: STAR APPLE
Colonialism is a bitch to hell. We cry for independence yet we do so many things which only slave masters would unto a slave. I had the unfortunate opportunity of reading an article in a trash daily. Proud Ah Mi Bleaching was the caption. Proud Ah Mi Bleaching? What the hell!! In this day and age with so many “enlightened” people, no pun intended, we here on the rock are bleaching like sandfly pon beach after sundown. What the hell!!
Anyway back to my point, apparently, Empire artiste Lisa Hype has done a song with the same repulsive and puzzling title. Proud ah mi bleaching. Surely there are other topics to write about or have we become so base and starved of creativity that we had to resort to write that rubbish. We have artistes writing about bleaching – encouraging it and now a woman, writing, espousing and deejaying a song about this destructive practice.
A quick look at Wiki Answer provided a summary of the harmful effects of bleaching:
Skin bleaching destroys the black pigment found in the epidermis (top layer of the skin). Exposure of the dermis layer, underneath the epidermis layer, to the harsh weather will increase the incidence of skin cancer. The dermis cannot compensate for the absence of the epidermis and coupled with the hot sun… one will get a higher risk of cancer.
Thus we can see that despite having fairer skin as desired, skin bleaching is also damaging to our skin.
What I would like to know is how we have degenerated in a nation of damn nonsensical persons. We exclaim to no end that we are proud to be black, Black represents strength and so on. So why do we feel the need to bleach.
I did a survey of some Jamaicans and both men and women felt that it made them more desirable; since men and women prefer light skin person. Kiss mi neck back wi really lack self esteem down here.
To add insult to injury, Lisa Hype has gone on to say that she nuh know who nah bleach out here. I would like to know which self absorbed world she is living in.
Even with knowledge, the mere lack of reasoning ability and lack of self esteem have really done us over. Slavery could not have done us that badly, since we have some outstanding Jamaicans across the globe and not for criminal acts committed.
Families and communities are bleaching. Schoolers are bleaching. Like seriously, when are we gonna get comfortable in our own skin and out of many one people. Thank god for artistes like Queen Ifrica, cause not everyone wants to look like a purple dragon.
Why is it that Jamaicans like to take on the more scarring practices of other cultures? Are we spiraling downward and refuse to see it or just don’t wish to see it.