This is a photo of some of the foundations that are offered for people of color in Walmart. I chose to photograph this because the other day, while getting ready to present in my Academic Achievement and Student Engagement class, a girl commented on my new Fenty lip gloss. We began discussing makeup and I mentioned that I wanted to try out the new Fenty foundation line next because I was so excited that Rihanna created a line for EVERY skin tone. My friend explained that she always had problems finding a shade that was right for her because her skin was hard to match. She said that in high school, several girls would comment on how her makeup was “too light” or “too dark” for her mixed colored skin. She told me of the trouble she had finding a shade for her, especially with drug store foundations. It had not occurred to me, before Rihanna and this conversation, to look at the other shades while shopping. There were only a few selections for people of color while there were several shades for those of us with ivory and lightly tanned skin to choose from. While reading Nieto and Bode’s article “Racism, Discrimination, and Expectations of Students’ Achievement”, I particularly enjoyed the “What You Can Do: Start Early” section. The first lines read: “Focusing on human differences and similarities can begin as early as the preschool years, for example, talking about skin color, hair texture, and other physical differences and similarities” (74). These conversations could start in any classroom, at any time. Explaining how every day activities, like shopping for makeup or shampoo, can be drastically different for each student could at least bring light on to how difficult it can be for students of color. My friend said that she never felt bullied, but she never felt like the girls who teased her about her makeup truly understood the struggles that she faced. She said she felt more insecure than anything and she is very excited to try out the inclusive beauty lines that are beginning to pop up. I, too, am excited to support lines in which inclusivity is celebrated.
-Josey