This past Sunday, The New York Times ran a huge story about skin bleaching in Ghana. In fact, it was the cover story in the Sunday Styles section of the paper. The story explored the prevalence of skin bleaching, the government’s wise decision to ban certain skin bleaching products, and the almost impossible task of enforcing such a ban. What’s more, the story illuminated the great hypocrisy in a country that bans skin bleaching products, yet flaunts examples of light skin beauties on billboards, on TV, in magazines and many other public places and spaces. Sadly, the story doesn’t offer any solutions to such a massive problem, but it is heartening to see the problem addressed in a mainstream publication based in the United States. In a lot of ways, this is progress. Not enough, but a start.