Dying to be White — The Toxic History of Skin Color

Women paid a high price for white skin

The Allegorical Portrait of Elizabeth I with Old Father Time | Unidentified painter / Public domain

I have always wished my skin was darker. As a teen, I would lather my body with baby oil and bake in the sun until my skin formed a sticky seal with the plastic beach chair. I hated every minute of it. Most women today spend hours trying to get that sun-kissed glow, but our ancestors would have found our bronzed…