Author Marita Golden visited VCU last Thursday to speak about a serious, and clandestine issue that her book, “Don’t Play In The Sun: One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex,” tackles.
Golden defined the “color complex” as a belief system that maintains white is better than black or lightless is more desirable that darkness in an individual’s skin tone.
People listened and a few related as Golden read exerts from her book about discrimination within different races, specifically blacks.
“Nobody really wants to talk about it,” said Shannon Wilson, a sophomore. She said she attended the seminar because she was interested in the topics and not just because her class required her to do so.
Cassandra Tyler, also a sophomore, explained how pleased she was because “it’s being addressed”.
The two girls explained that they could relate to the implications of race and the negative standard of images of beauty that reflect on self esteem and mental health that Golden described as she read from her book.
Golden explained that she was inspired to write about this topic after hearing the song, “Video”, by singer India Arie.
“I’ve got to dialogue with this,” Golden said.
She said her book was extremely hard to write because she felt she had to “speak the unspeakable.”
The issue of racism within the African-American community exists, Golden said, but is an issue that is hardly ever addressed. She believed the legacy of slavery and colonialism convinced blacks that they were better if they looked like the people that previously enslaved them.
Golden also gave statistics about jobs and income, saying they are directly relatable to an individual’s shade of skin. She described situations regarding the “color complex” all over the world, including scenarios in Sudan and Africa.
Golden used anecdotes to get her point across. She told stories about when she was young her mother would say, “Don’t you know you’re going to have to get a light-skinned husband for the sake of your children?”
During her reading, Golden further explained some of the anecdotes included in her book and taken from people she’s interviewed.
Even though the writing process was hard and frustrating, Golden said, the book has enabled her to “live in my brown skin with much more compassion for lighter skinned sisters and brothers.”
After the reading, Jacqueline McDonnough, a teaching and learning professor in the School of Education, stood up to personally thank Golden for speaking about the color complex issue.
McDonough believed examples and continuous conversation helps to improve the complex.
Shucona Artis, a senior psychology major, attended with a friend because “it seemed like an interesting and appealing topic.”
“I can actually relate,” said junior Sandra Burnett, referring to Golden’s remarks about how some men associate skin color and beauty. The urban studies and planning major said she found the seminar overall informative and a motivation to buy the book.