Golden Brooks on Colorism In America: ‘If You’re Dark, You’re Not Considered As Beautiful’

Golden Brooks On Colorism In America: ‘If You're Dark, You're Not Considered As Beautiful'

It's been a while since we've last seen Golden Brooks on our TV screens, but the actress is back in a role that is different from before.

Brooks plays in I Am the Night, alongside Chris Pine and India Eisley in TNT's new drama that's inspired by real events.

The show is full of mysteries, but the centered girl is Fauna Hoel, a round woman who has been raised as the mixed daughter of Golden Brooks' character Jimmy Lee.

Brooks talked about identity and colorist in America and stated how darker skinned Black women such as herself aren't always viewed favorably as others.

"I'm this Black woman in America, yet if you're dark, you're not considered as beautiful. And that's not okay," Brooks said.

In an interview with Newsweek, Brooks discussed the similarities between her character, Jimmy, and herself. Jimmy Lee's mistreatment of Fauna is connected to the lack of opportunities for Black woman. Brooks also related to the relationship between Fauna and Jimmy Lee because of elf her upbringing.

"I used a lot of [my own experiences with colorism—being eight years old and looking at your mother like, ‘Wow, I don't look like her.' Not that it angered me, but there was something there, and as I grew up I worked on that. I tried to heal that part of myself. We all have parts of our upbringing we call dark times, and I just pulled from that," she explained.

I Am the Night airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on TNT.