Dark Skin Characters That Were Done DIRTY! : True Blood, LoveCraft, Harlem, & More!

patreon.com/mayowasworld
paypal.me/mayowasworld
venmo: @mayowasworld
mayowasworld
Music : "Love so Good"
The Ongoing Project
patreon: patreon.com/mayowasworld
paypal.me/mayowasworld
venmo: @mayowasworld
mayowasworld
Music : "Love so Good"
The Ongoing Project

[@LooksByNaheemah]

I’m all for more lesbian representation in black media but it’s weird how they ALWAYS make the lesbian character a dark skinned woman with a buzzcut. It’s getting repetitive

[@sophia.s]

It is getting extremely repetitive. It’s the fact that Black lesbian representation is so minimal that the few times we do get represented, it is always the same caricatures. I completely understand that there are a lot of lesbian BW that are studs/ more masculine presenting. However, I would love to see more depictions of BW that are fems, stems, lipstick, etc. We deserve to see all of the diversity in our communities.

[@Hi_Tamera]

Lmao yes! I’ve noticed that

[@Tauruses.Love.Luxury]

Or if she isn’t super masculine then she’s drop dead gorgeous and hyper-sexual like in she’s gotta have it!

[@lr8719]

As a heterosexual black woman, I've noticed that BPOC lesbians are represented as studs a lot. And most BPOC males are shown as extremely fem. And both very one dementional, at that. Most white counterparts are just regular folk that have a same sex attraction. Studs and fems are regular folks too, but ignorant people will start to associate "acceptable" gay people as white. I dont think this is an accident I would compare this to people outside the US thinking that there aren't any DS black women here. Cuz movies prefer to cast biracial/LS black women in the majority of movies 😢

[@jadetaylor5191]

What shows y’all watching cuz I haven’t seen this? I need some queer content Well, except for Harlem lol 😝

[@rondar.8746]

Dark skinned women are not treated as delicate and soft.

[@nailati]

I don't know if this is what you're specifically thinking of, but the treatment (i.e. quick dismissal) of the dark-skinned sister on _Lovecraft Country_ bothered me SO MUCH

[@Crylovell]

FOR REAL OMG

[@Lanasiae33]

They treated her awful

[@allbutperfect]

Ruby deserved better

[@marissawilson4644]

Facts!!!

[@Tauruses.Love.Luxury]

It was messed up how they made you hate Ruby & made her seem like a B*** almost to try & justify the bad things that happened to her the rest of the series… Sad.

[@LooksByNaheemah]

I was so disappointed with her depiction in Harlem. They brought back the fat black woman comic relief trope and added on the jezebel. They could do so much with her character but decided to do that…

[@ashleyaustin4053]

Right! They also made her the homeless broke struggling friend

[@duchesseebene1273]

Her character was sooo cringe. She seemed to be the only one of with a stable family structure and positive upbringing. And yet she turned out to be the broke, promiscuous, funny fat friend of an unhinged friend group? Wtf?

[@TT-xz5sy]

They chose to act these roles.

[@jinae95]

Glad you talked about this topic. As an adult now, when I rewatch shows that I saw as a kid it’s very triggering for me. Pam from Martin was so beautiful, yet she was always compared to animals and made to be seen as undesirable. Candy from Pose was treated disgusting the entire duration her character was on the show. Even at her funeral people were still speaking of her as being less than. Another one is Coming to America. The dark-skin sister never had a story line, she was only seen picking up the scraps of men that the light-skin sister was no longer was interested in. There are so many examples that it’s crazy. Especially with the overexposure of biracial women being the main character in every new show or movie. It automatically makes me lose interest in the project because I already know how the dark-skin characters will be portrayed in comparison to their lighter costars. Also, I’m loving this look Mayowa!!😍

[@muddaurth5825]

Right. Not to put Gina down, but Pam was always prettier to me. She was funnier and had a better character

[@nellacurls1]

It’s sad that this happens literally EVERYWHERE. My grandma suffered colorism and possible racism from her OWN MOM. She favored her lighter skinned daughter over my grandma. That’s one of the stories my grandma used to tell me while laying on the bed next to me, I would ask her many questions about her parents. Her mom was very white and her dad was black (Dominicans both). Broke my heart to hear my grandma tell me HER OWN MOM would tell her she’s too dark(even though she was brown skinned and not as dark as her dad) Like she got with a black man and had the audacity to talk negative about her own daugther??? How can you like you husband’s skin color but not your daughter skin color. My grandma had to feel less than her sister because she was darker?? 😩 like why

[@Tauruses.Love.Luxury]

Heartbreaking sad to know this still continues to this day ❤

[@Sammy-nj3io]

I'm in my 30s. My mom is light and my dad is dark and I came out dark. I experienced colorism from my mom regularly and sometimes still do. I just think its taught to them, passed down and repeated. I've tried to educate her about it but it falls on deaf ears. I used to ask her and myself why she chose the darkest man she could find if she didn't like dark skin but then I'd remember she used to bleach her already pale skin. Its internalized racism and now I feel pity for her.

[@SunshineKK99]

They like the males' dark and the women light complexion, but it’s stupid to think that some of their babies will not come out with a brown or dark brown hue. 🤔

[@AyaEgbuho]

When you find out, please tell me girl!

