Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen's story reveals how colorism, comparison, and beauty standards can shape Black women's self-image from childhood into adulthood.
For generations of Black communities, actress Phylicia Rashad has been seen as one of the beacons of grace and beauty. However, in a recent conversation on the "IMO Podcast" hosted by Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, Rashad revealed that she once did not see herself as beautiful in comparison to her sister Debbie Allen.
"I think if there was competition that I felt, I always felt that Debbie was beautiful and that I was not," Rashad shared. "I don't remember what led to the conversation, but I said to Deborah that I had always wanted to be beautiful, like her, and she looked at me, she said, 'But you're the beautiful one, you're the one. I was always trying to be beautiful like you,' and then we broke down and started crying."
"We grew up with that foolishness, that colorism, foolishness that brown paper bag [test] foolishness," Allen interjected. "I remember one time Phylicia loved chocolate milk, and we were drinking chocolate milk, and my uncle said to her, 'Girl, you better drink all the white milk you can.' That was so ugly."
"I think that's why Phylicia felt, but Phylicia looked more like Mama than me. And I always wished that I was pretty like her," Allen added.
#allen
For generations of Black communities, actress Phylicia Rashad has been seen as one of the beacons of grace and beauty. However, in a recent conversation on the "IMO Podcast" hosted by Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, Rashad revealed that she once did not see herself as beautiful in comparison to her sister Debbie Allen.
"I think if there was competition that I felt, I always felt that Debbie was beautiful and that I was not," Rashad shared. "I don't remember what led to the conversation, but I said to Deborah that I had always wanted to be beautiful, like her, and she looked at me, she said, 'But you're the beautiful one, you're the one. I was always trying to be beautiful like you,' and then we broke down and started crying."
"We grew up with that foolishness, that colorism, foolishness that brown paper bag [test] foolishness," Allen interjected. "I remember one time Phylicia loved chocolate milk, and we were drinking chocolate milk, and my uncle said to her, 'Girl, you better drink all the white milk you can.' That was so ugly."
"I think that's why Phylicia felt, but Phylicia looked more like Mama than me. And I always wished that I was pretty like her," Allen added.
#allen
7 days ago
