Tattoos on Dark Skin Tones
The rise in popularity of tattoos is obvious. Everyone has one: pop stars, footballers, bartenders, bus drivers, teachers - grandmothers. And the numbers bear that out. According to the Pew Research Center, 32% of Americans had a tattoo in 2023. That number is projected to be over 40% today.
However, a little known topic outside the tattoo world is the difficulty people of color have in finding an artist who is competent in applying tattoos to darker skinned people. Atlanta-based Tattoo Artist Kandace Layne believes this is a result of racist mindsets and a lack of inclusivity in the hiring of tattoo artists.
The first handout is from a website, Byrdie, which discusses issues concerning beauty and style. The article focuses on a discussion with a tattoo artist on the difficulties people of color have when seeking a tattoo.
Before handing out the text and accompanying activities, teachers may want to engage the students in a discussion based on the questions listed below. This can be done in small groups leading to a wider discussion or as a whole class discussion. Alternatively, you could hand out the text and the related activities and then engage in a discussion as the article may inspire ideas for a discussion. The questions and hidden answers are also on the page if you wish to project them.
Questions:
Which word or phrase in paragraph one means:
- Getting a tattoo
- Searched
- Different
- The tattoo business
- Excluding
Use the following verbs to fill in the gaps in the text between lines 16-24 (numbers 6-10). There are more choices than necessary.
have promoted rejected explains compliment said have heard play out use got accepted |
Find the words that complete the following sentences. Answer using the words exactly as they appear in lines 26-50.
11. Having staff with different ethnic backgrounds
_________________________________________________________________________________
12. To improve diversity in the industry, tattoo shop owners may have to hire
_________________________________________________________________________________
13. Aside from hiring or apprenticeships, Layne says to tattoo artists:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Choose the correct answer:
- An important quality, Layne advises, when choosing a tattoo artist is:
- Their skin color
- Their style
- The look of their shop
- Their website
- A word used in the text that means racism is:
- Melanated
- Allyship
- Inclusion
Colorism
Answers:
- “going under the needle”
- “sifted”
- “diverse”
- “Industry”
- “omitting”
- have promoted
- got
- use
- play out
- rejected
- "makes clients feel more welcome"
- accept “BIPOC and Women” or “people who were tattooing in unfit environments or trying”
- accept “Show some support in whatever way you can” or “Just do something, but you have to open your circle”
- b. Their Style
- d. Colorism
Discussion questions:
- If you were going to get a tattoo, what would it be and why?
- What is one of the best tattoos you have ever seen?
- What is your opinion of tattoos?
- Why have tattoos become so popular?
- Why do people get tattoos?
- What are the implications of tattoos being difficult to remove and there “for life”?
The first text is taken from the website Byrdie. The original text can be found here.
Text for Tattoos on Dark Skin Tones
Reading Activities for Tattoos on Dark Skin Tones
Listen to the National Public Radio broadcast here on how tattoo shops have changed in the United States. You can also click on the "Listen" icon below to connect to the broadcast. Play the recording twice and have students answer the questions on the handout. The questions are also on this page in case you want to project them.
A new generation of tattoo artists is doing things differently
Heard on All Things Considered
By Linnea E. Anderson
Questions:
Complete the following gaps with no more than three words:
Part I
Nice Try Tattoo shop
- _______________ it's an unassuming warehouse. But once you enter, you're met with comfy couches, walls plastered 2. _______________ notes and a wooden dining table in the back. 3. _______________ only open for three years, it looks lived-in, adorned and curated.
At Nice Try, artists 4. _______________ all of their work. That gives them the freedom to choose 5. _______________ they tattoo.
Part II
Place an X under the person’s name who made one of the statements on the left (1-5). More than one X can be used for the same person.
Who said … | Dennis- Yates | Abbie Inwesen | Trebor Scholz | Mehai Bakaty |
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Part III
Choose five true statements:
- Tattoos used to identify you as a member of a community.
- Some artists say the traditional tattoo shops never changed.
- Stick and Poke was always considered a serious skill.
- Ella Skylaw started Nice Try tattoo shop with a fellow artist.
- Many independent tattoo artists get their start with the stick and poke technique.
- Anthropologists say tattoos used to be something no one was proud of.
- New York tattoo shops were illegal in the 90s due to concerns over HIV transmission.
- Fineline tattoo is possibly the oldest tattoo shop in Manhattan.
Answers:
Part I
- From the outside,
- with thank you
- Despite being
- schedule
- what and how
Part II.
1. Trebor Scholz
2. Mehai Bakaty
3. Dennis-Yates
4. Mehai Bakaty
5. Abbie Inwesen
Part III.
1. a.
2. d
3. e
4. g.
5. h
Handouts:
Based on class discussions and the NPR broadcast on tattoo shops, choose one of the following writing prompts and write in the style of that text type.
HL – Choose one of the prompts below and write between 450 and 600 words.
Article – You have been asked to write an article about the increase in the number of people acquiring tattoos. Write a text about why people get tattoos, the increase in their popularity and the potential problems that can arise.
Review - You have recently visited a Tattoo shop like Nice Try to get a tattoo. Write a review describing your experience.
Letter – Your school’s code of conduct requires teachers to conceal all tattoos with appropriate clothing. You disagree with this policy. Write a letter to the Head of School explaining your reasoning.
SL – Choose one of the prompts below and write between 250 and 400 words.
Email – a friend is considering getting a tattoo but they are not sure whether they should. Write an email where you explain the pros and cons of getting a tattoo.
Blog – Tattoos can be an expression of identity. Write a blog post where you discuss the importance of tattoos and their connections to people’s identity.
Review – You have recently visited a tattoo shop like Nice Try to get a tattoo. Write a review describing your experience.
ToK Connections
One of the Themes in the ToK course is Knowledge and Language. For one of the assessments, students are asked to create an exhibition based on three objects that are connected to a Knowledge Question. For example, a Knowledge Question could be:
What constraints are there on the pursuit of knowledge?
Three objects to explore this question could be:
 Tattoo |
 Hieroglyphics |
 The Atom |
Activity:
If a student were to choose one of the Knowledge Questions below for their ToK Exhibition, and one of their objects was a tattoo, what would the tattoo be? What would the other two objects be? Have the students explain why.
- Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others?
- What challenges are raised by the dissemination and/or communication of knowledge?
- How might the context in which knowledge is presented influence whether it is accepted or rejected?