Morena, an alluring melanin-rich skin that every individual should love.  It is one of the natural attributes of the Filipino. Although it does not necessarily define and identify the Filipinos, it is something that binds them to their heritage and identity as Filipinos, and it is something that bearers should be proud of. But this skin complexion is hated by many because of the colorism they have experienced. The skin complexion has become the basis of status, superiority, and beauty standards in the Philippines.

With this in mind, a call for a project highlighting the wondrous glory and beauty of dark-skinned Filipinos that will uplift the spirit of our sisters and be proud of their color. "COOLay: A photography project to highlight the astonishing glory and allure of dark-skinned Filipinos" campaign is a photography project to address the rampant colorism and anti-black-and-brownness in our community. This campaign is inspired by the women of color in the community that is suffering from colorism in their daily lives. Also, this campaign seeks to introduce and promote self-awareness and reevaluate why we have these notions about dark skin.

Colorism has been considered a 'dirty little secret' for a long time. We're used to seeing dark-skinned and light-skinned women deal with their emotional pain related to their community status. We hear about who was given the privilege, who didn't, and why. But there are things we can do right now to stop the stigma in the Philippines:

1. Acknowledge that colorism exists through individual, institutional, and cultural encounters and that it occurs in the community. Be aware of your own biases.
2. Have difficult conversations about the implications of colorism. Start a discussion with peers.
3. Identify and define words that might cause skin-tone trauma and be aware of how those words might affect others. Believe others when they are open about the trauma implications of colorism they are experiencing.
4. Host empowerment sessions with people of all skin tones in the community. Start appreciating the beauty of Morena and giving them equal opportunities as those who have fair skin.
5. Support programs about encouraging you to love your skin tone. Through accepting and supporting programs, our sisters who have experienced and continue to experience it will have the courage to embrace the perfection of their skin.

The "COOLay: A photography project to highlight the astonishing glory and allure of dark-skinned Filipinos" campaign aims to promote the beauty that people with brown skin have. It aims to educate individuals who do not have an understanding of how beautiful their complexions are and how to flaunt them. By starting to appreciate the lovely color they have more and the people around them; aims to end colorism. Let us help spread awareness that colorism is happening in the Philippines, and we must put an end to it as soon as possible. 

The project "COOLay: A photography project to highlight the astonishing glory and allure of dark-skinned Filipinos" aims to raise awareness of the adversities faced by our fellow Filipinos who have darker skin tones and encourage appreciation of darker skin and end discrimination based on skin tone. Thus this project needs your support for us to sustain the campaign. Please sign the petition NOW.