Black Don’t Crack
The other day I stumbled upon the Tyra show on television. Her topic for the day was age and appearance. She paraded a number of women of varying ethnicities before the screen and asked her audience to guess how old they were from their appearance. To everyone’s delight and horror, the “specimens” were remarkably younger or older than they appeared. Of course, as is usual fare in any of these types of shows, there were super make-overs to make the women look older, younger, or more their age.
Towards the end of the show, Tyra announced triumphantly that she was 33 and she was thrilled to be black because “black don’t crack.” This elicited the usual laughs and nods of agreement from the black women in the audience. Then I began to wonder.
How do women who are not black feel when they hear this well-used adage? If “black don’t crack” (meaning darker skin stays unwrinkled for a very long time) the assumption is that other races do crack, right? As good as this adage sounds to the ears of a black woman, it probably does not sound good to others. So, in my sensitive way, I was wondering – is it not unfair to brag about this lovely attribute of black skin? Maybe we should not say this out loud so proudly, especially not on a nationally syndicated television show. Then I thought, how would I feel if, for instance, white women always said something like: “we are the fairest of them all.” I wouldn’t feel too good about that.
But then I realized that history, the media, and pop culture have systematically sent out the message that the fairer, the better. It seems like in most societies, the subliminal message has been that the fairest-complexioned of them all is indeed the fairest (loveliest) of them all. From glossy magazines to beauty pageants to subjective media lists like “Most Beautiful Women in the World” to deodorant that is “invisible” only for the fairest folks, the world has bought into and promoted this idea that generally, black is not the top of the beauty chain. James Brown’s anthem, “Say it loud, I’m Black and proud,” went against the grain, but was tightly embraced by black folks because it was a wonderful new empowering message in the world of pop culture.
So, I’m fine with Tyra saying “Black don’t crack” on her show, even though others may feel uncomfortable. It is a drop in the bucket that is overwhelmingly filled with global messages that laud other ethnicities as aesthetically superior to African ethnicity. Full disclosure: I am a dark-skinned woman.
You know sometimes I think that everyone has the right to feel good about the qualities of their appearance but I feel like it should never be at the expense of another person let alone another race. Now Tyra is a super model and we have to put that fact out first, so she has known for a long time that she, in the sight of others, is beautiful, but what about the women who don’t know that they are beautiful? I think that it takes someone pointing out that one positive quality about you to help you ignore the millions of negative qualities that others point out on a daily basis. All in all I don’t think that it was a put down for other races but an attempt to uplift a race. That’s all I have to say.
Alicia
I think that it is good to somewhat flaunt the good attributes that you have. Why not, no one else is going to. For what its worth, black really don’t crack, its an amazing thing : )
I don’t think it is wrong to say that “black don’t crack”. I am a young looking woman so I personally have not had to worry about wrinkles, yet. Even if I did have wrinkles, I think that everyone should be proud of who they are and what they have, even flaws. It is what make you who you are.
I have not noticed the “fairer the better” I am a very pale skinned white woman, who has been picked on my whole life for being so pale. I always thought that people found a tan more appealing.
Michelle
I love that phrase , and i use it all the time becuase black DOESNT crack, unless you are on crack or do something to rapidly age yourself.
And I think I take pride in phrases like “say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud” and ” black is beautiful” and “black dont crack” because of the fact that as a black person the main stream and the media isnt saying that you are beautiful… I remember growing up and I never heard anyone compliment someone on their wide nose, full lips, dark skin, or kinky hair ….those were all things that you got insulted for. And you couldnt turn on the tv and say ” well this model has the same lips as me so someone thinks its beautiful” or ” this actress has the same skin color as me, and everyone thinks she is beautiful” ….from so many different places you would hear that the more european you looked the better you looked… ( i.e. “good hair” “different colored eyes” ” light skinned” )
and so when you can finally hear something positive about the black asthetic it feels really good,and for me thats something I hold onto because I feel like its ammunition to combat all the negative ideas about black beauty. So more power to Tyra, keep it up….. imagine what she has to go through being a black model and rarely seeing anyone on the runway who looks like her, that would really frustrate me.
I love hearing “black don’t crack,” and even when I am around my white friends I have no shame in saying that (even though there smiles become a little half hearted). I feel it is important that blacks say whatever they feel when it comes to our skin. Media has always made me feel that if only I was lighter then things would be easier, but then I got to a point where I began to really love the skin I am in. Since living in Chicago ( I am from Atlanta GA), I have been more aware of my skin color as “dark,” where as in the south, I am not considered to be “dark.” Either way, I love the skin I am in, and no matter if I am considered dark and lovely or chocolate and sweet I am a black woman, and love every part of that.
I heard “black don’t crack” first a couple years ago. I had an intro to the fashion business class and a black woman, the first African American buyer for Sears, as my teacher. Somehow we got into talking about age one class and hers came up. She went around the room making us guess her age and we got nowhere near. She announced she was going to be turning 70 and the whole rooms jaws dropped simultaneously. We were guessing nowhere near there, and she goes, “the black don’t crack.” The whole room giggled because we’d never heard it and it was such a cute phrase. Of course I’m jealous, but I’d never get made about it, as a white female! If you have it, flaunt it. That’s a great gene to have, and I’d never get offended when black women say that. But I must say, it seems to be very true. Older black women’s skin always looks beautiful and unwrinkled compared to white women’s skin of the same age. Wished I had that gene!
