Dencia Wants to Set the Record Straight on Whitenicious
[INTERVIEW]
The pop stars says her product is not a skin bleach---and that African Americans are the ones rushing to buy it
By
Yaba Blay
Dencia
In early January, Cameroonian pop singer, Dencia,
launched a new skin care line, Whitenicious. Within 24 hours, it sold
out---and "before" and "after" pictures of the entrepreneur set the
internet ablaze. Three weeks later, sales approach 20,000 units and show
no signs of slowing down. Although the product promotes itself as a “7
day fast acting dark spot remover,” many have criticized Dencia for not
only promoting skin lightening, but self-hatred among women of color and
more specifically, African women. Despite the backlash, Dencia stands
behind Whitenicious and believes that she is in fact helping women
overcome an obstacle. Here, Dencia tells her side of the story.
EBONY: So you know there’s been a lot of buzz about
you on the internet here lately. Everybody’s talking about your new skin
care line, Whitenicious. Tell me how you came up with [it.]
Dencia: And I’m happy that they’re talking because my
sales are skyrocketing. Anyway. A few months ago, I was coming back from
Switzerland. I sat by this chemist. He’s from Switzerland. We started
talking about all these things and he was like “You have really nice
skin.” He asked me if I was Puerto Rican by the way. I was like “No, I’m
African.” We started talking about skin care and stuff and then I told
him how I’ve been doing all these things, going to dermatologists for
the problems. Every woman does that. Like when you have a little spot on
your face. I know I do. I’ll be running from dermatologist to
dermatologist trying to find something to get rid of the dark spots.
Unfortunately, all dermatologists will give you hydroquinone 4%. It
don’t matter if you’re as dark as Alek Wek or you’re as White as a
blonde girl from Malibu. They’ll give you the same thing. So he was
telling me that he makes some products and that he has a line. He asked
me if want to be the face of it. And I was like you know what? We’ll
talk about it. I had come up with this mixture of things that I’ve been
using, not for my skin but for my face for like when I had dark spots or
when I hyperpigmented anywhere on my body. And so I sat down with him,
we tested it, we looked at it, we added stuff and then we came up with
the product. I tested it on me and on my sisters. I have a sister that
has suffered with acne for a long time and she had dark spots. So she
used it and it worked really good. And I went on Facebook and I asked my
Facebook friends if they wanted to try it. They tried it, and it worked
really well. And mind you, this product doesn’t have hydroquinone, it
doesn’t have steroids, and it doesn’t have mercury.
So, when the time came to pick out the name for the product, I was
talking to my best friend and she was telling me, if you’re picking out a
name you have to look at something that is attractive. When you see
Whitenicious, you see the container, you see the product, obviously
you’re thinking this is gonna work, right? That’s what you’re thinking.
We came up with different names. You know, I was coming up with all
these glamorous things and my best friend was like “Nah, ‘Whitenicious’
is good.” And when she gave me the name, I was looking up definitions of
white. Ok let me define how I see white. (reads) “The color white
affects the mind and the body by aiding in mental clarity, promoting
feelings of fresh beginnings and renewal assisting in cleansing,
clearing obstacles and clutter and encouraging purification.” And guess
what? Dark spots is obstacles. Hyperpigmenation is obstacles.
EBONY: Is dark skin an obstacle?
Dencia: No. Dark skin is beautiful. Actually, I will
send you pictures of when I was 16. I’m not that lighter from when I was
younger, I’m not. The picture they’re passing around where I’m wearing
the animal print underwear, that picture was three years ago and that
was a tan. If anybody looks at that picture and you look at the oil on
my skin, you would know it’s a tan. And it’s funny because one of my
friends who was at the photo shoot with me that actually oiled me up
with the tan sent me a message yesterday. She was like “Why are people
going crazy about this picture when you were tanned on this picture?” I
was never that dark in real life and I can send EBONY pictures of me
when I was like 15, 16. And guess what? I don’t even care because
they’re bringing me business. Because when you take that picture and you
put a picture of Dencia darker, this is what you’re telling people –
the product really works. And guess what? People really want to buy it.
It’s what it is. I don’t really care.
EBONY: So…you haven’t bleached your skin, is what you’re saying? You were tan in the before pictures?
Dencia: Have I…Has my skin lightened from when…like
from the past five years? Yes it has. It has. Has it drastically
lightened? No it hasn’t. Is it what people are saying? No it’s not.
EBONY: Okay. But do you understand people’s response
to the pictures? Because many people have become aware that skin
bleaching is a big phenomenon around the world, particularly in West
Africa where you’re from. And so then we see one picture of you or a few
pictures of you where you look browner and then we see this new picture
of you, and not just that it’s a picture of you per se, but an
advertisement for a product called Whitenicious. And then it says “Say
goodbye to pigmentation and spots forever.”
Dencia: First of all when I did the photoshoot…let me tell you something, I did the Whitenicious photo shoot on the 13th
of December, 2013. I just came back from Paris. I was in Europe for a
month and I was indoors. I don’t go outside a lot generally. If you’re
light skinned and you stay indoors a lot it’s gonna give you that pale
look. And then I had just been going back and forth to the hospital
because I was not feeling too good. My health is not very stable and
it’s not because of anything with this, it’s something that I’ve had
since I was a little girl. I was dehydrated and they gave me the drips
to hydrate me. And when you come out with all those things, it makes you
fresh and it gives you that pale look because you’ve not been out in
the sun. That is why those pictures look like that. And everybody, even
my sister said “Are you okay?” because they knew I was not feeling good.
So it’s not about being pale because I’m bleaching my skin. It’s just
because I stay indoors a lot and I take a lot of vitamins. Lots. And all
those things have effects on your skin. And in the past I’ve probably
taken medications that… you know there’s a lot of medications that have
side effects of lightening your skin too.
And anyway, the picture clearly says “Say goodbye to dark spots and
hyperpigmentation.” I’m not saying “say goodbye to your Black skin and
try to be like Dencia.” That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying “say
goodbye to dark spots and hyperpigmentation.” Now did I choose to do
beginning pictures for a reason? Yes, I did. I did that because sexy
sells. Period. I have men, White men, Black men, buying Whitenicous.
Guess what is attracting them? Those pictures. And guess what they’re
using it for? Dark spots. Not to bleach their entire skin. I don’t think
a White man is trying to bleach his skin.
Trust me, I’ve been running this business for the past three weeks and
I’ve read all these emails from girls telling me about how they have
this hyperpigmentation, how they have these dark spots. I have seen so
many pictures. These girls are not trying to bleach their skin. They’re
just trying to get rid of these little things that is making them feel
uncomfortable, you know?
EBONY: I hear you, I do. And you’re right, many women
of African descent, many women of color, we do suffer from
hyperpigmentation. So there are lots of products on the market that
work to fade out those spots, if you will. But there are also products…
and you know this, especially in West Africa. We see the billboards, we
see them in the markets, we see the women with all of the damage on
their skin – there are products out there that are used to bleach the
skin. Your product is called Whitenicious, of course people will buy it
because they want to bleach.
Dencia: Ok. Will Whitenicious bleach your skin if you use it on all your skin? Yes, it will.
Are we selling Whitenicous for that purpose? No, we’re not.
Whitenicous comes in 30 ml and 60ml. You cannot use the 60 ml to bleach
your whole skin. It’s impossible. And that costs about $150 each. 60 ml
can’t even go on your whole feet. I don’t see anybody spending all that
money to bleach their entire skin. I don’t see that happening. Now, do I
have customers who come and buy stuff for over $2000? Yes, I do. Do I
ask them what they want to do with it? No, I don’t. Do I know what they
want to do with it? No, I don’t care because it’s their money, it’s how
they want to spend it.
EBONY: I want to go back to something you said
earlier. About your definition of white having to do with purification
and clearing obstacles. Ok so that sounds like how the dictionary might
define white. But what about how society defines white? You know that
for many African people they see white--as in White people--as better.
Still. And for some of the women who bleach, not that they are trying to
be White women per se. No, not at all. But what they are trying to do
is to gain access to whatever it is they see White people having,
whether that’s being seen as being beautiful or making more money or
being more successful in society. And so people look at your ad, it’s
called Whitenicious. They see Dencia in a way that they’ve never seen
her before. Whether you care or not, whether it was your intention or
not, do you understand that the success of your product could be because
people think that they can use it to get as white as you?
Dencia: No, that’s not how I see it. This is how I
see it. Everybody that has something negative to say, 1- doesn’t need it
and 2 - don’t have the money to buy it. First of all, let me clear this
up. As of now 80% of people that buy my products are African American.
It’s not Africans. People are saying that it’s Africans because they
think I live in Africa. I go back and forth but I live here. I can send
you the stats - it is African Americans. I have to be honest with you – I
have TV personalities buying Whitenicious for over $1000. People who
work for TV stations like Fox. I have celebrities buying Whitenicous and
all of these people are African Americans, they are not Africans. My
African market is just 10% because guess what? They don’t have credit
cards to buy the products and I’m only taking credit cards or PayPal.
And they don’t have that access, do you get what I’m saying? It’s these
people that can access that.
Now, my other 10% is White people – I have White people from Europe,
America, and everywhere buying Whitenicious. Now, I’m thinking to
myself, what do they want to do with it? Of course they’re not trying to
bleach their skin. Are Black people trying to get White to be accepted
in society? No, I don’t think so. Now I can’t speak for everybody but
first of all, White people love the darker skinned Africans. They like
the African that is Alek Wek. There’s no in between for them. It’s
extreme. You’re either at A or you’re at Z. Now, do you think Africans
are lightening to appeal to the White man? No, they’re not because the
White man doesn’t even like the light Africans. They like the Black
Africans. Look at all the Africans that are successful in the world.
They are as Black as Alek Wek. And if I was as Black as Alek Wek, I
would never ever use anything on my skin. Trust me I wouldn’t.
EBONY” And I hear you in terms of those extremes,
you’re right. Alek Wek, dark. Lupita N’yongo, dark. The mainstream loves
that. And you’re right, there’s no in between or appreciation for
in-between colors. So did you feel like because you weren’t that extreme
color that you needed to kind of move to the other end of the spectrum?
Dencia: Honestly? Yes, I do feel that that is why I
did it. I used to tan a lot. When I moved to America and I moved to L.A.
I used to tan a lot to be dark like you see on that one picture because
I wanted to appeal. I wanted to be an African. I wanted to come out as
an African because that is what was winning. The dark African. And I
would tan and but then I looked at it like, ‘you cannot go darker than
you are. You can’t. There’s nothing in the world that can make you go
darker than you are. But guess what? There’s something in the world that
can make you lighter than you are.’ And listen, I grew up being a
sickly. I’m always constantly sick and from the time I was a little
girl. I’m not going to do anything that will put my life at risk because
God has given me so many opportunities to be alive. Contrary to what
people are saying “Oh, this is going to cause you cancer.” No, it
wouldn’t. Whitening your skin will not cause you cancer. There is no,
how do they call this thing?
EBONY: Medical research?
Dencia: Yes, there is no medical research!
EBONY: But there is.
Dencia: That it causes cancer?
EBONY: Yes!
Dencia: But guess what? The air you breathe outside causes you cancer. Everything in the world causes cancer.
EBONY: If I tell you that for the last 40 years
dermatologists all over the world, many of whom are in Senegal, in
Nigeria, in Ghana, have done research to show that bleaching products,
particularly those products with hydroquinone and corticosteroids, those
products stop the production of melanin. And you know in West Africa we
need melanin to protect our skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Naturally
African people don’t get skin cancer because of how much melanin we
have. But when we stop producing melanin, we make ourselves susceptible
to skin cancer. And so because of that, because of skin bleaching, and
because of the use of these products, we see an increase in the numbers
of cases of skin cancer in Africa, when that wasn’t a medical issue that
we suffered from before. Do you understand? So if I tell you, Dencia,
yes you can get skin cancer from lightening your skin, are you
concerned?
Dencia; You know what? I’m not. First of all, body
lotion cannot stop melanin. Melanin comes from inside, not externally.
That’s why people still have hyperpigmentation. You can bleach your skin
all you want you will still produce melanin. Body lotion does not stop
your melanin from coming. It does not.
EBONY: But it does.
Dencia: I can assure you. It does not. It doesn’t, you
can’t rub oil on your skin and stop melanin. It is something your body
produces from inside. That doesn’t even make sense. And now, secondly,
if hydroquinone and all those things cause cancer why do dermatologists
in America still prescribe it? Straight up. Why do they do that if it
causes cancer? Why is it FDA approved in America if it causes cancer?
EBONY: We can go back and forth about the medical
evidence. And there is medical evidence. Hydroquinone is approved
because it was originally created for White bodies and White people
don’t need melanin in the ways that Black people do. Now that they
prescribe it to Black bodies, or bodies that have higher doses of
melanin, we see more of these damaging effects. And it’s not that
hydroquinone by itself causes cancer. It’s the higher, unregulated doses
that we find in other so-called Third World countries, mixed with the
steroids and other things. Prolonged used over time while still having
to be under the hot sun is what causes cancer. In the United States
you’re not supposed to be able to get more than 2% without a
prescription, and only up to 4% with a prescription, but when you travel
to other places in the world, you can find upwards of 25-30% of
hydroquinone in these products.
Denicia: Yeah, well, Whitenicious doesn’t have
hydroquinone and it doesn’t have steroids and it doesn’t have mercury
because guess what? I’m not gonna put those things on my body because I
am very conscious when it comes to my health. My grandmother spent
millions on me as a child growing up being sick and I’m not gonna grow
up and mess up my life after all that money was spent to keep me alive.
And anybody who knows me knows that I’m the girl who will go to the
doctor for anything. My doctor is tired of seeing me by the way. And I
can assure you that they’ve tested me for everything and it’s never
caused me any harm. I’m being honest. If you want, I will send
you my medical records. I don’t mind doing that. I’m one of those
people who speaks with facts and I speak out of experience. Again,
Whitenicious clearly states, “Say goodbye to dark spots and
hyperpigmentation.” If a Black person thinks their whole body is
hyperpigmentation then so be it. I don’t know what to say.
EBONY: But you know? That’s what’s funny, Dencia. When
I first looked at the ad and saw the words that was the same thing I
said, but I was talking about you. [I thought] ‘So you think your whole
body is a spot?’
Dencia: No, I do not. Look, with Whitenicious honestly
my intention is not to sell to the average dark-skinned person. I’m not
saying that you should lighten your skin, it’s better. It’s not. I have
nieces and nephews who are dark. And I mean dark. And they will not
tell you anything but my auntie tells me that I am beautiful the way
that I am and that I should never mess with my skin. Any dark person I
know will tell you. And I remember this little girl from Africa sent me
an email and she said she gets laughed at in school and gets bullied
because she’s dark. She said she has all these dark spots and she wants
me to help her with Whitenicious so she can have a better skin tone. I
told her to send me her picture. So she sent it and I looked at her and
she’s very beautiful. Gorgeous. Very beautiful. She does have some dark
spots here and there but she’s really beautiful. I sent her back a
message and I told her to send her phone number. She sent it, I called
her, I spoke to her. In the beginning she was pissed off that I didn’t
want her to get light but after talking to her she understood where I
was coming from. I told her she was beautiful. And I talk to her here
and there because I want to encourage her that you should not let people
get to you. Don’t do something because people want you to do it.
EBONY: So you didn’t help her? You didn’t help her lighten her skin?
Dencia: No, and I will not do that to her because guess what? She’s a beautiful dark-skinned girl. She’s beautiful.
EBONY: But what about you? Now when I look at the
before picture, and I know you said you were tan, but I’m looking at a
woman who’s beautiful. Beautiful skin color, rich skin tone. And then
the after picture I see a woman who’s very pale. I can’t see any color,
or any undertones. When you look back and you look at those pictures,
when you see Dencia before, what about her? Did you think she was
pretty?
