When you think about studies
that show that women of lighter
skin tones get complimented more
in general in a range of things
than women of-- or young
girls of darker skin tones,
so if you're talking about even
just in the school setting,
you have two young girls
who both do a great job.
They both get A's on
something, let's say.
And the young woman who
is of lighter skin tone
gets complimented and
commended more, that's where
your self-esteem comes from.
That's how-- that's what
you start to believe.
And how often are
you reinforcing
things that you may not even
realize you're reinforcing?
I remember in I
would say ninth grade,
I thought, like, what
if it just wasn't here.
It'd just be easier.
But, like, the only thing
that got me through that
was like my mom telling
me and my friends,
especially Kamia, just like
being there, and having someone
to talk to, it just
made me think, like,
I can't leave them.
Because it keeps me
coming to school every day
and keeps the smile
on my face sometimes.
It's painful, isn't it?
It is.
Because it should
happen to anyone.
We shouldn't have to
hate ourselves because
of the color of our skin.
And the fact that I had to
talk one of my best friends
out of not wanting to be
like that because the color
of her skin, but the fact
that we're just so bad,
it's not right.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
You have to love yourself,
and love the others around you,
and know that you're
going to be OK.
And you have to stay strong.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
