Is black really beautiful?

Lenin Ndebele
a�?BLACK is Beautiful,a�? in the late 60s and 70s was progressively becoming the epitome of coolness, however, somewhere along the way, the yellow bone phenomenon, like Barcelona FC on their angry day, came from behind to takeover.

By definition, a yellow bone refers to light skinned women who embody a�?whata�? beauty should appear like in African women.

Interestingly, in the United States, where the term originates a�� it could be viewed as offensive language.

It loosely means; a�?You are white but not white enougha�?. For example as in the case of singer Mariah Carey a�� she looks CaucasianA� but is not of white ancestry.

To borrow from the streets, it is like wearing a Nike knock off branded a�?Mikea�? but where you come from, ita��s a fashion statement accepted by even the harshest of fashion police.

It all borders around what African scholars of the past termed a�?identity crisisa�?.

Exactly 53 years after formation of the Organisation of African Union (OAU) now African Union (AU), celebrating Africa Day on 25 May, the motherland, Africa for its beauty, still grapples with questions from the past such as: Is black really beautiful or we just pretend it is?

Africaa��s youthful figures in film and music shape the African childa��s world view through pop(ular) culture.

They could be the modern day version of Hugh Masekela a�� the South African musician known for refusing to take pictures with African women who wear weaves.

Instead of preaching everything beautiful being black, the younger icons preach skin bleaching.

Goodness me, there is Vera Sidika also known as a�?The Kim Kardashiana�? of Kenya. Reportedly she claimed to have spent around $170 000 on bleaching creams.

There is also one a�?Queen of Matambaa�? otherwise known as Dencia. The Nigerian artiste,A� endorsed skin lightening creams and her brand is called Whitenicious.

When one is said to be bootylicious that person has a very attractive behind, so a�?whiteniciousa�? could mean amazingly white!

Not so long ago, Africa had a daughter, Lupita Nyonga��o (ABOVE) from Kenya who grabbed headlines for her Oscar Award for the movie a�?12 Years a Slave.a�?

Dark, red eyed and ivory teeth a�� she had the world on her feet. Western magazines and cosmetic companies wanted to know her beauty tips because she is a natural and there is richness in originality.

Unlike many of her sisters back home who are dying to become yellow bones, she represents the true magic of Africa.

In the 1930s, when African philosophy was growing, particularly during theA� literary and ideological phase termed Negritude, learned blacks intended to give the continent its spark.

The movement sought to promote a�?everything blacka�?. Since the tenants of Negritude were Francophone Africans a�� their agenda was to disapprove of French colonisation.

One of the first things to do was a�?self lovea�? meaning blacks should resist being assimilated into the Western way of life by being a�?black and prouda�?.

If the fathers of Negritude, AimA� CA�saire (literary giant from Martinique died in 2008) and LA�opold SA�dar Senghor (First president of Senegal died in 2001) had lived to see 2016 a�� they would have been convinced their cause is in great danger.

Even through the years pushing for self pride for blacks, it was never easy.

Ugandan poet the late Okot pa��Bitek, whose Song of Lawino (1966) gained international acclaim for its scathing display of how African society was being destroyed by the colonisation of Africa, unpacks the age old controversy.

The poem describes how Lawinoa��s husband, Ocol, the son of the tribal leader of their Acoli tribe, has taken another wife, Clementine, who is educated and acts European.

Although Ocola��s polygamyA� is accepted by society, and by Lawino herself, her description of his actions shows that he is shunning Lawino in favour of Clementine. Ocol is also said to be fascinated with the culture of the European colonialists.

As an example of this, Lawino says Ocol no longer engages, or has any interest in, the ritualistic African danceA� but prefers the ballroom-style dancesA� introduced by the colonising Europeans.

This loss of culture on the part of Ocol is what disturbs Lawino the most. The poem is an extended appeal from Lawino to Ocol to stay true to his own customs, and to abandon his desire to be white.

I would love to get a response from a yellow bone.