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IBARW: My black skin glinted in the sunlight.
It's International Blog Against Racism Week. Exams are killing my free time at the moment, but I wanted to share a quick note from my Harlem Renaissance class.
Toni Morrison, while teaching a class my professor took, pointed out that a white author, when trying write from a PoC's pov, wrote, "My black skin glinted in the sunlight" and that no black person would actually look down at their skin and think that.
It took me a second to figure out what she was saying but you know, she's right. In the mornings, do you think "I have to brush my blonde hair" or "I must rub lotion into my pink skin"? Unless you've been reminded that you're Other because of your skin color, or you're sunburnt, you are very unlikely to use an adjective to describe its color.
Apart from which, black? Really? Who actually has black skin? Brown, yes. Dark, dark brown, yes. Ebony, sure. Actual matte black, to the point that you look at it and think with no irony or cultural labeling, 'black'?
Which of the following two sentences makes more sense to you?
OR
Personally, the first rings a lot more like something I'd actually think and less like clumsy writing.
So! Quick, friendly tip to anyone out there thinking of writing a Character of Color: Don't constantly bring up their skin color for no reason except to prove it's a CoC.
It's great you're writing CoCs. It really is. Just be careful not to over-emphasize the physical differences in case it ends up sounding jarringly wrong.
And on a totally different note, basic accounts are back! The news post actually had some good news for a change.
Toni Morrison, while teaching a class my professor took, pointed out that a white author, when trying write from a PoC's pov, wrote, "My black skin glinted in the sunlight" and that no black person would actually look down at their skin and think that.
It took me a second to figure out what she was saying but you know, she's right. In the mornings, do you think "I have to brush my blonde hair" or "I must rub lotion into my pink skin"? Unless you've been reminded that you're Other because of your skin color, or you're sunburnt, you are very unlikely to use an adjective to describe its color.
Apart from which, black? Really? Who actually has black skin? Brown, yes. Dark, dark brown, yes. Ebony, sure. Actual matte black, to the point that you look at it and think with no irony or cultural labeling, 'black'?
Which of the following two sentences makes more sense to you?
My skin itches.
OR
My black skin itches.
Personally, the first rings a lot more like something I'd actually think and less like clumsy writing.
So! Quick, friendly tip to anyone out there thinking of writing a Character of Color: Don't constantly bring up their skin color for no reason except to prove it's a CoC.
It's great you're writing CoCs. It really is. Just be careful not to over-emphasize the physical differences in case it ends up sounding jarringly wrong.
And on a totally different note, basic accounts are back! The news post actually had some good news for a change.
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That'd explain the itching!If you're looking in a mirror, at least there's a reason for you obsessing over yourself. Randomly noting that your skin is black? Not so logical!
But yeah, it's definitely poor writing on top of a really good demonstration of how to fail at writing a CoC.