Skin Bleaching In the

African American
Communities
Social Issue Project
ETHS 2410
Spring 2014

My Social Issue
I became interested in doing my research on
skin bleaching because of:
Dark Girls Documentary in class
Personal interest
Media journal

Scholarly Research
Black No More: Skin Bleaching and the Emergence
of New Negro Womanhood Beauty Culture.

The skin bleaching products became popular in late
nineteenth early twentieth in the African American
communities.
Ive learned that the ideal skin color for slave traders was
light skinned blacks.
Ive learned that blackness was then considered
unattractive .
Ideas
This article gave me the ideas of when ,why , and how
skin bleaching started. During my intervention people
will understand why black people started to bleach their
skin.
Scholarly Research
Africa: Where Black is Not Really Beautiful
This article has facts and stories of why some black
people in South Africa use skin lighting products . This
article gives two points of views from doctors point of
view and also consumers point of view of skin lighting.
Ive learned that women or men usually bleach their skin
to gain happiness or self-satisfaction.
Ive learned that skin bleaching products has dangerous
side effects
Ideas
For my intervention I will invite dermatologists to speak
about the danger of skin bleaching . For happiness, I will
invite motivational speaker to speak to teach women better
ways to find happiness.
Scholarly Research
Cream Offering May Bring Risk
This article discuses the facts that skin lighting products
that are sold over the counter are actually prescribed
products.
Ive learned that some of the products contain steroids
and other products contains hydroquinone,
hydroquinone is very harmful if people misuse it on
their skin.
Ive learned that there hasnt been any major studies
have been done on the skin lighting products.
Ideas
On my intervention Ill tell people who use and dont
skin lighting products that there are illegal ingredients
in the product thats dangerous.

Intervention
On my intervention I will invite black parents,
teenagers, and adults to come learn about a new
product that can promise to make their skin look
and feel better. This would be a false
advertisement; I want to be able to see how
many people will show up to learn about this
new product.

Intervention
Whos Involve?
Dermatologist
Motivational Speakers
2 women who had bad experience with skin
lighting products
Beauty salons owners
Participates
African American Mothers
African American Teenagers,
African American Young adults
Goal
My goal is to educate the African American
women of all ages the danger of skin lighting
products.
I will show them that being black is beautiful
by having an art gallery of beautiful dark
skinned women.
Cost
It will probably cost about $750.00. For the
hall, food, motivational speaker and
educational flyers for beauty salons,
Resistance to the Intervention

Participant might leave once they find out that
it was a false advertisement.
Young adult who may think they know better
might leave.
I will greatly apologize for the false
advertisement. I will tell them this is a serous
matter that they should at lease consider
sticking around and hear what my team have to
say.


Support for the Intervention

I might get support from parents and other anti
skin lighting women to support me to make this
project bigger and hopefully to reach other women
around the U.S and with the hope of even reaching
women internationally.
My interviewee agrees to educating women about the
danger of skin bleaching products. Where I come
from (Jamaica) women dont know how bad the skin
lighting products are until someone skin gets burn. I
believe it is very important to reach these women
before the new generation continues this dangerous
habit. (Smith)
Impact of Intervention
I would like my participants to hopefully be aware of
the danger of skin bleaching.
I want my participant to hopefully learn better ways to
embrace their beauty. I want them to learn better
techniques to boost self-esteem. I want parents to teach
their kids that their skin color shouldnt be the factor of
their true beauty.
This is important in the African American community
and internationally; because kids will grow up and hate
their skin color and would also have the wrong idea of
whats beauty and whats not..
Bleaching Side Effects
Black Is Beautiful
References
Treva, Lindsey, B. "Black No More: Skin Bleaching and Emergence Og New Negro
Womanhood Beauty Culture." N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.

Louis, Catherine S. "Cream Offering May Bring Risk." N.p., 15 Jan.
2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2014

Fihlani, Pumza. "Africa: Where Black Is Not Really Beautiful." BBC
News. BBC, 01 Jan. 2013. Web. 01 May 2014.
Dark Girls Documentary

Interview Kerry-Ann Smith