07/03/25-UPDATE 07/07/25
Beneath the Skin: The Legacy of Colorism!
“We may have come here on different ships but we’re all in the same boat now.”~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
TOXIC INHERITANCE: COLORISM BY DESIGN:
Let’s start with some truth:
Colorism isn’t an accident. It’s not cultural. It’s not “just how things are. “It is and always has been a weapon of white supremacy.
A tool.
A strategy.
A way to divide, control, and conquer!
From slave auctions to census codes, our skin was measured, weighed, labeled not out of curiosity, but to enforce hierarchy to create a caste system within a caste system.
OUR CATEGORIES | Percent of Black Blood :
Negro. Mulatto. Quadroon. Octoroon.
Griffe. High Yellow. Gens de Couleur. "Passe Blanc and Creole, etc. etc. etc. These weren’t terms of culture or identity. They were codes caste markers used to fracture community and dilute power. They taught us to question who was, or who is, “Black enough” who is to Black “ To divide by tone to internalize oppression.
All while the real enemy kept their boots on our necks.
FAST FORWARD TO 2025: AND THE FOOLISHNESS CONTINUES:
“NELLY YOU A CLOWN”! @tybarnett follow him!
Hey Nelly, let me say this real slow so it sinks in:
The Republican regime is out here erasing our brilliance from textbooks, scrubbing Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ history from federal websites, and actively rolling back civil rights, 📚 Book bans, over 2,500 titles gone including the works of Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, and even Ruby Bridges they even try'n to drag us back toward segregation....
And you got the gagasity to throw shade at Vice President Kamala Harris? 🤨
What kinda Gone With the Wind gaslighting BS is this?
Shame on YOU! Go sit your clown ass down.
This ain’t the moment for cute clapbacks at the only Black woman to ever hold that seat.
She ain’t the problem she’s in the fight!
WE CANNOT PRETEND UNITY WHILE UPHOLDING DIVISION: BECAUSE HERE IS THE HARD TRUTH:
We cannot fight racism with one hand and coddle colorism with the other. We cannot reclaim our brilliance while still sipping the poison that was fed to us for generations! And we damn sure can’t build generational power while still passing down trauma that was never ours to carry in the first place!
CHOOSE UNITY OVER MELANIN MEASUREMENTS:
THE TRUTH IS THIS:
You are not less Black because you are light.
You are not less worthy because you are dark.
We are an unbreakable lineage of survival and excellence.
From the deepest mahogany to the softest café au lait, every shade of our skin tells a story of resistance, of pride, and of survival.
We didn’t make this system but we damn sure can break it! We are one people a thousand radiant shades of deep. From the richest mahogany to the softest café au lait,our skin tells stories of survival, joy, resistance, and genius. To all my counsins with skin kissed by the deepest tones of the sun You are not too dark. You are not "intimidating.”You are royalty, wrapped in resilience, bold in beauty, and born from brilliance.
They tried to make your shade a shadow but bébé you shine anyway... Always have.
A CALL TO ACTION:
Enough with the colorism & enough with the clownery.
We come in every shade and from this day forward,
We bring'n every shade with us to the BBQ!
Reclaiming our brilliance, dismantling colorism, and rising forward together.
OUR UNITY IS OUR POWER | IN ALL SHADES
We must shout our stories and lift up our unity like never before and to all my proud (fellow) 92% (ers) the time for us to sit this one out has passed! I’m not saying we all need to take the frontlines… But there are so many ways to rise, resist, and reclaim and silence is not one of them. WE ARE STRENGTH IN UNITY!
Mr. Mike Barnette (RIPOWER MY POPS)
“When a child sees themselves, they don’t just feel seen they believe, they rise and the begin to build a brighter future” ~ Robin A Barnette
Robin A. Barnette AKA CRÉOLE QUEEN UNFILTERED👑
is a powerhouse CPG sales strategist, author, speaker, and founder of Mixed Girl Beautiful. The proud daughter of a Creole mother and Black father, Robin leads with legacy, truth-telling, and unapologetic cultural pride.
Before becoming a force in the natural products industry, Robin made her mark as a professional bassist and Top 40 songwriter — a testament to her creativity, discipline, and ability to command a stage.
She later brought that same energy and vision to brands like PepsiCo/Naked Juice, scaling growth across foodservice, retail, and distribution with partners like UNFI, KEHE, and national natural retailers.
Robin is also the creator of the Color & Discover book series, including Black & Brilliant celebrating Black inventors who shaped the world, Celebrate Diversity: I Am Beautiful and So Are You, and The Biggest Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever.
From boardrooms to bookstores, Robin uses strategy and storytelling to uplift, educate, and inspire lasting change!