I have an affinity for dark-skinned women.
It’s an attraction I’ve had since I was a child.
My first elementary school crush was a dark-skinned girl, so was my first girlfriend in middle school, and my first celebrity crush was “Nettie” from the movie The Color Purple—and she was damn-near the color purple. (I thought she and I “would never part.”)
My high school prom date had a dark complexion and she reminded me of my celebrity crush at that time, Lauryn Hill, who I thought had the skin complexion of molasses and sunshine.
Chocolatiers (chocolate makers) make a chocolate covering called a “couverture” by adding extra cocoa butter to a chocolate mixture—and I love a woman with a “rich” couverture.
I once had a 45-minute dispute with a coworker about who was sexier: Tyra Banks or the delectably chocolate (and mercurial) Naomi Campbell.
My co-worker went on a tangent about cell phones, bad attitudes, and temper tantrums, while I simply pointed out that Tyra Banks looks like the alien from the “Meatballs 2” movie (albeit a pretty version of the alien).
Tyra is attractive, but Naomi’s “chocolate-ness” simply won out.
Even in my favorite movie Coming to America, I’ve always thought the character Patrice was sexier than her light-skinned sister, Lisa, who eventually became Princess of Zamunda. Patrice had the dark skin, the playful hairstyle, and she knew how to make the most of halftime at a basketball game. (“YES!”)
I grew up in a neighborhood and attended school with several attractive dark-skinned girls. Some of them were pretty, some had sex appeal, and a few had a combination of both. There were light-skinned girls in my neighborhood that weren’t nearly as attractive, but received attention from guys based mostly on their “light skinned-ed-ness.”
I appreciate the aesthetics of a dark-skinned woman.
I dated a young lady who had a dark brown complexion with a “satin” finish, and a flawless skin tone that spread evenly over her entire body, except for the dark area of skin just below her buttocks, along the backs of her thighs, which I affectionately refer to as the “Booty Shadow.” (You’ve seen “booty shadow” if you’ve ever been to the beach.)
The young lady had a self-conscious reaction when I initially complimented her “nether region,” because people teased her about her dark complexion when she was a child, and she was apprehensive about acknowledging an even darker area of her body that she hadn’t noticed. But as our relationship progressed and she recognized my sincerity, she had no problem flaunting her plush posterior (booty shadow and all) in the shortest of short shorts whenever possible.
I don’t always date dark-skinned women—in fact, light-skinned women with full lips is number two on my list—but all the “non-dark skinned” women I’ve dated knew the extent of my affection for the “Cocoa Sisters.”
A young lady I dated a few years ago would express her angst about the matter when we would go out to eat at restaurants.
A waitress could come to our table looking like “Apollonia” (from Purple Rain), in all her light-skinned glory, sit on my lap, and nibble on my ear while she took our order, and the young lady would say nothing.
But let an “Alfre Woodard”-looking chick come to our table to take our order. The slightest interaction between the waitress and me would compel the young lady to say something like, “Why are you flirting with her … why are you trying to make her laugh?”
She would pretend that she was joking, but she was serious. I was never flirting with the waitress. I was usually asking if I could substitute the mashed potatoes for the french fries without being charged. My ex had absolutely nothing to worry about—although, Alfre Woodard is kind of sexy when she combs her Natural.
I love dark-skinned women and I think they’re beautiful, but they can certainly come with their sensitivities.
If you date a dark-skinned woman and break up with her, and start dating a light-skinned woman, there’s a strong possibility that the dark-skinned woman and her crew of dark-skinned friends will refer to your new love interest as that “red b!%ch.”
The new woman can be but two shades lighter than the dark-skinned woman, and still be labeled as such.
And of course, the cardinal rule when dating or referring to a dark-skinned woman is to never tell her that she is “pretty … FOR A DARK-SKINNED WOMAN.”
Forget “Nettie”—you might as well have told her that she looks like “Celie” from The Color Purple, because that’s how she’ll interpret such a remark. And she’ll probably say something like, “You wouldn’t tell Suge Avery that she’s pretty for a light-skinned woman.” (Even though Suge Avery isn’t really light-skinned … more like Harpo’s new girlfriend, Kitt.)
I’ll always cherish my beautiful dark-skinned women and all their idiosyncrasies.
Even if I’m discovered in a photo hugged up with a woman “brighter” than one of the Basketball Ex-wives, you’ll know where my heart lies.
Lesson learned: Chocolate tastes so sweet … and that “red b!%ch” can’t have none.
