When I think of some of the forces that have held me back at times, those ideas that drift through my headspace to tell me that I'm not good enough, not pretty or valuable enough to pursue all that life can offer, I tend to think first of those outside forces treating people like me as if we are inferior.

But what about when the voices talking us down come from within? From within ourselves? From within our own communities? There are moments when I meet the eyes of someone like me, and it looks like a mirror image saying, "No. We're not good enough."

Excitement is in the air for an upcoming documentary film that confronts the doubter I see in the mirror. Dark Girls unfolds the bias against dark-skinned women with stories told through dark lips. Stories I can relate to all too well. Watch the video below for a preview of this intriguing film.


No Images
By William Waring Cuney

She does not know
her beauty,
she thinks her brown body
has no glory.

If she could dance
naked
under palm trees
and see her image in the river,
she would know.

But there are no palm trees
on the street,
and dish water gives back
no images.