[@folamibgood]

I was raised in a similar household. My mum was light skinned, dad dark. Both Jamaican. My older sister is light skinned also longer brown hair and green eyes. Growing up, our mum treated her like the princess and I was treated like the help. I’m now in my 50s, and I’m now more aware of how my childhood was riddled with anti-blackness from my mother. My parents were born in mid 1930s Jamaica in rural poverty. It saddens me how these attitudes still exist in Black families today and I celebrate discussions like these, that Mayowa has on her channel

[@educatedblizzack]

In Chewing Gum Tracey is juxtaposed to her light skinned best friend Candice constantly. Candice is portrayed as desirable and Tracey as ugly

[@annoyedbyyourface]

True but this is done on purpose. It's a critique on colorism so her character wouldn't go on this list.

[@jadetaylor5191]

@@annoyedbyyourface And Michaela Cole is smart. She don’t play that. 😂

[@carrington2949]

@@annoyedbyyourface Really? I always hated that aspect of the show. Interesting to know because it was so very blatant. That includes the relationship between her sister and her ls fiancé.

[@missthea5259]

@@carrington2949 It was DFINITELY a critique on colourism. Michaela (Tracey) wrote and created the show. That's why she gave her character a cute white boyfriend. It's not an optic we often see in mainstream media.

[@educatedblizzack]

@@missthea5259 a black woman with a white boyfriend is not an optic we often see? You must think of that one again in my Eartha Kitt voice

[@aspyn.j_]

as a true blood fan, tara deserved sooooooo much better. the fact that she wasn't even dignified with an on screen death pisses me off.

[@kekedream]

Yup, they should have just let her die that natural death, they turned her just so she could keep being a mammy side kick to Sookie 🙄

[@kbevis9]

Yes I will never be okay with that and how certain fans of the show treat her!

[@Drageisha]

Tara deserved a better death, but you'd really be mad at the book series, because all Tara does is own a store. Boring & no character development whatsoever. Turning Tara in the show gave her depth & she actually spent her last years hating her best friend for NOT letting her die when she was shot (while trying to save her) turning her into the thing she hated most. Her character was able to grow to accept & fight to protect her new life.

[@IT-qb7dw]

​@@kekedream she's not even black in the books I think

[@tyrreloneal5178]

Right?! They did Tara SOOO dirty in that final season! I'm still heated about that! 😤😤🤬

[@NaturalliBeautified]

I think I made it through about 4 episodes of Harlem before I couldn't take it anymore. I just hate the way dark skinned women are written in movies and tv shows. Electra was harsh and mean but respected/tolerated because of her features. I loved Candy's character, but they always made fun of her. The way they killed her off was without grace seeing that she was one of the main characters. And as much as I love Viola Davis, she's never seen as beautiful but constantly the hardworking black woman fighting for everything. Fences was HARD to watch. Like damn, why do dark skinned women always have to be in pain. It's so easy for us to sympathize with the desirable characters, yet it's expected for the dark skinned black woman to work hard and not complain about it. FOH! Thatnks for bringing like to these issues. I always love watching your discourses.

[@jadetaylor5191]

I was just thinking…I would love to Viola in a romantic comedy

[@ClaySlayFromAroundTheWay]

Spirit from one on one. She was never the desirable one and always treated as weird. Dejanae from the proud family. Also undesirable and portrayed as loud, “ghetto” and obnoxious. Toni from girlfriends. She was the darkest skin character on the show and carried little to none desirable character traits. Plus all three characters have light skinned best friends…..

[@kekedream]

TONI, yes that is a glaring one. She was always portrayed as an aggressive loudmouth compared to lightskin Joan 🙄

[@deej5608]

Kyla Pratt is pretty with that being said Spirit was GORG and treated like a weird awkward girl in the funny looking stage. I WAS SO CONFUSED and it wasn't until she dressed with sexually suggestive clothing she was looked at desirably. HUH

[@FoxxyFatima]

@@kekedream / And they made her a self-hater, for some reason?

[@FoxxyFatima]

Also, from what I've heard, they made her seek out a White husband so her child have light skin, so they wouldn't have to grow through what she went through. She's unbearable and a self-hating Black woman and one time she passed up on a Black millionaire because he was "too Black". Like, t?f?? I've heard so many Black women state how much they love her character, and they leave me so confused. Just have a Black woman in a TV show and they'll just eat it right up (this goes for all Black people, actually). It's so embarrassing.

[@dia9916]

I hated how they always clowned Spirit for her clothes - she was so innovative w her styling choices

[@liastorm795]

Even though I’m a lighter skin REAL black woman (not biracial or ambiguous) it really really pissed me off not seeing DSBW as leads in movies or shows growing up. Idk but something in me triggered as a child to know that not seeing a DSBW as the lead or even present was very wrong.

[@shaymene8112]

Your not light skin your brown and you look like a normal black woman. They don't cast women of your complexion as leads either. Once a female is darker than the typical mix women the media just isn't interested in posting them. It's not just dark skinned black women being miss treated its brown skin people to. Black women who are brown, some, think they are treated better than dark skin black women when they are not because if a dark skin black woman who is very attractive, these dark girls benefit from pretty privilege where they are desired by men of all races (Patricia Bright) is one example. Have seen it with my own eyes.

