(ThyBlackMan.com) As a writer to me this is old news, but something I was still compelled to write about and to share with the readers of Thy Black Man. During a conversation with a friend the topic of the Battle of the Complexions Contest came up.
The Battle of the Complexions is a competition that was held here in St. Louis this past winter, where African American women competed against each other with an emphasis on their skin tone. Unlike other beauty pageants were 
women are judged on their beauty and talent, these women are judged on the color of their skin.
Promoter Mack TV stated the contest was not meant to degrade women or to create division, but to generate pride in the black community. He was invited to speak on air with St. Louis KTVI’s April Simpson to state his case. However, the day of the interviewer he cancelled.
There is definitely some division amongst black women to begin with and then to do something like this only adds to this long standing problem. Mack TV says this is a way to promote pride. If so why not call it The Beautiful Women of Color Pageant or The Black Is Beautiful Pageant, if that’s the case.
As a black woman this struck a nerve. The words complexion and color may seem to be simple ones, but they evoke complex emotions within some blacks in various ways. As a black woman I love that fact that my sisters are blessed with so many beautiful shades. I feel that to put one against the other is only adding to the self-hate that some of us still have and that outsiders attempt to lay on us.
The organizers of the event, Mack TV and Nelly Da’Celeb, posted a pre-event Facebook apology for the way the flier was phrased but stood by the concept of the evening:
ITS BLACK HISTORY MONTH , SO WE MADE A PARTY THEME DEDICATED TO OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN CROWD. THE YOUNGER GENERATION IS LOVING THIS PARTY BECAUSE HERE’S THE FIRST TIME EVER YOU CAN COME OUT & BE PROUD THAT YOU ARE BLACK!! REGARDLESS OF YOUR SKIN TONE SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION & MISLEADING INFO.
ITS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, SO LETS BE PROUD OF THE SKIN WE’RE IN!! REPRESENT YOUR COMPLEXION! Read in its entirety.
Okay this statement is wrong on so many levels, which I will not elaborate on. However, Mack TV I will leave you with these questions to think about. Why are only women chosen to represent our complexions? Black men come in beautiful skin tones also. Am I correct? Why are we representing our complexion? What happened to representing our race and our heritage in a positive light?
Obviously Mack TV does not know his history. He must have missed his lessons on the paper bag test and the infamous Willie Lynch Letter.
The next time you want to uplift our community try doing so in a more positive way.
Staff Writer; Eleanie Campbell
For more writings by this sista feel free to visit; SoulXPosed2U.
