Sunlight and Skin – Protecting Ourselves This Summer

The sun is generous in July. Its warmth feels like a blessing, an embrace after the cool gray months of winter. Many of us yearn for long afternoons at the park, music festivals in Fairmount, or cookouts where laughter carries far into the evening. But like all love stories, too much of a good thing can leave scars.

One of the most persistent myths in our communities is that deeper skin tones don’t suffer from sun damage. Melanin is a gift, yes it provides some protection against UV rays, but it is not invincibility. African Americans do develop skin cancer, and too often, it is discovered at later stages when treatment is more difficult. Why? Because the signs are overlooked or dismissed.

Sunscreen is not just for beaches in Florida or trips abroad, it is for our daily walk to work, our time waiting at the bus stop, our Saturday parade. A broad-spectrum SPF of at least 30 should be part of every morning routine, right alongside brushing teeth or moisturizing. And we can think of it not as a strict rule, but as an act of tenderness toward ourselves. Protecting your skin, our largest organ, is a way of saying: “I intend to be here, I intend to thrive.”

Pair sunscreen with other acts of care. Wear wide-brimmed hats when tending a garden, wrap yourself in sunglasses to protect your eyes, drink water until your body sighs in relief. Our elders used to say the sun gives life, but it can take life too if not treated with respect. This balance, between light and protection is where health resides.

Summer should delight rather than endanger us. To embrace the season wisely is to honor the temple of our skin and shine in the light, not despite it, but because of the care we give ourselves.