Dencia: I’ve always been a beautiful girl. It didn’t
matter if I was Black, White, yellow, blue, green. I have always been a
very beautiful girl. It didn’t matter. Do I look more beautiful than I
was before? Did I look more beautiful before than I am now? No. My
beauty is who I am inside and out. It’s what is in my heart, it’s what I
do for people, [and] it’s what I read in the Bible that makes me a
better person. Do you get what I’m saying? I read the Bible a lot and I
don’t see any place in the Bible that says that “If you bleach yourself,
if you change your skin color, it’s a sin.” I have never seen that so
please, if you’ve seen it let me know so I can go read that part of the
Bible.
EBONY: Okay so I’m looking at this one article online,
and it has the same picture you were talking about on it. The before
picture with you in the leopard underwear and the title says that skin
bleaching is self-hatred and it suggests that you have a lack of
self-love.
Dencia: (laughing) That’s funny. Do you know why I’m
laughing? It’s funny because I come from a really large family but I
have always been the center of attention in my family. I get everything I
want. My family told me every time I was beautiful. They treated me
like a princess. And in school I was always the popular girl everybody
wanted to hang with, everybody wanted to be friends with. I was loved.
Do I love myself? Hell yeah! I love myself a lot. I love myself, my
family loves me, I’ve gotten nothing but love from people. Do I get hate
from outside? Yes. Did I get insulted? Yes. Did I let that get to me?
No. Was I ever bullied? No. You can’t even bully Dencia. You can’t. So
it’s not about self-hate. Do the people who bleach their hair, the
people who put perm on their hair, do they hate themselves? No. I don’t
think they do. People who wear contacts, do they hate themselves? No. I
don’t think they do. People who put fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake
Brazilian hair and all those things, do they hate themselves? No they
don’t.
EBONY: Why do you think they do it?
Dencia: Because they like it. They think it looks
good. Does that mean that people who wear those things hate themselves?
No. It’s just because they think it looks good. Thinking something looks
good doesn’t mean you hate what you have. You see what I’m saying?
That’s how I see it. And everybody who was questioning Dencia about her
skin does all of the things I just listed. Does it mean they hate
themselves? If they think I changed my skin because they think I hate
myself then they hate themselves too because putting fake lashes, you’re
changing yourself. Straightening your hair, wearing fake hair, it means
the whole world hates themselves right?
EBONY: Good question. So why did you decide to lighten your skin?
Dencia: Why did I get a couple of shades lighter than I
was? That’s a personal choice. That is what I wanted to be. And
honestly, I just wanted to. I’m very daring. I like trying things. I’m
not doing it because I wanna have boyfriends. And I’m not doing it
because I want anybody to accept me. It’s because I just wanted to do
it.
EBONY: Did you think it would make you more successful as an artist?
DENCIA: No, it wouldn’t and it didn’t. But you see
what just happened in America with this whole Whitenicious thing? Last
year I was telling my sister and her husband that I’m gonna take over
the world in 2014. I’m gonna be talked about every where in this world.
And that is what happened. But unfortunately it happened…well it’s not
unfortunate, but it happened with Whitenicious. …
EBONY: So then you lightening your skin got you the attention that you wanted?
DENCIA: Actually, you know what? I’m not looking for
attention, I’m not trying to be famous, I’m trying to be rich. Don’t get
it twisted. I’m not trying to be broke and famous.
EBONY: But Whitenicious is making you rich.
DENCIA: Is Whitenicious making me rich? Whitenicious
is putting money in my pocket but it’s not as much as the money that I
have spent being a celebrity. It hasn’t gotten to that point. Trust me
I’ve made a lot of money off Whitenicous in 3 weeks. A lot of money. A
lot of money that I didn’t even expect. And I’m using it to build an
orphanage in Cameroon. I’ve always wanted to build an orphanage but the
only way that I could really realize this project was by starting a
business. And then Whitenicious fortunately happened.
EBONY: But why Whitenicious? Out of all the business that you could have engaged in, why Whitenicious?
DENCIA: Why Whitenicious? Because that’s a business
that no celebrity is doing. A lot of celebrities have lightened their
skin, we all know them. Them Beyoncés, them Rihannas, them Nicki Minajs.
But nobody has been honest. This is about honesty. This is about being
yourself. You get what I’m saying? For me, Dencia to step out and do
this thing knowing that I’ll get so much backlash that is because I’m
honest with myself and I’m comfortable with who I am.
EBONY: So you don’t really care about the backlash?
DENCIA: No. No, I do not. I have more important things
going on in my life. I have my health, I have my career, I have so many
things. I have an orphanage I’m trying to build. Where do I have time
to sit and think of these people? I don’t. Because I don’t really feel
bad about everything you guys are saying, I don’t. Because “she, me,
her I don’t care” in my Tamar voice. You guys talk sh*t about everybody.
You guys have said too much sh*t about Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna,
but guess what? They’re winning. They’re at the top of their game. Why
don’t you just see that what you’re doing is not helping you
or them and just try to better yourself and be successful and bring
out something. Instead of sitting there and bashing Whitenicious how
about somebody bring out Blackenicious? Then we’ll know that you’re
doing something instead of being ignorant. So keep talking. I don’t care
because my sales are skyrocketing. They have all these stories talking
so much s*it and it’s funny because people come and they’ll tweet,
“Where can I buy Whitenicious? I just read about it on Bossip.” I take
negative and turn it into positive.
EBONY: So Whitenicious is hugely successful. You sold out in how long?
DENCIA: We sold out in like 24 hours. We actually started Whitenicious with 5,000 products and we’re at 15,000 right now.
EBONY: So you started with 5,000 and that sold out in 24 hours? And then you went back to production?
DENCIA: Yes, and we’re at 15,000 and before this week
ends we’ll be at 20,000. And we have back orders. I wanted to go for
glamour, I wanted to go all out. You see how the container is all
beautiful? That is the trick. Most people don’t even buy Whitenicous
because of what is inside, it’s what is outside. It’s what it is.
EBONY: Okay, so [as of] right now today, you’ve sold 15,000?
DENCIA: Over 15,000. And we’re back ordered. But you
know we’re working, my team is working hours on hours. Like we didn’t
expect it. Whitenicious is bigger than Dencia right now. I have major
companies sending me emails that they want to talk to me about
Whitenicious. I have big department stores wanting to carry
Whitenicious. It’s bigger than me right now. It is.
EBONY: What is the product line? Is it just a cream? Or is it a complete line of products.
DENCIA: For now, it’s just the cream but I’m thinking
of making an oil and then a stretch mark oil. We’re still testing that.
We’re making skin oil and I’m testing that, trying that to see how it
works. Oil is very essential for your skin. Again it doesn’t matter how
Black, White or blue you are, oils are very, very essential.
EBONY: Now you know there have been all kinds of
products for hyperpigmentation, there are things that have been around
for years and I don’t know that they’ve been as successful as
Whitenicious. What do you think is the key to Whitenicious success? How
do you sell out of 5,000 products in a day if it’s just for
hyperpigmentation?
DENCIA: You know what? It’s God. Honestly, I don’t
know. Like I can’t even explain. I think its God. Everything I touch
turns into gold. And it’s not just today. I have run businesses before.
My first I was like 15. I had a hair salon and a clothing store. And it
was really successful. I just think some people are born to be what they
are. It was really successful. And if you believe in yourself and you
believe in something and you pray to God to make it successful it’s
gonna happen. It’s no way it won’t happen. I have other things I could
do. I have other things I am doing. Like everything you see me wearing, I
make them. I have made stuff for a lot of celebrities in America. I
have made stuff for Nicki Minaj, I have made stuff for Christina Milian,
I have made stuff for Lil’ Mama, I’ve made stuff for Rihanna. I’ve made
stuff for many celebrities. I do design well. I do hair very well. You
see all the hair I have on? The wigs or whatever? I make those wigs. I
sew, I make shoes, I do all those things. Now, why didn’t I get in with
these things to the market? Because it’s saturated. Everybody and their
mama and their grandmama and grand uncles have clothing lines. Everybody
is selling hair. Everybody is doing these things. I don’t follow the
pack, I lead the pack. But my clothing line is still gonna come out, my
shoe line is still gonna come out. I just do it exclusively for
celebrities. I have a really big project I’m working on in America.
