#darkskinredlip

I've spent the last half-hour trying to write an appropriate eulogy for Karyn Washington, who recently passed away. I wanted to tell my story, the other side of the dark-skinned experience, growing up in a household where my skin tone was almost revered. I came to dislike many things about myself while growing up, but being black as hell was never one of them. I wanted to admit that I've only started wearing lipstick, after decrying makeup on the whole for a long time. But the telling is too complex. Suffice to say, I know my place in the culture of beauty: somewhere near the bottom, a few steps from falling off the edge entirely. Regardless, it took me 33 years to get to where Karyn Washington was at 22--accepting her appearance and going as far as to create a safe-space for the rest of us. A place of affirmation and support. It breaks my heart that we'll never get to see her full potential.