Yellow Bone
This piece is called “Yellow Bone”. *The term “Yellow Bone” has
gained popularity amongst (young) black people and it is used in
everyday conversation when referring to light skin black people. This
term seems to appear everywhere, on Instagram, Twitter, and
Facebook used to describe people and also used as a hashtag. The
term yellow bone is used as a supposedly positive description and
reference to black people who have light skin.
This term is used heavily in hip-hop when referring to a ‘desirable’
woman or in rap artists’ names like ‘Lightskin Keisha’, Pretty Yellow,
Latto (formerly **Mulatto), and the list can go on.
*This term is rooted in White supremacy. This term especially given to
or used by a Black woman is a compliment as it gives them either
subconsciously or consciously proximity to ‘whiteness’. It reveals how
racism as a system of oppression can function without white people
present because black people have been thoroughly schooled on how
to be racist to each other. Black people who use the term yellow bone
have internalized white supremacy notions of beauty.
This piece was a hodge-podge inspired by Black women, specifically
in the music industry who have changed this physical appearance
either by surgery, makeup, or hair extensions to give them the illusion
of ‘desirability’. The hair on this piece is a veil. The blonde extensions
on top cover the afro-textured hair on the bottom (like how a weave is
usually done as a protective style in most cases, a shield for others).
The ‘last’ phenotypical resemblance of a Black woman is the hair.
Everything else is being modified to fit into a white supremacist gaze.
*Source queerconsciousness.com, White Supremacist Roots of “Yellow Bone” by
Lwando Scott.
**This term is derogatory hence why she changed it to a more marketable name
Mixed media, magazine collage, acrylic paint, (faux) afro hair, synthetic blonde hair, faux lashes, heavy-weight paper, faux lashes
This piece is called “Yellow Bone”. *The term “Yellow Bone” has
gained popularity amongst (young) black people and it is used in
everyday conversation when referring to light skin black people. This
term seems to appear everywhere, on Instagram, Twitter, and
Facebook used to describe people and also used as a hashtag. The
term yellow bone is used as a supposedly positive description and
reference to black people who have light skin.
This term is used heavily in hip-hop when referring to a ‘desirable’
woman or in rap artists’ names like ‘Lightskin Keisha’, Pretty Yellow,
Latto (formerly **Mulatto), and the list can go on.
*This term is rooted in White supremacy. This term especially given to
or used by a Black woman is a compliment as it gives them either
subconsciously or consciously proximity to ‘whiteness’. It reveals how
racism as a system of oppression can function without white people
present because black people have been thoroughly schooled on how
to be racist to each other. Black people who use the term yellow bone
have internalized white supremacy notions of beauty.
This piece was a hodge-podge inspired by Black women, specifically
in the music industry who have changed this physical appearance
either by surgery, makeup, or hair extensions to give them the illusion
of ‘desirability’. The hair on this piece is a veil. The blonde extensions
on top cover the afro-textured hair on the bottom (like how a weave is
usually done as a protective style in most cases, a shield for others).
The ‘last’ phenotypical resemblance of a Black woman is the hair.
Everything else is being modified to fit into a white supremacist gaze.
*Source queerconsciousness.com, White Supremacist Roots of “Yellow Bone” by
Lwando Scott.
**This term is derogatory hence why she changed it to a more marketable name
Mixed media, magazine collage, acrylic paint, (faux) afro hair, synthetic blonde hair, faux lashes, heavy-weight paper, faux lashes
This piece is called “Yellow Bone”. *The term “Yellow Bone” has
gained popularity amongst (young) black people and it is used in
everyday conversation when referring to light skin black people. This
term seems to appear everywhere, on Instagram, Twitter, and
Facebook used to describe people and also used as a hashtag. The
term yellow bone is used as a supposedly positive description and
reference to black people who have light skin.
This term is used heavily in hip-hop when referring to a ‘desirable’
woman or in rap artists’ names like ‘Lightskin Keisha’, Pretty Yellow,
Latto (formerly **Mulatto), and the list can go on.
*This term is rooted in White supremacy. This term especially given to
or used by a Black woman is a compliment as it gives them either
subconsciously or consciously proximity to ‘whiteness’. It reveals how
racism as a system of oppression can function without white people
present because black people have been thoroughly schooled on how
to be racist to each other. Black people who use the term yellow bone
have internalized white supremacy notions of beauty.
This piece was a hodge-podge inspired by Black women, specifically
in the music industry who have changed this physical appearance
either by surgery, makeup, or hair extensions to give them the illusion
of ‘desirability’. The hair on this piece is a veil. The blonde extensions
on top cover the afro-textured hair on the bottom (like how a weave is
usually done as a protective style in most cases, a shield for others).
The ‘last’ phenotypical resemblance of a Black woman is the hair.
Everything else is being modified to fit into a white supremacist gaze.
*Source queerconsciousness.com, White Supremacist Roots of “Yellow Bone” by
Lwando Scott.
**This term is derogatory hence why she changed it to a more marketable name
Mixed media, magazine collage, acrylic paint, (faux) afro hair, synthetic blonde hair, faux lashes, heavy-weight paper, faux lashes