How dark is 'dark skin'?

Question

I mean some of my friends are black and they were saying Beyonce and Tyra Banks are light skinned. ...
They don't look light-skinned. They're just a lighter shade of dark.
But I want to know what the majority thinks? When you think dark skin, how dark do you think?

Answer 1

Depends what group or part of a group they are comparing.

I never could accept why lighter is better but every nationality or racial group seem to compare skin color.

Answer 2

Light-skinned and dark-skinned have a totally different meaning within the black race because we are not as light as white people to begin with (most of us, anyway). We come in so many different colors that this is usually used to differentiate complexions. Tyra Banks is not light-skinned, or at least I wouldn't say so. Vanessa Williams, for example (former Miss America) I would say is. Beyonce, I'm thinking, moves away from being light skinned and towards light brown skinned. In my opinion, if your color is that of what a white person can achieve with a tan, then you are light-skinned. Some blacks will call someone light-skinned, and then when I see that person I think, "Uh...no! They're brown skinned." As a black person myself, if someone says dark skinned, I think very dark like Wesly Snipes. If they are brown skinned, it can light brown or medium brown, because there are definite levels. Light skinned to me is Vanessa Williams, and anyone around her color. Then of course you also have very light skinned, moving closer to an almost white looking complexion. It's a subjective thing. When someone describes someone's complexion that way, I ask for a celebrity as a point of reference. And I notice that it's primarily black people that seem to make that distinction, which is interesting...

Answer 3

Denzel is dark... and Wesley Snipes is DARK DARK... Shamar Moore is Lightskinned or High Yellow... Hailey Barry is light skinned (mixed) Tyra sometimes looks dark depends on what her hair color is and what shes wearing.... Angela Basset is Dark skinned for a woman and Nia Long is light skinned.... (those are not mixed) I would say its a matter of what people have in their head and light and dark and all people are going to think different!

Answer 4

lok up on the computer people from Sudan, Africa...thats black skinned..now dark skin...is just a little lighter that than...in the black society beyonce and Tyra banks are light-skinned.
http://www.msoyonline.com/images/msoy_index/img_04.jpg
this is dark skinned.

http://www.sudan.net/graphic/news/people/bush_greets_sudanese_guest_sudan_peace_act_signing_ceremony.jpg
this is what i call black skinned

Answer 5

Wesley Snipes is dark skin, Halle Berry is brown skin, and Beyonce is light skin. Shades of brown....none of your friends are really black.

Answer 6

They don't look light-skinned. They're just a lighter shade of dark.
answer is in your question......
better you leave it to one's personal interest...
some people may feel abused....

Answer 7

I don't know me and my youngest daughter are dark skinned and we are white but we are darker completed than the rest of my family. so I guess it is relative to who is saying it in compression to others they are referring too. Why does it matter we are all the same.

Answer 8

complexion is not to be considered.color is of no matter.ragarding color one can see and prefer.if do not want just see .you can know.certaain races are black,in some degree too much or a bit a lesser color.it depends in the chracter ,intelligence and all that .

Answer 9

ace of spades

Answer 10

dark.