[@rainey53]

​@@shaymene8112 I agree with you to some extent. If you are a dark-skinned woman, and you are thin, with conventionally attractive features you DO benefit from desirability but it's tenuous. It's kind of like how Mayowa compared Candy to Elektra on Pose. It's either you are treated like scum or you are treated like a goddess but never like a human being. If you fall within the goddess category and you date non-black men you're more likely to run into men who fetishize and almost treated you like a beautiful exotic animal. Honestly, some black do a fair amount of fetishizing, almost like they have to convince themselves that they are attracted to you. And don't let them catch you slipping, going out with your hair undone or your face not beat. You find out quick how you fall out of favor for looking like a real person. You're right about the brown-skinned women being treated poorly. It's particularly true for brown women with strong African features. I've always thought, if you're light you're alright no matter if you're particularly attractive. If you're brown, conventionally attractive with Eurocentric features you may benefit from light skin privilege. If you're brown with Afrocentric features you're basically invisible, regardless of how conventionally attractive you are. If dark you are treated like shit UNLESS you are extremely attractive then you are treated like an exotic beast.

[@shaymene8112]

@@rainey53 I agree with you. You explained yourself very well. When i was at college there were these two very beautiful dark skin girls and it was very easy for them to make friends. I remember break time people would go up to them and tell them they were pretty with nice hair. They relaxed their hair but it was long and straight, they had very thick hair. I also thought they were very attractive as well. Have also seen black guys who said they only dated white girls chat them up. In my second year of college one was dating this white ginger boy who would walk around with her like she was a prize. Now have thought about what you said, people treated them like they goddesses because within my friend group was a very dark skin girl from Ghana with typical African features and everyone called her blicky which means very black. Once this girl even said to me why was i hanging around such a dark gal and she didn't expect me to have friends like that!! i was disgusted, the girl who said that to me was a Jamaican girl, brown skin. I was shocked i didn't even know what to say to her and am brown skin myself. That was the first time i realized that us as a people have a shade hierarchy which determines how we treat and perceive each other. It's so disgusting

[@rhondae8222]

For decades, Black men and black male celebrities have been responsible for pushing colorism. This is why Black actresses have such a hard time getting good, lead roles. Black male actors purposely choose and promote non-Black women for lead roles in movies/film. Black directors and Black actors don't want Black women, particularly dark-skinned Black women, playing their love interest in lead roles. This is why you see nearly all Black actors and Black celebrities (actors, rap and hip artists, athletes, comedians, etc.) promoting, dating, and marrying non-Black women.

[@sagittariusbeauty]

@@shaymene8112The OC is light skin, you’re doing exactly what others do when they think of light skin: light skin biracials for example Zendaya or Megan Markle. And a light skin woman will be put over a beautiful dark skin woman, 🤷🏽‍♀️ a lot of the world is colorist

[@serenatsukino5252]

I've never noticed Orange is the new Black had so many dark skinned characters until you said something. I don't even remember if there was a light skinned/mixed girl who was a main character in the series which is wild because Hollywood is always using them to play black characters and only them! That was such a good point on colorism.

[@roboticfrosting3125]

Lady Danbury from Bridgerton! In the Queen Charlotte spin-off you can really really see just how terribly they did her character. She couldn’t even have a real love interest that was hers, she was a damn side chick. On top of that, she was forced into child marriage with a prehistoric man and was made to bore his children…. It’s just so disgusting how they did her character as the ONLY dark skin Black woman in the show.

[@wildberrylemonade]

Omg yes. I am watching the Bridgerton Spin Off right now. I hate how they portrayed Lady Danbury's marriage. It was so disrespectful and triggering. I really had hope that they would do her character justice. It's been so difficult for me to watch 😔.

[@missthea5259]

The original first season was a whole mess. Every POC who spoke was biracial except Lady Danbury who was a mammy. There was not on DSBW on that show except background extras. I wrote a FB post on it at the time. And then in the second season they had a dark skinned main character but she was South Asian. I actually cannot with this show.

[@FoxxyFatima]

And I see some many Black women (most who are brown to dark skin) celebrate and watch this show. They don't like you and see this as a way to demean you, but some are just too stupid to notice, I guess.

[@Jadey369]

The old Lady Danbury is played by a mixed woman - English and Ghanaian.

[@neo1053]

And keep choosing dark-skinned black women with weird features to be the representation

[@Ciaramissygirl]

yooo!!! i literally just wrote a paper on colorism for my sociology class, ya girl got a whole 100 💅🏿 but a trope in animated media i talked about was "the dark-skinned person with white hair" trope, ie. twintelle from the video game arms, princess allura from voltron legendary defender, and princess kida from atlantis the lost empire. blackness always has to be palatable to a non-black audience, so these characters are given white, fine hair and european facial features bc that's what society tells us beauty is :/

[@feliznavidad6958]

You do realize that not every dark skinned person is black right? They can be indigenous Australians, Asians,mixed, etc. Considering that east Indians are in the billions, it would make sense to assume the dark skinned person is Indian. Why do people keep acting like the world is only black white and the mixed people between them when Asians makeup half of the human race?

[@aviatress5643]

yes, talia from lolirocks and aisha from winx are also examples of this. i don’t understand why they go that route because to me, animating afro textured hair sounds easier than straight hair since it’s movement is more rigid and still compared to straight hair that’s always tossing and being blown around.

[@shakirasmith6454]

Congratulations on the grade!! You definitely picked a perfect topic.