I think the term “black don’t crack” is true because I have grandmothers that still have a youthful appearance along with my mother. However I don’t think of it as a term for dark skinned people or light skinned people, I think of it as a term for all black people because I have seen black people with different complexions that are older and are still beautiful and do not look their age. I’ve also seen some white women who are older and also have a younger appearance, I really don’t think it’s about race that much; its about taking care of yourself if you respect your body and maintain it well then I believe that any person from any race can fool people when it comes to their true age
well… first of all i beleive there are scientific reasons why people with darker skin may age better. One’s skin tone is only determined by the amount of melanin in their skin. Melanin is beleived to be a source of protection against the sun so this may be one reason why darker skin tones may be more durable over time. One thing that stuck out in this blog is the idea if white women said “we are the fairest of them all” I would have a problem with that because in saying we are the fairest of them all…. they are openly stating that no one else can be as fair as them… that they are the elite. However, in the phrase “black don’t crack” we are not putting ourselves in the position to say that it’s better or worse that black doesn’t crack. We don’t give the impression that other races don’t have the ablitity to “not crack”. It is more of an inclusion of ourselves than it is a seperation of others.
Well I am proud to be dark and lovely..I have to be. Why? Because the media, the world, has always told me that light-skinned was better. When I am told that I should have a lighter boyfriend so that our kids can be lighter it just proves to me the state that our society is in. When they say “black don’t crack” I’m proud to be apart of that crew lol. I have to agree with LaNita and say that this is not to seperate or even belittle everyone else, its simply to say that I AM BEAUTIFUL TOO and there are qualities about me that are special and different and maybe even better in some ways.
I would never change the skin I’m in (Except to make it darker) I am a dark skinned woman and I have studied the power that melanin holds. It has the key element carbon in it and so makes those of African descent benefit from the electro-magnetic rays the sun creator has to offer. Though other european races have belittled having darker skin, I am completely aware that jealousy is at the root of it all. I am not one to belittle others. I am one to stand for truth. Love yourself. We are beautiful.
I honesty think that “Black don’t crack” was meant to be something bad to say. I love my skin color and I think that being black is a beautiful thing. How ever I have ask some people including white people what did they think about the phrase. Some blacks and whites admitted that they do find it offensive. When I ask the blacks why is it offensive to them, they could not give a good reason, but when I ask the whites they had simply said that because it’s not fair to the white community to hear that phrase over and over again, because they do crack! They had honestly said that it is a beautiful thing for blacks not to crack but for everybody to go around saying it, “it’s nonsense” a friend told me. I told her that she’s just simply hating. Its a beautiful thing for blacks, even though I do believe that everybody is beautiful in his or her own way.
i know this is late,sorry! but i’m lightskin because i am mixed with 3 races (black white and native american) But i dont think that anything is wrong with bein lightskin…in fact i LOVE IT! and i think the world of myself. I can agree with the statement that “black dont crack” i have to disagree with the statement that media doesnt always make lightskin to be better than dark skin. NO offense to anybody but i would rather be lightskin than darkskin. and i would rather date a lightskin man instead of a darkskin man. Not because i think i we would have light kids because i think them to be more attractive.
But anywho, i dont know if i will “crack” when i get older because of the black genes in me, or if i will age faster because of the white genes in me…
I can’t speak for white women everywhere, but I can say that, personally, I’m not offended by the term “black don’t crack.” I mean, it’s true, right? For the most part, black women age lot better than white women or Hispanic women. (It seems to me, though, that Asian women don’t age so badly… maybe I just don’t know as many older Asian women.) I think it’s something that black women should be proud of. People always say, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it!” Sometimes I don’t agree with that statement… but in this case, I do.
As far as fair-skinned being more beautiful, or desirable, I’m not sure that’s the case anymore. I mean at one point in time it definitely was true… Pale women were like trophies or something… But look around in Chicago in the winter. White girls are OBSSESSED with being tan. I’m talkning about those girls who pay actual money to soak up UV radiation, which we can get from the sun for free (if they would just wait for a few more months), and honestly, let’s face the facts: they’re basically risking skin cancer to have darker skin. Ok, I don’t tan. True. But during the summertime, I would love to just sit out in the warmth of the sun and bask in it for free. And I will even say that I tried really hard one summer to get tan, but I just can’t do it. I turn bright red. Always. And MAYBE when all the burn peels off, there might be a slight tan underneath, but probably not. So, I finally forfeited, and acceted the fact that I am the whitest white girl ever and I can’t get tan to save my life. Oh well. It’s not the end of the world.
Now, I just thought this as I was writing: maybe the reason white women’s skin ages faster is because they spend so much time tanning and burning. I mean, that cannot be good for our poor, low-melanin skin, am I right? Just a suggestion.