The Politics of Skin

Since the 5th century B.C, the African continent went through a shift from being a mighty continent led by Indigenous black people to being turned into powerless people and a ruined continent that for the next several thousand years been in a state of perpetual powerlessness in all sectors of society and the global scene. One of the main things that happened was the changing of the imagery of black people. They went from being beautiful, majestic, intelligent, innovative, and scholarly, to name a few, only for them to be considered the least desirable group along with their continent in contemporary times. Their colonizers socially engineered this; it is not by accident today that the black man, woman, or child has a hard time finding beauty, divinity and self-worth in themselves. Their inner turmoil is created to further stagnate their race for many years to come. 

The image of a people in dignified spaces and spaces of achievements and having world recognition for something your particular racial group has achieved is essential. One can argue that race is a social construct because it is, but the effects of racism are authentic and long-lasting, even if the idea surrounding race is false. Still, the implementation, systemic exclusion and undermining of black people is a lived reality across the globe. Racism is defined, ‘’prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people based on their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.’’ - (Oxford languages). Racism is a practice more than it is an idea that is what makes it lethal. In South Sudan, foreigners can make money and become more stable than the locals because of the inferiority inherited from colonial days. It’s the master and slave dichotomy that hasn’t been healed. We haven't addressed the Arab slave trade, and British and Ottoman colonialism that influenced how we treat non-South Sudanese people vs how we treat ourselves.

Racism is the whole systemic malpractice black people face, and colorism was born as a result. Colorism is defined as ‘’prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.’’ - (Oxford languages). Colorism is the internalization of racism manifested. The darker-skinned people are often looked down upon by their lighter-skinned counterparts. Lighter-skinned people have assumed privileges that may or may not exist. There are assumptions based on skin tones alone, but the reality is more complex and complicated when adding gender, class, and socioeconomic status. In South Sudan, colorism is a problem in the community. The indigenous black skin is often looked down upon due to its colonial narratives, making one conscious of their appearance. We have a society that embraces Arab and European ideals of beauty while rejecting our native ways. This has manifested itself in the loss of languages and local traditions in assuming new foreign ones. 

In conclusion, to heal the nation of the legacy of racism and colorism, we address the slave trade and colonialism events. We inherited our problems, and now we must work together to manage them. This is the job of the government to give necessary resources, tools and programs for the citizens to decolonize at every level. 

References:

https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en