A few weeks ago I emceed a beauty pageant at a London location. Meeting
the contestants vying for the crown, I instantly knew the light skinned mixed
race girl would be the winner.
Why?
Because most black Africans from all the 53 plus countries and Islands
that make up the continent, have a psychological disease called the "Light
Skin Complex" (LSC).
The LSC disease remains largely undiagnosed as affected persons refuse
to acknowledge this terrible psychological ailment. Africans in general have
largely dismissed LSC as non-existent because as with most matters concerning
Africans, they need to see, touch and feel before believing it.
Genealogy
LSC begins to manifest itself during the early childhood years of the
African child. Growing up, they are surrounded by foreign adverts and imported
goods brandishing models with features dissimilar to theirs. The school
textbooks tell of far away countries with their neatly arranged row of houses
and beautiful manicured lawns. They carry pictures of blue eyed curly girls
baking jam tarts for 4th of July, and of a snow-white Christmas with
turkey and apple pie.
The African child is thrown into an adopted Western culture from birth,
forcing them to accept it as the yardstick measurement for an accepted living
standard.
Most recently, the 21st century African child is being force fed the
Asian culture-namely Chinese and Indian.
You see, from the moment it is born, the African child is taught
unknowingly to self-hate, embracing everything and everyone but
its own-self.
They know more about the Dykes of Holland, than the Savanna Highlands
(Cameroon).
They know more about the Delaware car industry, than the International
Soap Factory (Cameroon).
They can quote Shakespeare faster than Ngugi wa Thiong'o (Kenya).
They know Mao Tse Tsung and the Great Leap Forward, and don't
know Sundiata Keita (Mali).
They have heard of both Queen Elizabeths, and haven't the foggiest about
Queen Nzinga (Angola).
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| Queen Nzinga of Angola |
Prognosis
Diagnosing LSC is easy and free. Carriers of the disease display
symptoms of a crater like deep inferiority complex, resulting to sheepish
behaviour around individuals they consider "better than them" because
of their complexion. Affected persons often act mute and are not themselves. In
Pidgin-English we say "shake-shake like old dross" meaning they
literally rattle like a rattle snake, are extremely nervous and sweaty.
Sadly, these persons do not recognise they have been struck with LSC.
Extreme caution needs to be taken when diagnosing LSC carriers, as it
can result to confrontation and violence.
Characteristics
The disease generally has no gender or income bias and is known to
attack all genders from a wide range of background. However, black male
Africans appear to bear the brunt of LSC as it is often common practice amongst
this group to purposely form liaisons with lighter skin counterparts, in the
hope that it raises their esteem amongst right thinking members of society. It
is regarded as unearthing a huge pot of gold, commanding respect, pride and
admiration.
Ironically, affected persons turn to be the educated unenlightened from
rich backgrounds. Rich in wealth and education, yet fundamentally blighted by
this psychological disease.
On the other hand, the poor who are affected by LSC welcome it as an
acceptance of self worth which enables them step into the right social circles.
Treatment
The cure for LSC is cheap and freely available to all: enlightenment and an education revolution.
Many affected persons see education as a way out but as shown above,
education is often processed and manufactured depriving them off their true
identity. There exist many educated unenlightened Africans; the Oxford or Princeton
graduate still found to hold intrinsic primordial archaic values.
The tragedy of the educated African is that they come out more
disconnected from Africa, confused and bewildered by the jammed boxed infusion
of the different cultures they've been thrown at all their lives.
They are like a broken porcelain vase - too beautiful to throw away but
of absolute no use.
Looking forward
LSC remains widely endemic amongst most Africans. Because it is not
acknowledged, help is farfetched. LSC has given rise to a type of psychological
dysmorphia disorder commonly found in Africans.
Yes, the light skin mixed raced contestant won the prize, and was
crowned queen of the night, making her the third light skinned girl to win this
competition in a three year succession period.
And you wonder why the little girl flicking through the pages of her
mother's glossy magazine dominated by beautiful ladies looking nothing like
her, does not hesitate to bleach her skin pawpaw yellow.
And you wonder why the
little boy grows up into a man- distinctively psychological distorted, he seeks only light skin women
for companionship.
