Brace yourselves, Beyhive … Beyonce’s father says the Beyhive might not even exist if his daughter was darker skinned than she is.
Matthew Knowles, who has long been outspoken about race, particularly as it pertains to entertainment industry, directly addresses a what he believes to be a hard truth about his own daughter— he says if Beyoncé weren’t light-skinned, she probably wouldn’t be as huge as she is, according to TMZ.
In addition to admitting the internalized hatred he had for himself after dealing with extreme racism as a child growing up in Alabama made him seek out white women or women with fairer skin, as if they were better, he talks about colorism in the entertainment world, saying the Beyoncé’s, Mariah’s and Rihanna’s of the world have it a bit easier in terms of acceptance because of their fair skin.
“When it comes to Black females, who are the people who get their music played on pop radio? Mariah Carey, Rihanna, the female rapper Nicki Minaj, my kids.”
Agree or disagree, the colorism conversation is one that’s decades old and extends far beyond Beyoncé. Knowles isn’t the first person by a long shot to point out the industry (and society at large) embraces and celebrates European beauty standards. The lighter your skin, the straighter your nose, etc., the more beautiful you’re perceived to be.
As black women continue to push against this standard, embracing their natural curves, hair and features (including Bey who often incorporates West African imagery into her work and performances), Knowles chimes in on the issue in his new book, Racism From The Eyes Of A Child.
While I encourage Matthew to continue sharing his own personal story, I do think he needs to shy away from stories that reflect his family in a negative light. What do you all think of his statements?
