Problems of 'Looking White'

Pulled from an article featured [ Jack Slater for Ebony (July 1982) ]

Bernadette Swann has always found herself imprisoned in her fair skin. Often being mistaken as White and declared unacceptable as Black. She has always lived as Black and wants to be seen as Black. Her mother is of Argentine descent and her father is an original member of the singing group 'The Platters'.

When modeling long ago, clients would reject her saying that she was too light skin and that she would photograph too white and may therefore be found offensive.  In the 1950s both actresses Dorothy Dandridge and Ellen Holly dealt with these same issues.  The excuses are a yawn.  

Swann has been mistaken for being Chicana (people actually spoke to her in Spanish), Mexican-American, Mexican, Central American, Brazilian, Portuguese or Jamaican.

Bernadette felt at the time that 'Whites' related to her better than 'Blacks'. She can relate to either side though. With Black Women she felt that they found it hard to relate to her. In her thinking she thought "maybe they feel threatened because I am closer to being white."  Without a clue on why she gets treated this way, she could only assume that because one may be an attractive, bright, light-skinned woman,  they think you have it easy.  When it is a struggle no matter the skin tone.

Bernadette (l) Pam (r), both have had girls attempt to cut off their hair. Someone who would do this has to be jealous and have self hate.

One of her best friends is Pam Norris, who also has light skin.  Norris' theory on why some darker Black women dislike their fair-skin sisters is that their own insecurities are often projected onto those who are light skin.  Some Dark Skin Women may feel that a Light Skin Woman "thinks she is better than me".  They (Dark) actually think, that they (Light) think, that they(Light) are better than they (Dark) are.  That they (Light) are more privileged as a Black and that they have that same attitude. In many cases that is not even true.  

Norris goes on to share another example "Well look, he went on and got him a light-skinned woman."

Some light skin women, mate with someone darker to try and prevent their children from going through the difficulties they did when they were growing up as a fair skin child.  

Bernadette had remarried in 1993 to boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard.