Exploring race: Is Sammy Sosa whitening his skin?

"He is going through the rejuvenation process for his skin," Polihronis said. "Women have it all of the time. He was astounded he came out seeking so white. we suspicion it was the body double. Part of (the print appearance) is just the lighting.

"He is in the center of we do the cleansing process to his skin. The design is deceiving. He said, 'If we saw me in person, we would be surprised. When we see me in person, it is not going to seem similar to the picture.'

"People who saw him in person did not react the same way. He can't hold it is such the large deal."

The reason its such the large understanding is because, well, we know historically darker skin mostly has been deemed some-more of an albatross than an asset. we would similar to to contend weve changed divided from which hapless type of thinking. But its still prevalent in far as well most circles. Having light skin falls in to the same camp as carrying good hair. we additionally would similar to to contend weve changed divided from that, too. But if youve seen hostess Chris Rocks new documentary/movie, Good Hair, we know thats not indispensably the case.

The reason Sosa is in the spotlight is because he appears to be yet another brown person unhappy in his skin. He says thats not true. But in the photos, Sosas eyes crop up lighter as well as his hair straighter. It does make we wonder.

When we consider even the specter of skin whitening, we consider of the spectacle which was Michael Jackson. He additionally pronounced he was happy in his skin. He blamed his problems with pigmentation on the skin condition, vitiligo. But couple of people believed him in partial because he had chosen to have his nose whittled down via plastic surgery as well as his once curly hair chemically straightened.

Interestingly, its not just the little people with African ancestry who covet light skin. Here on Exploring Race weve talked about the role light skin has played in other tools of the world. In China, light skin in mostly preferred because it speaks of ones aloft economic class. In the little tools of India, parents have been well known to find mates for their children who have light skin so which their grandchildren have the improved shot at carrying the fairer complexion. In Brazil as well as Japan, skin lightening creams have been the large business.

This all reminds me of Rev. Joseph Lowerys coronation benediction when he pronounced Lord we ask we to help us work for which day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can hang around, yellow will be mellow

Is Sosa bleaching his skin?Should we care? There's the larger question here which has to do with perpetuating stereotypes as well as certain standards of beauty. It's why the little people were upset in 2008when singer Beyonce's skin appeared to be lightened in the organisation ofL'Oreal ads for hair coloring products.

But this is about Sosa. What do we think?

Photo credit: Sosa in 1989 with Texas, in 2004 with the Cubs as well as recentlyin Las Vegas. (AP / Tribune / Getty)

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