Why are Black Africans generally darker than Black Americans?

Question

I'm from Cape Town South Africa. Cheers.

Answer 1

I do genealogy. A lot of slave owners had sex with their female slaves. It ranged from flat-out rape to what we'd call sexual harassment today. In old wills you read the phrase "treat with exceptional kindness", as in "To my son John I give my ***** boy Elisha, and admonish him to treat him with exceptional kindness". It is a code for "He's your half-brother. Don't sell him down the river."

So - I'd put my money a white gggg-grandfather.

Answer 2

In America, there was a lot of mixing between races. I don't just mean in a modern sense. Some slave-owners would have sex with their female slaves, and lighter children would be produced. There was also some mixing between Native Americans and Blacks, given that Native American tribes often helped blacks to freedom, and that some members of certain tribes (Five Civilized Tribes) actually owned slaves themselves. I know that I am not 100% of African descent. I am 1/16th Choctaw Indian (a civilized tribe) and 1/16th Scottish. It has nothing to do with the climate since it would take more than 200-300 years for such a genetic change to take place.

Answer 3

Many "african" americans have for the most part some eastern european heritage, even though they don't want to recognize it.

Many africans in Africa are exposed to much more sun exposure than most americans, hence the darker skin.

BTW native africans are some of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Answer 4

because Black Americans, were interacially mixed during the times of slavery. The slave master would sometimes have sex with their female slaves, hince the various shades of color Black Americans are. the Blacks of Africa have a more pure blood line than the Black Americans

Answer 5

The weather is cooler in America than Africa.
Over the years the darker gene is slowly becoming less and less significant (despite it being dominant and not recessive)
Also people get more of a tan in Africa.
I went to school in Scottburgh (near Durban) and remember the black kids refusing to stand in the sun when we lined up for assembly, claiming it will make them look like Nigerians.

Answer 6

That's not entirely accurate. I've seen many people from Africa that have lighter complexions than mine.
But it is true that Africa is hotter and has more sun than here in America. That could play a factor too.

Answer 7

cuz black americans have lived in the states for a while, meaning their ancestors (slaves) eventually either had sex or were raped by their white owners and thats why we are lighter, and theres the occasional light skinned child in a black family.

Answer 8

I BELIEVE THAT GOD GAVE US A SKIN COLOR ACCORDING TO THE AREA WE WOULD LIVE IN. WHITES WERE IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, WITH COOLER CLIMATES, DARKER WERE IN LATIN COUNTRIES WHICH WERE A LITTLE HOTTER AND THE DARKEST SKIN IN THE AFRICAN CONTINENT AND COUNTRYS WITH THE MOST SUN. TO PROTECT OUR SKIN, WITH MORE PIGMENT AND SINCE WE HAVE ALL MIXED AND MIGRATED THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE.

Answer 9

direct sunlight

with the history of slavery, many African-Americans have white ancestry also, which explains the myriad complexions

Answer 10

It is a hotter climate over there in Africa and the people get more UV radiation and become darker.