The hostility between Afro and Indo Caribbean Women may be about Featurism not Colourism

Rihanna, Cardi B, Tia and Tamera Mowry; if it’s not a straight nose, it’s loose curls or green/hazel eyes. Many women of Caribbean descent have become beauty icons and admired celebrities, but as their star shines brighter, the question of why may be stemmed in the beauty standards that are not only prominent in the Western world, but also in the West Indies. Where many Black people see colourism as a cause for divide, in the shadows lies the unseen problem of featurism that rarely comes up in conversions focused on systematic racism and social classism. 

The Caribbean has a long history of multiculturalism due to the migration that occurred voluntarily and by force. This history includes the division of Afro-Caribbean and Indo Caribbean people, predominantly in Guyana, Jamaica, Grenada and Trinidad & Tobago. The same system that was held in the United States, separating house slaves from field slaves based on their shade of brown was also implemented in the Caribbean between the Indians and the Africans.  

Years later like the United States, the Caribbean faces hostile separation based on physical characteristics. There is an obvious division among the Indo- and Afro-Caribbean people and this division can be seen significantly in the beauty standards displayed in the culture. Although, many Caribbean nations today have an equal percentage of Indo and Afro Caribbeans, a standard of value has been created causing Indo-Caribbean people to hold a more superior status to those of African descent. These standards are influenced by the identities that were given to them from colonizers many years ago. Because of this, the value rankings that have built the toxic sociological structure for many islands also include physical preference or ideals of beauty prevalent in the culture.   

Despite having beautiful bronze skin, Indians do possess more European-like features including narrower noses and straighter hair.  Because of this, that slight difference has worked to their advantage, appealing to the world as a more palatable “dark skin other”. This issue has brought riffs among women creating an under breath animosity, subconsciously encouraged by men in the dating scene. The public praise for women who look “exotic” or “mixed” and the ridicule women with more evident African features have faced in the Black community have caused insecurities in Black women. The narrative that Black women are unattractive, being justified by public opinion are also gaining legitimacy by biased researchers and social studies. The feeling of rejection by Black women and superiority by Indian women will perpetuate the silent disdain among them. The value measured by the desire to be desired will continue to bring negative discourses preventing the possibility of harmony in womanhood for the Caribbean community.

There has to be a support and encouragement among women in the Caribbean as we face a rapid state of social injustices against us. From domestic violence, sexual violence, police brutality and body shaming, this is not the time to be divided when we desperately need a united front for the rights and protection of all of us. There is a pride in blackness as of late with the uplifting of protests and political satire. Simultaneously there is still a very public worshiping of Black features on non-Black women and non-Black features on Black women. This oblivious display seen by those outside of the community will continue the unfortunate treatment of black women and of Black women’s resentment towards others. This is a cycle that can end and bring strength overall in the community.