[@TeaWitcher]

Yes to everything. Ish like this always made me double think being an actress b/c I just refuse to ever take stereotypical roles just to be put on. If Viola (she is still beyond talented) never took a demeaning role she wouldn't be where she is and that says ALOT.

[@jadetaylor5191]

What’s crazy is she regrets doing the Help. She didn’t see it as demeaning at the time but she regrets doing it I’ve read…

[@cuteartsyguy]

Yep, Tara true blood was done so dirty ... I hated when they killed her off before the finale. And every time she was happy it was only for 5 minutes or less.

[@kbevis9]

The whole series was like that!

[@minguitapalacios9789]

Cartoons… As Told By Ginger had only one black girl and she was made the main villain. & The Proud Family had blatant colorism with the portrayal of Dijonay & The Gross Sisters. These were childhood cartoons for many adults today.

[@jadacampbell9331]

The reboot of the proud family does a better job

[@nadiasutherland7436]

Bonnie from Vampire Diaries. She's not dark-skinned, but she was like the only black character. She was a magical slave. Her rom-interest was a stonerboy who cheated on her. That show did her so dirty because she was black. No one can't tell me it's not that because in the book, that character got way more props. But in the book, she's a redhead, so go figure.

[@itznia_ok8069]

Not to mention her dying every season and having to save everyone all the time

[@ThandoNdlovu-zr3ld]

THANK YOU!!! I was just about to mention Bonnie when she mentioned the I can't catch a break trope

[@jadetaylor5191]

I think it’s interesting that some of the shows mentioned well at least with Harlem, the show runners are black. You would think they would be conscious of this. Sometimes im really curious what the writers room looks like.

[@JH_Chanel]

Mayowa is literally like the most precious gift!! I love her videos, and they make me feel so happy and seen and understood. The way she thinks is so beautiful and she is shedding light on and bringing words to things I could never express + the way the she looks as the lighting was changing was soooo gorgeous. Inside and outside she’s like the best humanity has to offer

[@sweetpea74127]

❤This is like the ultimate compliment and I agree wholeheartedly!

[@Tauruses.Love.Luxury]

💯 Beautiful!

[@AlexisMaria]

That part! ‼

[@jackiebrown5003]

So true. The saddest part is our men fall right in and truly feel light skin is the prize. Athletes, entertainers are the worse. Steve Harvey is sickening. When these men stand so proud with their wte children it's crazy. Some even neglect their Black children in favor of their wte kids.

[@jenmarie306]

Like Brian McKnight.

[@TS-zu4hv]

Stop looking towards Hollywood for approval

[@marc8h726]

@@TS-zu4hvthere’s a thought.

[@kikibara1]

Jasmine guys accent in harlem WAS TERRIFYING😮‍💨, i was so perplexed as to why they couldnt just get an actual Caribbean woman…

[@PrettyPrincess9609]

The sterotypical portrayal of dark skin black women affects dark skin girls and women in real life. As a dark skin women, I went through so much colorism since I was a child. I remember being bullied and masculinized when I was a teen and anytime I spoke up I was the “ angry black girl “. Then when I went to college, I had a glow up and I went from being masculinized to being over sexualized. I was a victim of SA unfortunately as well.

[@angelajohnsonkeys4199]

Love to you, my sister❤ So sorry you had to endure that

[@goddessnoir290]

Hugs and blessings to you!

[@TS-zu4hv]

Your a survivor, they are lost losers

[@imjustsaying281]

Much love ❤

[@rexxlashell99]

This is why I don't really watch TV shows and movies that centers around black characters anymore. because DS women and girls always get the short end of the stick. Some months ago I tried watching P Valley, but I couldn't get into it because of how they portrayed the DS woman (idk her name but I know she was supposed to be the main stripper with a really bad attitude) vs how they portrayed the LS new stripper (idk her name either but she she was portrayed as a innocent country girl) so after the first episode I tuned out. It just really annoys me how DS black women in media gets treated like 💩 compared to LS women. Like we stay getting done dirty....

[@Rosa-rm6op]

Even Viola Davis in HTGWWM. She is drained by all the others characters like. Why is she always in the middle of people’s business ? I was piss and tired to see her struggling.

[@siralphey234]

I don't know if you actually watched all episodes of MURDER but if you did that's such a tired and thin criticism. The whole point of the show was to ALWAYS create conflict and inform Annalise's mother figure complex due to the loss of her child and her miscarriages. She's seen as the fixer for everyone but no one sees her pain, the same way children don't really see or understand that their parents can struggle. And the goal was that at some point she had to choose herself, choose to protect herself and free herself from her surrogate children's problems and realize that it's not her fault if they're in trouble (just like it wasn't her fault that her baby died) other things she grappled with. And she finally did in the episodes of the season finale, notably the last where Bonnie and Frank died (Those two particularly had to die, otherwise she would never be free). Annalise is simply one of the greatest characters in modern television. And we are blessed that the best actor in the industry, a dark skinned goddess called Viola Davis introduced her to us and world with such a monumental and layered portrayal. Not everything you dislike in how a character is handled makes it colorist. Everything you guys criticize about how Darkskin characters is necessarily incorrect, the conversation is important, but you guys don't seem to even challenge your own thoughts sometimes regarding how you perceive a character is being depicted as I fear. Thanks for reading.