When that project comes out, I’m gonna be able to market the other
things that I have but for right now Whitenicious is a better market.
Whitenicious markets itself. I don’t need to do nothing.
EBONY: But you are the marketing. People look at you and assume that Whitenicious is able to do that.
DENCIA: It’s not really that. It’s just that people
need the product. They see how it works. We put pictures of before and
after, it’s not about me. And people are amazed at it. And again, all
these people have these dark spots. Like people send me pictures and I
feel so bad. Like these girls will send me pictures of the dark spots on
their faces and I’m like wow. They don’t send me pictures like “Look at
me, I wanna bleach my whole skin. No. You’d be surprised. They don’t.
In 10,000 emails it’s just like 10 people saying that “Oh I’m dark, I
wanna whiten my skin like Dencia” or whatever. And when they do that, we
ask them to send pictures and when they send me pictures, this is what I
tell them – “You’re beautiful just the way you are. Don’t try to be
Dencia. Just try to be you.” Because I, Dencia I’m not trying to be
anybody but me. What I do with my skin as an adult is what I want, it’s
my choice. It’s not influenced by anybody. You get what I’m saying?
There’s no place on my website that says bleach your whole skin. No.
And if people took time to read and comprehend they will understand
better. We live in a world where people just see headlines. And that is
what is killing us Black people. And that is what is killing us Black
people. I tell you, my brother. We don’t read. We don’t take time to
understand. We’re busy insulting people. Why are you sitting talking
sh*t about Whitenicious when you could be talking some good stuff and
appreciating a girl who needs it somewhere? Why? There’s people who come
on Twitter and talk about being bullied and talk about how they’re
suffering from self issues. Why don’t you go and encourage them instead
of sitting and bashing Whitenicious. Why not help somebody who needs it?
You get what I’m saying?
EBONY: I do, I hear you. So last words? What’s the last word from Dencia on Whitenicious?
DENCIA: I’m going to say that it’s important as human
beings to take our time to read and understand things instead of just
assuming and looking ignorant because that’s what a lot of people look
like in my eyes. Yeah, you might be mad that I said that, but it’s the
honest truth. Whitenicious is what it is. You guys don’t like people who
are honest. Take people for who they are and accept people for being
honest about who they are, what they do and all that. If I sat there and
lied about everything about who I was they would honor me, they would
adore me.
And for people out there looking at celebrities like their role models,
you need to find a role model that you know, that you see, that you
watch everyday, that you watch get better, that you watch grow, that you
talk to. That is the best way to make somebody a role model. Don’t look
at us on TV, don’t look at us on magazines and think we’re your role
models. No, take out the positive things and use it. Don’t try to look
at the negatives. And please don’t believe everything you read on the
blogs. You can believe this what you’re reading on EBONY so long as they
transcribe it the right way.
Yaba Blay is co-director of Africana Studies at Drexel University and the author of (1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race. Her research focuses on skin bleaching, colorism, and the politics of embodiment. For more about her work, visit yabablay.com.
Dencia: He asked me if I was Puerto Rican by the way. I was like “No, I’m
African.”
EBONY: Is dark skin an obstacle?
Dencia: No. Dark skin is beautiful. Actually, I will
send you pictures of when I was 16. I’m not that lighter from when I was
younger, I’m not. The picture they’re passing around where I’m wearing
the animal print underwear, that picture was three years ago and that
was a tan. If anybody looks at that picture and you look at the oil on
my skin, you would know it’s a tan. And it’s funny because one of my
friends who was at the photo shoot with me that actually oiled me up
with the tan sent me a message yesterday. She was like “Why are people
going crazy about this picture when you were tanned on this picture?” I
was never that dark in real life and I can send EBONY pictures of me
when I was like 15, 16. And guess what? I don’t even care because
they’re bringing me business. Because when you take that picture and you
put a picture of Dencia darker, this is what you’re telling people –
the product really works. And guess what? People really want to buy it.
It’s what it is. I don’t really care.
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Jewelsnyc wrote:
