Keystrokes By KimberlyMy heart is heavy as the news of Karyn Washington allegedly committing suicide spread. It took me a couple of hours to process even the allege rumors. Yes, I said allege because we really do not know what happened and if she did commit suicide for whatever reason my deepest prayers got out to her village at this very difficult time. I was determined my headline would not have suicide in it however let’s talk honestly and openly for a minute.
I loved Karyn’s movement. She created For Brown Girls and it has a mission statement of the following:
Welcome to forbrowngirls.com– an online “inspiration destination”. FBG was created to celebrate the beauty of dark skin while combatting colorism and promoting self-love! FBG was created to celebrate darker shades of brown- to encourage those struggling with accepting having a darker skin complexion to love and embrace the skin they are in. However, women of all shades may take away from FBG the universal and essential message of self-love and acceptance.
The purpose of this website+ organization is not to discriminate, but to:
uplift and encourage
empower all girls to be confident & embrace the skin they are in
recognize beauty in darker skin
discuss experiences / share with one another
discover ways to get rid of insecurities
discuss effects of shadeism & who it affects & why
This website is For Brown Girls & Those Who Love Them 🙂
Karyn was on to something in more ways than one and perhaps she was trying to share with us her message of not only struggle but her cry for help. Let’s look at the organization she created in 2011…For Brown Girls. However was she just shortening the title to For Black Girls Who Have Consider Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf? Sound familiar? It should. It is a 1975 experimental choreopoem by Ntozake Shange. Staged in California, it has been performed Off-Broadway and on Broadway. It became a book, a television film, and a theatrical film.
Often we ignore or just do not see the signs before our eyes. Did anyone notice her FB page had not been updated since February 20th or that most of her social media had not been touched for over a month? Interesting for a cause she was so passionate about. I ask these questions so that we as a society can embrace each other and start paying more attention to our villages whether in person or directly. We have to become more aware of others needs as well as our own. No one is to blame however looking back I truly feel Karyn was asking for assistance before Tuesday, April 8th.
In closing if you need assistance, want assistance or notice something with anyone PLEASE reach out and continue to do so. This transition was not supposed to happen like this. Karyn was love and light to many. Let’s keep always keep her light and love alive.