[@liz.j6822]

Girl I feel you, I always thought the lead character, (the oldest daughter) on Greenleaf should have been a dark skinned woman.

[@Alana.Mariee]

The darker the berry the sweeter the juice! Melanated skin is just so beautiful. Like i want to truly show appreciation for our beautiful skin for it is truly a superpower!

[@somethirdplace]

This look is giving ethereal beauty. Love the blue brows and the whole look. And hell yes to this topic. Another one is Maxine from Living single. A throwback but I’m rewatching so it’s in my head. She was a bad bitch who wasn’t allowed to be soft or loved without it being a joke until the very end. Tara from True Blood had so much potential for more but her character went through the ringer. So many dark skinned femmes in tv/film didn’t get the chance to reach their potential. And Angie on Harlem is probably the only character I enjoyed despite the trope because of what she did with that one dimensional role. She was a joy to watch. But still I could only stomach so much.

[@marajones1828]

I’m 8 seconds in and already I’m blown away by your artistic and beautiful look!!! Omg you look amazing and the blue eyebrows are absolutely stunning 💙

[@kemi1486]

I don’t watch any of those shows except I remembered watching Martin and I agree with you about the treatment of Pam. They started having black men dressing up as black women for TV characters and its always dark skin, loud, fat, desperate, aggressive black women characters. They just keep punching down on us with these awful stereotypes. It’s truly disgusting 🤢

[@emmaleanna8184]

My girl Tasty really went through it . The only time they focused on her is when she was leading the fight for Justice just to end up getting life in prison while the other characters were getting happy endings

[@happyclappy1805]

that storyline was a cruel and unncessary booby trap designed to drive dark women into despair and self rejection and to remind them that they dare not hope to be humanised or find joy. Disgusting

[@a.m4128]

Omg yes , that’s the reason why I never watched Power, I will not watch a girl who looks like me be disrespected by some dude and still stay with him 🙄

[@brandyrodriguez8565]

What gets me even more upset is that no matter how much blatant disrespect that they show towards us we still find ourselves watching and supporting these shows. I tried to give power a watch, but after seeing the way Tasha's character was handled there was no way in hell that I'd support that show. The only way to change all of these issues is to put action behind the problem that we continuously see. It's simple to not support their shows. Even if they are hiring dark skinned women to play these degrading roles do not support them. I think it's high time to stop pointing out the problems if we are just going to continuously watch our image degraded again and again. All we do is talk without any solutions.

[@brandyrodriguez8565]

@@Enerstine5478I'm starting to think the money is in the problems because all they do is talk about the problem when solutions are what's necessary if we really wanted change.

[@barbararichardson2747]

Time for change!Toss TVs and boycott until change comes!

[@Lulu060986]

💯

[@Arian-vf6jo]

That is why I stopped watching most of the shows because they annoy me so much. Like what was the point of crazy eyes in orange is the new black.

[@HelyBel]

You have said everything correct I see it everyday, i fear colourism will never die because so many people defend it 💔💔💔

[@zshell-thomas2358]

Yes! I thought this way back when where the beautiful Vanessa Bell Calloway was presented in front of Eddie Murphy (the King) from Coming to America. He found ways to downgrade her and minimize her by saying "he did not know her" being she was programmed to his every command. Ultimately, Shari Headley was the women who ended up getting "the prize" so to speak. Very rarely do I see dark skinned women playing the lead or being the ultimate love interest of the main character. This reminds me of the Black Madonna or Mother Mary that was worshipped by all nations. Her skin was changed over time to the image most of us recognize today.

[@islandgirl8067]

Coming to America was blatantly colorist because Eddi Murphy is a colorist himself.

[@zshell-thomas2358]

@@islandgirl8067 I agree! I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but then movie after movie he featured a lead of light complexion.

[@mohmhk]

He kinda switched it up a bit on Boomerang, where Tisha Campbell plays a role that would normally be attributed to a DSBW. He supposedly got a lot flak for using a predominated Blk cast as opposed to a more diverse cast in the movie. I wonder if going through such an experience play a part in anything that he did thereafter. But no doubt Ed is an all out colorist.

[@Arrorra]

Oh yes! I also pointed out this movie but for the dark skinned sister of the American girl. They made her hypersexual and undesirable all over

[@zshell-thomas2358]

Great observation! This does not seem to apply so much to dark skinned men. @@Arrorra

[@jadetaylor5191]

Would love your take on Lady Danbury from recently released Netflix show Queen Charlotte by Shonda Rhimes. A lot of people upset over how her character is treated and the marital rape aspect. Apparently this was an ongoing issue in the Bridgerton series.

[@MzSam2U]

Yes I hope she reviews that show.

[@Tauruses.Love.Luxury]

I had some thoughts on Lady Danburys story too! It just never fails that the DSBW has to get hers out of the Mud! She was a child bride, old ass husband didn’t appreciate her & was always riding her, she was forced to be a backstabber, and she was fornicating with a married man…. None of her storyline was happy. Such a shame.

[@jadetaylor5191]

@@Tauruses.Love.Luxury Even the way we first meet her is disturbing. I had just finished Harlem not too long before so was already annoyed with how they portrayed Angie’s character and then to see Lady Danbury’s opening seen triggered me as well.

[@melidawilson1931]

YES! I had the same thoughts. Especially the first scene of the young Lady Danbury. I had to turn it off for like 20 minutes because wtf??

