Darkening Beauty in India
Source: Dark is Beautiful Campaign/YouTube (October 2013)
In India, a cultural movement to tackle colorism has taken root, from challenging the pervasive preference for fair skin in romantic partners to reconstructing depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses using dark-skinned models. Skin-whitening practices are pervasive throughout the country and drive a multimillion-dollar industry, but activists and other community members are seeking to reaffirm beauty and value in darker-skinned people.
Read
“Dark is divine: What colour are Indian gods and goddesses?” (BBC News | January 2018)
“Bleached girls: India and its love for light skin” (The Conversation | July 2017)
“India’s unfair obsession with lighter skin” (The Guardian | August 2013)
Watch
A Brown Girl’s Guide to Beauty (UnErase Poetry/YouTube | July 2017)
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