The Color of Fiction: Historical Context and Navigating Nuances
In storytelling, colors serve as a powerful tool to evoke emotions, set a scene and even bring characters to life. As such, portraying characters of color, particularly Black ones, demands sensitivity and care. A portrayal that could brilliantly capture a Black woman protagonist's essence can be marred by inappropriate and dehumanizing descriptions regarding complexion. The character isn’t a caramel macchiato chocolate goddess. She has skin kissed by the sun that shines like gold even on the darkest days.
Describing Black characters in food-related terms is a big no-no, but are there nuances to this conversation? I think so.
Let's Talk About It
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Let's Talk About It ✦
Descriptive Colors meets History
Using colors to describe skin tone is a source of controversy in storytelling and literature. While colors can paint a picture of a character's appearance, they can also perpetuate harmful stereotypes and racist narratives. Describing a Black character using food-related terms, particularly when the author is non-Black, is inappropriate and dehumanizing. This overt form of racism has deep historical roots in the TransAtlantic Slave Trade, chattel slavery, and the White Supremacist ideology that accompanied European colonialism. White slave owners did not consider enslaved Africans as human. Slave owners treated enslaved Africans as fetishized objects, and they enforced laws to defend this dehumanizing concept. Not to mention, enslaved Africans once harvested items like chocolate and coffee, so describing a Black character as so should leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth.
Are you trying to figure out what all of this means?
It means: authors who aren't Black should avoid using food-related descriptions for characters of color.
Think about it. Would a non-Black, non-melanated person want their skin described as the color of freshly sliced bread? Probably not. Interestingly enough, non-Black, non-melanated characters are described as “beautifully porcelain” with “alabaster” skin to make all the men swoon over her moon like beauty. The contrast is stark. There is power in language, and engaging in open discussion matters. There are Black beta readers and Black sensitivity readers in these literary streets. Hire them! Research is at your fingertips through Google. This doesn’t imply refraining from writing Black characters, so don’t be intimidated. It's a call for thorough research, understanding, and intention just as you would for any other character.
Cultural Nuances and Empowerment
I’ve noticed readers and writers are nervous about the basis of skin color. Sometimes, even reading the word “black” is a place of contention. I’ve experienced readers become uncomfortable at the mention of a Black character’s skin tone, even when the author is also Black. This is likely another discussion regarding colorism and its impact on communities of color that I can save for another time. But… BUT… hear me out. In the Black community, taking back words and phrases that have once been used to be demeaning is often a place for empowerment, celebration, and pride. We all should celebrate Blackness, but for non-Blacks, the celebration will look different. It may look like acknowledging historical context and having an open discussion with other non-Black folk. It could also look like intentionally creating a Black character for a story, and not shying away from descriptions of race and/or color.
Let’s shift to music as an example. In India Arie’s song, “Brown Skin”, she sings, “Every time I see your lips, it makes me think of honey-coated chocolate.” Aire uses the play on words and colorful, food-related descriptions to evoke soulfulness, romance and empowerment. Even take the TikTok trending song, “You Wish” by Flyana Boss, that has Black women around the world chanting, “I'm made of sugar, spice, kanekalon, and cinnamon.” Let’s also not forget Beyoncé even told the world that Black women are “Gold like 24K” in “Brown Skin Girl”. Both songs evoke a sense of pride with the use of their descriptions for Blackness, and I think that reigns true in literature.
For instance, describing a dark-skinned person as “chocolate” may reflect a celebration for their rich complexion–for Black people. However, a non-Black author describing the same character as admirably rich brown, can convey the same meaning.
When a Black author incorporates descriptive colors in their writing, the narrative takes on a different dimension. These authors navigate a complex terrain where they might seek to redefine the perception of skin tones while being cautious not to perpetuate harmful tropes. Through their work, Black authors challenge the traditional narrative, but the larger conversation of not describing Black characters as food-related objects, I found, has seeped into stories told by Black authors. It has led to Black authors simply not describing Black characters at all. The nuances of this discussion have become lost in the needs of White/non-Black storytellers. Whether we are writing contemporary fiction or fantasy romance, Blackness is not and should not be a place of discomfort for anyone, especially Black people. The key isn’t to be “racially blind” when creating characters of color. Skin color should be established, clearly and proudly.
Respectful representation demands AUTHORS,
regardless of their background, approach character descriptions with sensitivity and an awareness of historical context. By doing so, authors play a role in shaping narratives that are empowering and diverse. It is within this space that literature evolves into a powerful agent of change, understanding, and really great storytelling. The key lies in the intention and the effort to portray characters as multidimensional individuals.
I am a chocolate goddess. As a Black woman, I will celebrate that, especially with other Black people while I write fantastical romances with Black casts. But anyone outside of this demographic can describe me as a goddess with dark sepia skin and soulful eyes that held the stars. Yeah, that works.
Resource: Writing with Color - Worlds for Skin Tone | How to Describe Skin Color
