IDENTIFY SOURCES: INTERVIEW DONE BE ALL ANGES AND an ARTICLE FROM THE

GLEANER

Question: You could be Brown, Black or White our true complexion tells us
who you truly are.

Introduction: Good day ladies and gentlemen, this moment I would like
to share with you my theme for today which is SKIN BLEACHING and the topic
THINKING DEEPER: EVALUATING THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE MINDS OF
PERSONS WHO LIGHTEN THEIR SKIN TONE IN JAMAICA? I choose skin
bleaching as my theme because I found the theme interesting as it is
happening in our island Jamaica. To know the purpose why persons do it and
to get knowledgeable information from this topic that can benefit me and
others in the future to come. As I wish to become a doctor, this source of
information will be very valuable to me. The topic THINKING DEEPER:
EVALUATING THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE MINDS OF PERSONS WHO LIGHTEN
THEIR SKIN TONE IN JAMAICA was chosen as my topic because I do not
believe that people lighten their skin for racial reasons or for just preferring to
have white skin so that they can fit in, I believe there is more to it than this.

General body: Dr. Arusha Campbell-Chambers is a Dermatologist and

founder of Dermatology Solutions Skin Clinics and Media-spas. She stated
that and I quote Skin Bleaching is the use of chemical substances to
lighten the skin tone or complexion by reducing the amount of
melanin in the skin. Skin Bleaching is very popular in Jamaica, as many
Jamaicans invest in it we ask if they are aware of the effects and why do they
do it? Reducing the amount of melanin in the skin is not good for the for a
person as he/she is manipulating with the color of their skin and this
manipulation can result in a permanent loss of their true complexion and the
situation began to escalate when song writer/DJ VYBZ KARTEL published his
song coloring book on February 11 2011 and it was in this year where the
situation began to get worst as many Jamaicans look up to this DJ and wish to
be like him, they began lighten their skin. As skin bleaching allows you to look
lighter, it also comes with a few effects such as Skin thinning, Increases Acne,
Pigmentation alterations, Skin Cancer and Mercury Poisoning. I personally
believe that people do lighten their skin complexion because of: Fame, job
requirements e.g. Cosmetology, they fancy the white color, Peer pressure and
even to look more attractive.

Skin Bleaching has an adverse effect on the body as we know, but why do they do
it, what are they thinking about which made them do. For this mystery to be solved I
did some research and found two sources of information from which I can present
my topic THINKING DEEPER: EVALUATING THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE MINDS OF

PERSONS WHO LIGHTEN THEIR SKIN TONE IN JAMAICA. An in-depth interview with
the people of Jamaica done by the Social/Media Group ALL ANGLES and an article
published from the Gleaner Company in Jamaica.

SOURCES:

First Source: My first presentation will be presented on the article Skin

Bleaching: Who says Lighter Is Better? done by Dr. Arusha Campbell-Chambers
who is a Dermatologist. The article was published by the Gleaner Company on
August 8, 2012. This makes the information very reliable since this is a well-known
company for providing news to the people of Jamaica and credible since the
information came from the expert Dr. Chambers. In the article she spoke about what
is was, discussed the effects and why people do it? She categorized her article into
three sections; Definition, Social Rank and why people bleach. This type of structure
will allow readers to gain knowledge of what Skin Bleaching is all about. This article
was done to give readers an insight to see what it is about, what made it happen,
where it came from and why do people do it. She elaborated on the section Social
Rank and why people do it as both these two sections as they may help the reader
to understand more about people who lighten their skin tone. She gained
information from Christopher Nath who did a research and found out why people are
doing it, by Campbell presenting this information she is reaffirming her article even
more. The article Skin Bleaching: Who says lighter is better? is aimed to
individuals who just want to know, who may be thinking about bleaching, doing it at
this very moment and who are doing it to an excess. She did it to inform people not
only on a medical point of view but to point to them that it is wrong and we should
appreciate the skin we are in. As she closed with the Jamaican Motto Out of Many
One People she is reaffirming the readers of what our nation stands for. As a
dermatologist the information gathered is credible, developed in a way to grasp the
readers attention and very factual as the information is being done on a doctors
point of view but biased as she did not present on the bleachers point of view.
Second Source: My second piece of information was collected from the
Media/Social Group All Angles who did an interview with individuals in..area.
This media group presented this program on TVJ, which is famous for bringing news
and reviews to the General public. Why do they do? Do you think it makes you look
better? When did you start? Do you prefer a white complexion? Those were some
the questions asked by the interviewer. As this interview provides the people with
first-hand information will this help them to stop to see that they are wasting their
money, that they are harming themselves and what they are putting themselves
through? Through the interview many of these individuals seem to be in a low life
state and they are making it harder by bleaching their skin. The interview provided
the nation with first-hand information as it is coming from persons who do it but the
validity of the interview is a problem as the interviewer may not get the right

answers because the interviewee are being watch by the nation which brings them
to a state of being shy and may often run away from the true response. Also they
only did it to persons in downtown Kingston andarea and they did not go on a
wider scale as this phenomena is very broad throughout the island which provides
us with different responses. The reliability however is good as it is coming from
individuals who practice it and being able to tell us from their experience.
On my topic THINKING DEEPER: EVALUATING THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE MINDS OF
PERSONS WHO LIGHTEN THEIR SKIN TONE IN JAMAICA was done because persons
did it because of low esteem I believe there was more to it. My interest allowed me
to gain a great some of knowledge regarding this research.

PROBLEMS FACED: No problems were faced in acquiring both sources of

information as they are readily presented to us. As persons wish to stop Skin
Bleaching and want it to reach others also a lot of persons are doing it too.

CONCLUSION: I think that the people should be more aware of the effects of
skin bleaching. If possible Bill Boards would be a great start. That
dermatologist should speak about the effects of bleaching every time they
are visited by patient. Advertise that it is not good. In closing believe that a
person should remain in their natural beautiful skin as it brings out your true
beauty. God created us this way why should we not adapt to the way he
made us to be.