Stop Using Melanin !!!

Melanin is a peculiar pigment that is produced by special cells called melanocytes in the body during the process of melanogenesis which is triggered by UV radiation falling on these special cells. In human being, Melanin is a major determinant of skin colour, hair colour, eye colour as well as lips colour.

Melanin as a pigment is of three major types. Neuromelanin, pheomelanin,allomelanin, pyomelanin, and the most common type which is eumelanin. Eumelanin is of two types : the black type and the brown type. Eumelanin is the major determinant of skin and hair colouration. It also regulates grey hair and brown or red hair formation.

Melanin is very important as it functions as a shield that protect the body against the harmful effects of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It protects the internal organs of the body and prevents them from being damaged when the body is continuously exposed to the UV radiation of the sun making it an adaptative feature for those living in torrid zones where sunshine is with great intensity.

The most important concept that should be noted is that without this pigment, Africans will not be able to survive in most of the regions of their continents. This is the main reason why Africans are black as compared to those living in temperate regions. It is also worthy to note that we all have melanin present in our bodies but the difference in concentration is as a result of the intensity of UV radiation that our bodies are exposed to.

Since this pigment is so important in our bodies and it enables us survive comfortably in our habitat, should it then be utilized as a tool for discrimination, abuse and racism? Often times, people are discriminated on the basis of their skin colour or their hair colour, and this makes me wonder don’t they know that a person’s skin colour does not affect his or her intellectual capacity?.

I often ask myself this question, why are we using a tool that was originally crafted for unity in diversity to tear ourselves apart. This should not even be the case as we are all fearfully and wonderfully made with uniqueness. We are perfect and special in our own way so we should appreciate our features instead of utilizing it to apprehend our growth and development.

Melanin is meant to empower human beings to survive in any place on the surface of the earth where they find themselves and not to be used as a means to maltreat one another and infringe on our rights and privileges as was the case of apartheid policy in South Africa. There is need for us to embrace one another in love and accord respect to one another for we are one and hence the name Homo sapiens.