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On Nov. 4, the once-dark MLB slugger Sammy Sosa showed up to the red carpet of the Latin Grammy’s sporting a complexion rivaling that of Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief’s.
When compared to photos taken in May, the difference is literally day and night.
After shooting down rumors that his vanilla-mocha skin was an adverse reaction to steroids, the result of bright camera lights or the effects of a skin disease, Sosa confessed to using a skin-lightening cream. He told ESPNDeportes.com that although the cream “whitened” his skin, its primary use was to moisturize.
According to ESPN writer Jemele Hill, Sosa’s new look implies that he is suffering from a “color complex.” Hill said the term refers to those who think white features will make them more appealing to a mainstream audience.
Laugh it up because I sure did. I found Sosa’s actions and statements both ridiculous and too easy to ridicule.
Ok, now take that laughter and apply it to the misconception that Wesleyan is in a bad or dangerous neighborhood. I’m not talking about the dilapidated buildings or flat-tire-inducing holes on Rosedale—I’m talking about the people. Aside from students, the majority of those who wander around the Polytechnic Community are people of color.
Not so funny, is it?
Does Sosa really think lightening his appearance will make him better liked? Are the black people at the bus stops along Rosedale what make the community bad? Are the Hispanics who work and hang around at the tire shop across from the bookstore what make the Wesleyan area supposedly dangerous?
Of course not.
Those who actually commit crimes are the ones who give the area a bad rap, regardless of their skin color.
However, I think skin color still lingers negatively in the subconscious minds of many. It’s a person’s character, not the color of their skin, that makes them who they are. Sosa should be more concerned with his moral shortfalls, like corking bats and injecting steroids, than his appearance. Likewise, critics of the Wesleyan area should think twice before scoffing at people on the corner and pressing the power lock button just because they are dark-skinned or poor.
I’m not oblivious to the fact that crimes still occur in and around the neighborhood. Even so, Clery reports show that Wesleyan has less criminal occurrences than other schools in the Metroplex. This makes me wonder if a lot of the negative connotations associated with Wesleyan aren’t the result of rumors and flat-out negative perception.
Travis Dixon, researcher for the University of Illinois, reported that even those who consider themselves largely prejudice-free are prone to viewing blacks as violent and intimidating if they watch enough local or network news. Again, I’m not ignorant to the fact that the area could improve, but I also don’t think Wesleyan is exactly New Orleans or Detroit, either.
I’m also not trying to point fingers a la Kanye West (George Bush doesn’t care about black people); just think people should stop and think before ridiculing the Wesleyan area (whenever they see black people). Also, if you don’t have a problem with the people as much as you do the rundown buildings—do something about it. I’m sure helping out will give more satisfaction than the six hours a day you spend on Facebook.
If worse comes to worst, we could always tackle the misconception situation a different way—I heard Sammy Sosa may start endorsing the skin lightening cream he uses.
We could pass it out to the community and watch our neighborhood’s reputation soar.
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