“I’m comforted by the line of strong women that I come from.
I have not just emerged here.
There have been warriors, champions, survivors before me.
And they have all worn the same skin as I am in.
Carrying the same bosom as I have.”
These power lines are the first stream of words that welcome you into 50 Shades of Melanin
50 Shades of Melanin is a documentary that features 30 Black British individuals discussing matters such as Light Skinned Privilege, the influence of media and the wedge among the black British today.
According to Naomi, Cofounder of LAMBB, Colourism is a weighted term, and although it has been unpacked many times in America, it has hardly been tackled in the UK. The participants shine a light on the impact of deep-rooted issues such as colonialism and racism, and although slavery never occurred on British soil many site it as a reason for their disarray today.
The impact of the documentary thus far has been immense, with young girls tearfully saying how it made them feel beautiful and many commenting on the healing it provides. At a time where it may feel like the world is turning their back on ethnic minorities, it is important to uplift each other within our own communities.
LAMBB (short for ‘Look At My Black Beauty’) is an online haven which documents the black female experience in the 21st Century. It is a place for black girls to commune and feel safe away from a society that constantly condemns. Here, black women are humanised and we are no longer ‘exotic’ or ‘too loud’, creating a space to just be. Conversations need to be had, and our voices need be heard, LAMBB aims to be that platform.
