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Evelyn Lozada & Ogom OG Chijindu

Source: Michael Tullberg/Paul Archuleta / Evelyn Lozada & Ogom OG Chijindu

Evelyn Lozada just doesn’t get it. Actually, none of the Basketball Wives seem to get it. “It” being colorism and why Evelyn’s comments about OG being “ugly” combined with other problematic comments (think: Ling Ling) have roots in racism.

The longstanding beef between Evelyn Lozada and OG isn’t letting up any time soon and with the squad meeting up for a much-needed mansion getaway a.k.a opportunity for production to capture what brewing tension provides the most drama, we predict it won’t be long before Evelyn and OG clash over their impending lawsuit and colorism drama. 

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If you haven’t been keeping up with the squad, OG joined BBW during season seven and, in Layman’s term, shook sh*t up. Because of her outspoken nature and bold fashion sense, she immediately faced ridicule from the other girls. We chalked it up to typical reality TV cattiness but soon the jokes turned to OG’s physical appearance. She was blatantly called “ugly” by numerous castmates, who reiterate they didn’t call her ugly because of her skin color. And it wasn’t only Evelyn. Malaysia Pargo and newcomers Feby Torres and Kristen Scott equally called OG “ugly” and all deny it was related to her skin color.

Evelyn recently spoke to LoveBScott.com about the drama, “I have never made comments about this person’s skin color, race or anything that should ever make it accurate or appropriate to label me a colorist or a racist.” She added, “I will just say, I have treated this person how I have treated her because I don’t like her, and that has nothing to do with the shade of her skin or her race. If you look at the facts here, the only person bringing up color and race in a derogatory, divisive and destructive way is her.”

However, fans quickly pointed out Evelyn’s colorist behavior after she used a monkey gif, on Instagram, in response to the brewing colorism controversy. Do we need to go into details about the long history of Black’s being compared to primates? Nah?! OK, good. Evelyn denied she was comparing OG to a monkey and also denied she was perpetuating the trope Black women are angry and aggressive despite calling OG aggressive on several occasions. She suddenly claimed her Afro Latina heritage, which came across as inauthentic and defensive.

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Feby, in particular, denied OG’s colorism accusations, during a reunion show taping, saying “my daughter is dark like you, same complexion, baddest thing ever.” Feby’s daughter with baller Lance Stephenson is indeed dark skin, but that’s what makes her refusal to see why her comments are problematic perplexing. Because of her daughter’s complexion, Feby, who is a light skin woman, should be well aware of the plight her beautiful young daughter will most-likely face walking through the world as a dark skin Black women. Her failure to recognize that same plight in OG is confounding.

In a confessional interview, Kristen, also denounced OG’s claims. “Being a dark brown skin woman, I don’t know what she’s talking about,” she said. “I’ve never witnessed the things she’s said and I can’t stand by for her to use something so important to her advantage.”

Kirsten and OG are only shades apart, yet Kristen’s denial of OG’s colorism claims points to the exact ignorance that colorism is.

In her 1983 book, In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens, Alice Walker defined colorism as “prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their color.” Colorism often works in tandem with featurism. Featurism, according to Melanation.org, is defined as “society accepting or preferring certain features over others (i.e. European features over African features). Of course, it isn’t just any type of features but features that uphold the Eurocentric standards of beauty.”

Evelyn, Feby, Kristen and Malaysia may not have directly said anything about OG’s skin color, or broad nose or full lips, but it’s a clear player in this situation. Kirsten may not have faced oppression because of her skin tone because she has Eurocentric features like a slim nose and fine hair that have kept her exempt from the same treatment OG experiences.  Kirsten’s disconnect is evidence of the deeply rooted self-hate within the Black race and for the Black race.

Colorism and racism has shaped our society’s beauty ideals that are founded in the belief  light, and all the things  that come with it, is right. For these grown ass women to ignore how their comments have been directly connected to colorism is not only offensive, it’s clear we have a long way to go in our understanding of how the roots of racism are ingrained in our day to day. Basically, we still have a long way to go and pretending it’s not a thing won’t bring us any closer to the finish line.

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Evelyn Lozada Refuses To See How Calling OG ‘Ugly’ Is Rooted In Colorism  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com