Sage Steele is the ESPN host, who is not afraid to speak her mind. She is both conservative and controversial. Her comments just got her a demotion on ESPN. Even so, one hot button topic she addresses is very real for many women of color. It is racism from other African Americans because our complexions are light. Steel who is biracial, says she has received more racism from other blacks, and I know it's true. The same thing happens to me. There is an elephant in the room, and it's time it is addressed.
The white girl in the room
My mother's father was biracial.
His dad was white, and his mother black. For some reason, I am the family member who has the lightest skin tone. From childhood, I had to endure negative comments and Black On Black racism..When I tried to join conversations I was told to shut up because I was white and knew nothing. I've had people tell me they mistook me for a white woman when they saw me at a distance. I was told by a cousin that a real black man loves a "chocolate doll," meaning a dark brown black woman. Once as an adult, I had to endure haters on a job. I was wearing my hair in wavy style. It had grown out and was over my shoulders. One co-worker complimented me, saying my hair looked nice. As I walked around the corner, I heard the woman beside her comment, "It should look like that, she looks half white anyway".
I've told the family that I am more comfortable in a room with older conservative white males than in the company of a group of darker black women. Not because I believe I am better because am light with long hair, but because they reject me. This rejection is no doubt the fuel to Sage Steele's fire.
The root of Sage Steele's issues
Sage Steele is biracial, has what used to be called "good hair," and is married to a white man. So she has three strikes against her. The root of her issues is most likely embedded in the feeling that she does not belong. Her strong stances now have cost her, ad she will no longer host "NBA Countdown." Darker black women will never admit that they are indifferent to their sisters with a lighter hue.
It's something that cannot be proved. Therefore the burden of this issue among African women must be suffered in silence, and come out In other ways.
The Queen syndrome
Mrs. Steele will not get much support for her views because white Americans cannot relate to it, and black people do not want to admit it exists. But the elephant is in the room. When I saw a therapist for panic attacks, the first question she asked had to do with my complexion. The white female sitting before me asked if I had ever been mistreated by other blacks because I was so light. When I admitted it was true, she told me something interesting. She said there were studies that indicated that light skinned black women are more prone to panic, anxiety, and depression, because of the rejection that comes from their own race.
My husband calls this the Queen syndrome. Queen was the biracial mother of Alex Haley the author of Roots. She was so light she often was mistaken for white. Queen believed that her master, who was her biological father would embrace her. He did not. When she went out into the world, whites called her names and blamed her because they did not at first realize she was a "nigra," Blacks were leery of her because she looked so white. Queen had a hard time fitting in, and eventually had a nervous breakdown, but she did recover. Sage Steele will no doubt continue to be outspoken in her views because this issue is one that does not go away. One would think that with all the outside racism, black women would treat each other with kindness, Sadly it does not happen.
ESPN demoted Steele, no doubt because her views on black on black racism were a hot button topic. Their changing her job description, will not erase the pain in her heart. And that is the root of the issue.