[@Tauruses.Love.Luxury]

@@jadetaylor5191 it was definitely disturbing and disgusting it was like immediately you have no respect for her and it’s not even her fault. Because women today won’t go for that sh** but back then what choice did you have 💔

[@brandyheart4215]

The way dark skin women are portraited in the media makes me so sad.

[@ars0ni150]

The ONLY positive love story i saw for dark skin black women was "the body gaurd" starring Whitney Houston. Even then, the man who cherished her was white. Its as if the only love a dsbw can experience is outside of the black community

[@aliciamaria2730]

I don't watch these programs...key word programs. But you opened a space that allow me to reflect on my experiences. I have three friends in highschool all lighter that me straighter hair than me and more less mixed race. But I never really absorbed the treatment. They my friends true and true and never made any real distinction between us. Our surrounding did. All the boys wanted them, always viewed as pretty. I was not sharing that experience. I couldn't date in highschool so it wasn't a issue. But now I have time for reflection and see how damage it made me.

[@allsmiles3281]

Love ya girl. I don’t watch tv anymore. I only watch nollywood and documentaries lol I just wish the nollywood would stop being so western. These stereotypes I understand the actresses need work and are just trying, no fault of theirs giving the opportunities, but something has to give. Even the black producers are spreading said propaganda. Nonsense across the board. Regardless we are beautiful in every way.

[@Lisette121]

Lyfe tyme' network does this a lot. Always has that undesirable dsbw best friend, who is a so called mammy to the non blk character. And who usually is unaliv3d in some part of the movie.

[@shidatruth1515]

Listeeeeeeeeeeeennnnn!! Mayowa❤ the person from Harlem! I love the show but she was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oversexualized!!!!!!!!! I thought I was the only one that noticed that!! And mama from Queen sugar!!!! I’m counting down. Thank you for this space Mayowa..❤you are beautiful outside and within

[@lennymwale411]

I totally agree, I thought the same too They had an opportunity to make her character way less than that,I could feel it....

[@ZA-lf4rz]

I thought I was the only one who didn’t like how they did Angie’s character on Harlem smh

[@kekedream]

Lovecraft Country and Harlem were series I could not get past season 1 cuz the colorism was so bad to me. Harlem was always super cringey, especially Megan Good's problematic presence 👀. The dialogue always sounded like a yt person's interpretation of how they think women of color talk 🤢

[@jadetaylor5191]

Wait, what’s the tea on Megan Good?

[@kekedream]

​@@jadetaylor5191 her alleged skin bleaching. She said she simply got a "medical skin peel" but alot of people side eyed her after that because she turned up a whole shade lighter.

[@jadetaylor5191]

@@kekedream oh wow really? Hmmm. I feel like she looks brighter not lighter and I would never think skin bleaching I just know Megan Good has always been fine 😂

[@FoxxyFatima]

@@kekedream I thought the same thing, too. I just hoped it was skin peel, but after a year or two, your skin is still that light and you're naturally brown skin?? Nah, quit acting at this point. You're poisoning our young Black children.

[@shukriisse6917]

every single season they managed to do tara dirty in true blood

[@kbevis9]

All the way to the end

[@rewghob]

I've never watched it beyond a specific clip of the character, but I know Donald Glover's Atlanta is supposed to be one of these types of shows? It was wild in the 90s because the light skinned woman was always the gorgeous, stylish and desired one and the dark skinned women were nearly always the 'other'

[@mohmhk]

Atlanta is. I managed to watch upto season3 and just couldn't any longer.

[@justayoutuber943]

That is so creative! Blue eyebrows with blue jean shirt!

[@danisacademiccorner4493]

They did too much with Angie’s character on Harlem - it was annoying

[@KuddleBugg-k7v]

I think The Walking Dead Character Sasha could never gt a break.

[@2handle.]

I thought Sasha was beautiful and I'm glad the actress is doing well on Star Trek

[@treyonay]

Angie in Harlem bothers me, truly. Me and her have the same name, she's outgoing, dark skin, similar bodies, but horrible stereotypes

[@mssheena24]

QUEEN SUGAR!! Nova Vs Charley 😔 Never could understand what skin color has to do with ones character. But we all know where it originates from 😒

[@lauri7529]

Thelma Buabeng, who is a dark-skinned woman, has her own Comedy show on KZbin called „Tell Me Nothing From The Horse“. It's mostly in German though.

[@a.m4128]

Pam from Martin is doing so amazing in the show “ the neighbourhood “ as Tina , she is just a joy to watch and the ⚪️ woman friend is the one always chasing Tina , Tina is definitely the main character and I love it!

[@niqniq1]

They had Quinn's mom going for the "uptown" Jamaican accent. Uptown = rich, bougie, attended private international schools, western -centered folks etc. Still sounded awful and inauthentic (like just hire an actual Jamaican) but, I think maybe that's what hoping for.

[@senoracheapee1864]

If they aren't hiring actual BW for BW roles they surely are not hiring a Jamaican for a Jamaican role....

[@bbills4186]

In real life the woman playing Quinn is from the Cayman Islands. Her Father, played by Rick Fox is Bahamian. So her Mom's character's attempt at an accent was off-putting to me.

[@thirdeyeopen2606]

Sherl Lee Ralph could have played the mom. She’s beautiful and actually of Jamaican descent

[@lr8719]

In the western "The Harder They Fall", Stagecoach Mary way completely recast from the historical figure! She was a tall, very DS plus size black woman in real life. She was cast in the movie as a petite, biracial woman. I was so disappointed in Black Hollywood for the blatant colorism and size-ism 😔. At least make the actress that was in the film her own character. And, since we do have a certain "beauty standard" for DS woman, they could have cast a Meg the Stallion type to play Mary 😂!

[@KDee404]

I know this is a little late but I'm so glad this is being discussed! I grew up in the era 'Martin' came out. I didn't realize how many tropes there were against our beautifully melanated sisters until recently. It's so commonplace and disgusting. I found this trope in 'Living Single' and the 'Atlanta' series. Glover repeatedly depicted dark skinned women as abnoxious, thirsty, agressive and angry without a cause. I feel they did Max so dirty with the constant belittling on Living Single too.

[@nellypouth278]

Very interesting that those stereotypes still lives nowadays, a friends of mine ( who is white ) told me the delivery story of a common friend , she was saying how she was too sensitive to pain during her child birth and she was then confused as to why this black friend was so sensitive to pain , when they were so much black immigrants coming to France and having being hurts and so on and still being alive...still had the strength to live ... And then insinuated that we should be able to put up with painful child delivery, as those immigrants are able to through pain that they endure when the come to Europe.. as was like chile... what is going on here ?

[@yohighness]

😳 🙆‍♀

[@sweetpea74127]

I immediately loved your look. You look so gorgeous in that blue 💙 makeup. I adore your content!

[@alphacharm]

You spoke nothing but facts! Especially about what happened to the Candy character on POSE. The colorism was so strong! They made all the darkskin transwomen feisty, mean, or “diva like”.

[@NYKIRA]

This is honestly why certain shows don't get watched in my house, the programming runs deep. This was such a fun video though hun, love the analysis (and your blue makeup 😍)

[@reviewersmith3549]

I feel like they’re always made to be the lesbian not that there’s anything wrong but I’ve noticed it a lot in tv shows

[@theaverageone4415]

A few friends of mine enjoyed Letterkenny but I never could for many reasons. One being how the writing and how they treated Gail

[@llamacj]

Agreed. This is why I could never and will never support that show.

[@Tauruses.Love.Luxury]

💯 % AGREED on all of these characters!!! As a DSBW growing up being told that my skin isn’t beautiful & then seeing women in the media that looked like me always being treated negatively ex: Pam on Martin…. 🖕🏾I never thought my skin was ugly I thought it was beautiful but I was still insecure because I knew others didn’t feel the same way about me that I felt about myself. 🖕🏾 It’s a total mind F***! 🔎 anyway it’s made me hyper aware of when the DSBW is being done dirty and is given no depth but has all these self destructive tendencies that seem to come from nowhere & just be who she is… or like you said no matter how good of a person she is ex: Tara from true blood, she can never catch a break! 🖕🏾 it bothers me to this day @ 40 to see these portrayals… 🦋 Other characters that also got this negative DSBW treatment not mentioned was Sweet Magnolias - only bw on the show - Vampire Diaries - only leading BW again and Upload again the only DSBW. The list is never ending 😢

[@RapstarDara]

Power. I can’t watch that show. The main character treats her dsbw wife (who is holding down his life) like trash, and he is cheating on her with a white Latina cop. It was created by 50 cent so I can’t expect less. But it is written from the perspective of a black man and it sickens me. Besides that, 50 would bully Naturi on social media. I would have tried to sue for harassment, considering she worked for his production

[@feliznavidad6958]

Please do Degrassi. I noticed a pattern. Full white characters get all the story lines. Mixed asian like Cassies Steele's Manny or Alli(East Indian) are the way more attractive side kick reduced to being boy crazy sex dolls while the stories center around their less attractive white friend. Mixed race characters like Jimmy and Liberty were given storylines albeit stereotypical for black characters(since they are the preferable "black".) Actual black and East Asian characters get virtually nothing. Kendra (Tobys love interest) and Mia's Asian friend who disappears. Chantelle and Hazel were black women who were on the show for years and never got any storylines(Hazel got one despite being there for years). Andrea Lewis called out Degrassi creators and they responded by telling her that she was playing the race card. Please talk about that.

[@jadacampbell9331]

Degrassi next class did a better job

[@feliznavidad6958]

@@jadacampbell9331 Yea for a minute before it was canceled. And by then it was Gen Z which is meh

[@calendulam.5126]

The tall dark skin girl bullying Raven in high school in That's so Raven....

[@jadacampbell9331]

Right and in hanna montana, the main bully is black and the other antagonists are poc's too

[@reemosama1]

You ladies do deserve more i will really be upset if coco jones gets done dirty

[@marishy88]

Peace and love ❤️ This is why I watch Nigerian or other African movies. I love seeing all shades of women in African films. Thankful for Nollywood, Ghallywood, etc ❤️ Have a beautiful day sister. ❤️

[@maryconnor6173]

😂 that ended abruptly. Really interesting insights as always. Gorgeous outfit ❤

[@ameenahameed8874]

This content is so relevant and real. So glad you’re talking about it. Thank you!

[@jadetaylor5191]

I wonder how DSBW actresses feel regarding this topic. Sometimes I feel like you have to play roles you don’t want to starting out to eventually get the good roles..

