Media personality, actress and event host Eku Edewor, was in an editorial spotlight for ThisDay Style Magazine alongside with rapper and entrepreneur Lynxxx where the magazine tried to depict cultural behaviors for the ” Heritage ” themed shoot.
About few hours ago, an image of her surface online and caused an uproar over what seems to be a Eku Edewor, a fair-skinned woman being helped by darker skinned people.
However, some are calling it ” harmless art ” and others feel there are negative racial connotations attached to it which glorifies white supremacy. The outcome of insinuation on social media reflected ” Slavery ”.
In other to clear any racist insinuation in society, TV presenter Eku Edewor, has responded to the criticism with a few tweets in a bid to explain the true intent of the editorial shoot.
An image depicts younger members of society helping a young bride as she walks the short distance to her new home.
— Georgie Eku Edewor (@EkuEdewor) March 4, 2015
They carry small cases, some are relatives, wrapped in newly printed fabric to represent the brides family.
— Georgie Eku Edewor (@EkuEdewor) March 4, 2015
Other images reveal the beauty of our attire, our traditional dress, Jewellery and the beauty of our landscape.
— Georgie Eku Edewor (@EkuEdewor) March 4, 2015
It’s obvious why people are angry about this picture because it shows darker skinned people in the background playing a subservient role while the fairer skinned woman is at the front seemingly leading. In historical and racial contexts, blacks (especially darker skinned people) have always been portrayed this way but I will not go too deep into that as this is not a dissertation on the negative representation of dark skinned people in art and slavery.
On the other hand, taking Eku’s explanation of the picture into consideration, the picture really could be harmless art. Is it her fault that she happens to be a fairer skinned depicting a young beautiful bride? If she was dark skinned and the young members of society helping her were also dark skinned, would that have made you feel better? If so, why? Ask yourselves these questions. Is it now a crime to be light skinned amongst several darker skinned people? The portrayal of the picture itself is even harmless. She is a bride for goodness sake. A bride! Not a beauty paegent in the midst of jealous darker skinned women.
The picture above is an image of a Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, a Nigerian politician and as you can see, his subjects are like him, also dark skinned. Why has no one ever spoken against this? That just goes to show that we have been social conditioned into hating our dark skin and feeling so insecure with ourselves that images like the one Eku features in, ruffles our feathers.
Sometimes, try and understand the art and creativity behind things before jumping to conclusions and pulling the race card.
Photo Credit: Twitter — Eku Edewor
Credit: Anne Art