Black Berries

Abstract

Abstract:Often the narrative on dark skin in America has been dominated by Eurocentric standards of beauty. White supremacy dictated dark skin to be unattractive and lesser than light skin. This poem explores the rich beauty of darkness in the natural world, from fruit in America to fruit in Ireland, unpacking and giving new energy to the old phrase "the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice." By exploring the journey from wonderment to acceptance to love, the work is a refutation of lighter skin being the only pathway to beauty, not just in America, but globally.