Don’t Shoot The Messenger: TFGR Explains Being Black in America

Photo via Twitter

Finally…someone listened to me! Tameka Foster Glover Raymond recently decided to prove me wrong and show that she is indeed smart enough to write a blog.? Meka stepped into the shoes of those she most despises (i.e. the bloggers) and The Huffington Post gave her a forum to debate the history of dark skinned vs. light skinned African Americans.? While the message in the post is pertinent, it gets totally lost from the messenger.

Reading magazines, social media sites, watching our music videos, and television shows feed our appetites for all things ‘beauty”. Rarely, however do I see depictions of grace and elegance in the form of dark complexioned women.

Tameka is such a sad figure these days and wants your sympathy in whatever way she can get it. Now it’s all WOE is me…love me cause I’m darker than everyone else… gimme a f*ckin break!? Let’s not forget how Meka dissed fellow blogger Sandra Rose’s darker skin by calling her burnt cigarette while they argued on Twitter a few months back:

“She mad cause she old, ugly and looks like a burnt cigarette. We go elsewhere for our gossip anyway” ~ Tameka Raymond (Read More)

So now we’re supposed to assume that Tameka Foster Glover Raymond is sensitive to the issue of inter-racial conflicts and an authority on being Black and/or Dark-Skinned in America? As someone who is far from being considered a “red bone,” I’m totally confused as to why Tameka Foster Glover Raymond would choose now to nominate herself as the voice of all dark skinned woman. I, personally, would have chosen more suitable representation. Where’s Gabriel Union, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Obama? Anyone who doesn’t hate themselves and the color of their own skin.

?In fact, I have read similar comments about myself that I am ?dark, aggressive, bossy and bitchy.? It has been stated that my husband should have been with a ?younger, more beautiful? woman. Astoundingly, the majority of the remarks come from African-American women and are mimicked by others. Sadly enough, I don?t know nor have I met 99% of those making these assertions. Funny, how we can judge another without having personally seen, interacted with or experienced a person?s character.? ~ Tameka Foster Glover Raymond

I can’t speak for all bloggers who go hard on Tameka but I have personally interacted with her and so have quite a few of my fellow ATLiens. We all stand by what we say so I won’t even bore you by breaking down the entire essay, but here’s the cliff notes version:

Tameka Foster Glover Raymond is a darker-skinned African American woman who compares the color of her skin to other women, specifically the woman Usher has chosen to kick it with right now. Tameka also feels that her darker skin has hindered her in someway from using Usher’s celebrity to be great and now she wants to know what can she do (outside of changing the color of her dark skin) to be loved and accepted by the masses.

Speaking as “a dark skinned African-American woman with features that reflect my ancestry” I must personally acknowledge that I would NEVER use my skin tone in an effort to remain relevant and neither should you Tameka.

ATLien…out!

Question of the day: Would you embrace Tameka Foster Glover Raymond if she was lighter-skinned?

Click Here to read Tameka Foster Glover Raymond’s full blog: “She’s Pretty For A Dark Skinned Girl…”

Related:

ATL Flashback: “Tameka Foster Made Me Cry”