DarkChild

I have a deep chocolate complexion, and am often complimented on it. But sometimes, throughout my life, I have been discriminated against because of it.

I love my complexion as it is unusual in its deepness. I have not met many in The United States who have complexion as deep as mine. Most persons I've met who have complexion that are similar to mine are maternal family members or persons from Africa.  As a child I was treated differently paternal family members because I was a dark skinned child. The treatment differed from those who were light skin in my paternal family. The light skinned children were told they were beautiful and much attention was showered on them while I and other dark skinned children of the family were often disregarded. We were thought of as less than the other, lighter children. We presented as less than because of the color of our skin.  Strangers have treated me differently than my lighter skinned friends as my dark skin tone seems to conjure the thought process that I am bad, and predisposition to doing illegal things more so than a lighter skinned person.  When friends and I have entered stores inevitably I am followed as I am suspected of stealing, but my companion is not, and the only difference between us is skin color.  Lighter is better and darker is bad. 
  
I have, through out my life, received  many compliments about my skin color.  Many strangers have thought my complexion beautiful and said so to me.  I am proud of my complexion, and have never wavered when the few that thought of it as a detriment voiced their opinion or treated me differently because of it.
 
I also have an unusually deep voice.  I am often thought to be a man by those  who talk to me on the phone, and often get, what I believe, is more respectful attention to the matters I am calling about from the person who thinks I am of the male persuasion.  I am quite amused as I am in love with my voice and the richness and tone that it presents, and the misplaced respect that it garners.  I have also been complimented on my voice by many.
 
My skin and my voice are rich and deep and allude to my ancestors of Africa.  These two elements of my physicality represent who I am as a person, and connect me to my heritage.  When I see footage of artists such as Paul Robeson, Odetta,  and hear and see their deep, resonating voices and complexion and see pictures of Sojourner Truth, and Harriette Tubman with their deep complexion, I know that they are not far in descent in a lineage that started in Africa,  as the deepness of both skin and voice tone reflect the continent.
 
Though there are people who look at me and hear me and think my skin tone and voice do not represent beauty or feminine qualities, I know better.  I am the embodiment of the continent from which my ancestors come.  I am representative of the beauty that is that continent and its people.