[@doll.ov.poetrii4682]

Don't forget about Hey Arnold. There was only one single dsbg on the whole entire show and she was a 9 year old hoochie mama!😬 My Wife And Kids only ever had 1 DSBG and got rid of her for a mixed girl. Only the men were dark and the women were light. Same colorism in Dream girls, Why Did I Get Married, and even the Lion King! It's neverending.

[@feliznavidad6958]

I just watched the entire series and I don't know where you saw this but it's wrong. There was a dark skinned girl who was playing Geralds older brother because he was a simp and a girl between Geralds age and his brothers age who like the older brother. Where on earth was a young black girl portrayed as a hoochie mama?

[@GoaWay...]

The Lion King. That was about lions. 😕

[@doll.ov.poetrii4682]

​@@GoaWay... Colorism, nevertheless.

[@GoaWay...]

@@doll.ov.poetrii4682 with lions?😕

[@doll.ov.poetrii4682]

​​@@feliznavidad6958 I'm not wrong. The Little girl was one of the only DSBGs in the whole series and her character was depicted as "fast". It's the typical adultification stereotype of DSBGs. Her name was Chloe.

[@jadetaylor5191]

Damn. We gotta wait til tomorrow 😭

[@MamiWataTarot]

Valid points made! ❤

[@corinacharalambous3132]

Blue eyebrows look great on you! 💙

[@aishambengue3024]

Great video as always and its tiring see this in the media. We are slowly but surely making process here and there hut hopefully we continue to see more variety, depth,quality and genuine representation for dark skin women and fem. Also another archetype would be the warrior women who has to triumph everything.

[@TrazzyStar]

Omg the brows are so cool. The ombré is superb

[@aliciamaria2730]

Your hair is amazing. I love your styling options. I don't have your texture hair but I will try my version. You are so lovely 😍😍👏🏾😍😍😍👏🏾❤️. Love hearing your thoughts my good sister. Gotta get me some shells like yesterday.👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@unseenmolee]

i really appreciate this vid

[@msdionne.a]

Love the look, especially the blue eyebrows! Love the content too, of course!

[@OnlyConroy]

First of all your hair and makeup looks maaaaaaaad cute 😍, you ate on this video 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@thescienceline9420]

Excellent video…much needed discussion

[@tyfuller0890]

This look! 🔥🔥🔥

[@jaguaracuatico454]

Big up to you for spreading dat truth fire! 🖤🌿🐞

[@elle6963]

Love craft was the worst! Ruby is so beautiful. She was the beautiful sister. So sad.

[@Brownmahfun]

I SEE THEM. THIS been going on since TV and radio was invented. Even before that.

[@ashleybrown3390]

Love the look today!!

[@focuseddisarry8398]

The toxicity toward Pam on Martin ruined the series for me. Where else do you hear a character constantly being referred to as ugly? Being compared to an animal? Being told to shut up? She was regularly dehumanized.

[@Brownmahfun]

LOVE the look, specially the hair.🤩

[@parklady4233]

I am glad you keep talking about it. Call out the preps every time.

[@victoria4]

Ooo I can’t wait for this one

[@LethalLemonLime]

I love your makeup in this video! Especially the brows!!

[@theorderofthebees7308]

Mayowa-I really enjoyed this video it’s spot on - I would add also that character in Harlem might have been overly sexualized because she’s supposed to be the comic relief because she’s the big girl and that’s a trope as welll the big girl that overly sexual .

[@whitneybrown4067]

This is 4 Sure Gonna b so Insightful MW🔥🔥🔥👍n Happy Wednesday😀…..

[@SoCaliana]

As a product of mixed heritage, I will just say that my mom was told numerous times that her children were "too dark". It's all over the South, at least.

[@barbararichardson2747]

As as dark skinned southern woman I didn't have such negative experiences.Most of my family are very dark complexioned.Of course there were others whose experience was different.But,the negativity usually came from within families that instilled that mindset due to inferiority complex.My dark skinned parents didn't allow us to see our skin as a hindrance.Sad that the negativity seed is till being planted .

[@MissPrettyT]

​@barbararichardson2747 It's sad that's happening to you, but I know a lot of mixed kids who families taught or made their kids feel like white is better then black regardless if they were mixed. Usually, it's the ones with white mothers they don't know much about anything black which makes the kids just look bad. Then it makes ya'll feel like black isn't beautiful but all the things that are copied how could ya'll not know or feel better about your selves. I really blame the parents. I'm this case because I have mixed cousins and their mother is black they get starred down but her kids have so much confidence in their selves it make me shame. I'm not saying your mother caused anything but I have kind of studied the mothers with mixed kids and I see the difference.

[@lefthandblackcatgirl]

I am late to this video, but i finally feel a little less anxious about commenting so wanted to once again say your style is so on point, love your updo, your makeup and your neck jewellery. Your skin makes all the colours pop and look more beautiful, even colours i don't usually like. I didn't watch most of these shows cause i am partial to horror, my favourite character in true blood was tara. I hated how she was treated and when they killed her i was so angry. I avoided lovecraft country even though the premise at first seemed good, because of the casting of the main characters. All the ladies from the other shows are so gorgeous though

[@gjackson3498]

love the eyebrows and your hair up! 🤩

[@Lisette121]

Great video. 💯

[@serenatsukino5252]

I like your blue eyebrows