Still from “Find your True Match with Beyoncé” by L’Oreal

Racial Passing
Centuries ago, before Black was defined as beautiful, those individuals whose
features (nose, hair, lips) and color suggested European ancestry hid the origins
of their one Black parent and “passed.”  These offspring were generally the result
of a liaison between a white man and Black woman, and on occasion, between a
Black man and a white woman.  The latter unions were often the motivation for
lynchings in an effort to protect “white womanhood.”  And, most often, the former
unions occurred under duress, power imbalances and were all too frequent a
consequence of a white male slave owner taking control of what he deemed
his property—the bodies of Black women. This is a moment in American history
in which Black enslaved bodies were considered commodities to be bartered,
sold and destroyed, if the owner so desired.  During this period, Black women
were forced to have sexual relations with anyone whom the Master considered
a good breeder, and the resulting children were considered the Master’s property
to be bought and sold. So what does this have to do with Beyoncé and L’Oréal
and the marketing of beauty products?
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Orig. Post: Friday, 09 March 2012 13:27