The peacock is a beautiful bird. Its long plumes of brilliance can extend for several meters, draping over the earth velvet teal and purple feathers. Although beauty is valuable in its own right, the peacock's plumes served an evolutionary purpose.
As peacocks evolved, they became more and more ornate as only the most beautiful would be deemed fit for reproduction by picky peahens.
Like other birds of fine art, peacocks are more vulnerable as they become more conspicuous. Bright feathers and beaks and long quills and decorative appendages only hinder the ability of birds to hide and hunt. Thus the more beautiful a bird, the more difficult it is for it to survive a long life.
Therefore when female birds choose only the most beautiful for mates, they are selecting those that have survived against the greatest odds and who have thus best proved their strength and cunning. The brighter the feathers, the longer the tail, the more fit the animal, the more fit the offspring. Beauty becomes a sign of strength.
As loathe as we are to admit it, humans are but one species among millions within the animal kingdom. Although we may have mastered the arts of language, clothing, and weapons of mass destruction, we still experience throwbacks to our ancestors. The process of sexual selection by humans directs the evolution of our species just as it does within the domain of peacocks.
What are the bright tail feathers and long plumes of the human species? Perhaps large mammary and genital endowments? Or luxury vehicles and bulging stock portfolios? How can we identify the fittest of our species — those who are surviving against all odds?
Who is the most beautiful?
As with all things natural, the answer is the simplest — in this case, skin color. In our society, both national and global, it is the darkest who are most vulnerable. For every deeper shade of black, a human must struggle that much more for individual survival. Blackness is a liability, an obstacle to camouflage, a hurdle to overcome.
Blacks are the first to be blamed, the first to be imprisoned, the most likely to be persecuted, the last to be hired, and the last to receive benefits in our nation and the world over. The darker the citizen, the quicker the arrest; the blacker the defendant, the longer the prison sentence.
It is those among us with the darkest of skins, those wearing the blacks of midnight, of polished coal, of the darkest blue, who are truly outperforming. Black has become a sign of strength.
But human sexual selection flies in the face of these facts. Whiteness has been deemed as the ideal. From Asia to the Americas, lighter is preferred. Asian women lighten their skin, black mothers tell their children to avoid the sun, and lighter skinned blacks are pursued by both men and women.
Here we diverge from the "lower" species. In the rest of the animal kingdom, that which makes an organism sexually attractive as a mate hinders its ability to survive. Among humans, that which makes an individual sexually attractive as a mate enhances his or her ability to survive. We have thus chosen the weakest among us as the most prized of mates, driving the fittest towards artificial extinction.
We should not fear but celebrate blackness. We should honor the strength of the individuals who have managed to survive against the greatest odds. Affirmative action should be obvious: the darker the candidate, the more significant the resume. Teachers should pride themselves on having diverse classes with black children. White suburbanites should feel flattered that black families chose their communities to move into, not flee from their darker neighbors. Loan officers should see blackness as an asset among successful clients, not a red flag. We should search for mates with darker, not lighter, skin. Interracial marriages should be honored for strengthening the human race.
Yet, our society has criminalized blackness — we have villainized beauty. We have condemned our own survival.
The peacock's feathers are fading. Robin Williams is a Wilson School major from Greensboro, N.C. You can reach him at awilliam@princeton.edu.
Read More
The CPUC must not gut its Judicial Committee
Bill HewittEnding the Judicial Committee’s jurisdiction over initial complaints would embolden abuses of power, allowing the administration to evade accountability for University rule violations without the pressure of student and faculty authority.
Ending the Judicial Committee’s jurisdiction over initial complaints would embolden abuses of power, allowing the administration to evade accountability for University rule violations without the pressure of student and faculty authority.
Princeton, let’s adopt a digital prox
Jorge ReyesTo prevent pointless replacement and lockout charges, maximize convenience, and create better access to meals and facilities, Princeton should follow the precedent set by some of its peers and adopt a digital prox system.
To prevent pointless replacement and lockout charges, maximize convenience, and create better access to meals and facilities, Princeton should follow the precedent set by some of its peers and adopt a digital prox system.
What is a Princeton degree really for?
Joel IbabaoSo what, in the end, is a Princeton degree really for? I take a more moderate view: Students should prioritize earning potential — unless they feel irresistibly called to something else.
So what, in the end, is a Princeton degree really for? I take a more moderate view: Students should prioritize earning potential — unless they feel irresistibly called to something else.