Why is there black racism from dark blacks and lighter blacks?

Question

Has any one else (black) experience this, why is our own black people with lighter complexion treat black with darker complexion awful. and vice verse. I have experienced this personally from classmates in school. Me and my friends who are Lighter complexion blacks, they don't like it when I try to become friends with a black person who has a dark complexion. I have experience this at home too, my mom is black and my dad is white. I mean i just don't understand, we are all black people? Please tell me your experiences with this situation, and what ways we can change this?

Answer 1

Yes, I've experienced racism from my own people than from any other race. I've been called the "N" word by only 3 other races. I am a dark-skinned Cuban American. Growing up was hard because the lighter skin Hispanics didnt accept me (and still kinda don't). In school, I was usually referred as, "La Negra" and was constantly made an outcast by the students including the teachers.
Much to my surprise and dismay Black folks didn't show any mercy on me either. In middle school/high school I hung out with only Caucasions & Asians because the black girls with light skin/brown skin and "good hair" said I was too dark to belong in their little clique. The Black boys didnt like me either and I was snatched up from the boys of the other races because they didnt care. They used to throw stuff and spit whenever I passed. I wouldnt get any peace. I still get the mean color jokes from my own kind though but it doesnt even faze me anymore because its pure ignorance.
Anyway I've never been ashamed of my skin. I love it, it is unique. My skin is so soft and supple and I never get pimples! lol
So there is my experience....

Answer 2

It has been passed down through history. Light-skinned blacks were treated better that the darker ones (still bad though). They were usually the masters children. The Light-skinned blacks could sometimes pass for white therefore get accepted in to mainstream society. Today, there has been a study done that shows that when it comes to employment light-skinned blacks are hired and preferred over darker-skinned blacks. To keep the bloodline light, light-skinned blacks have to stick with other light-skinned blacks.

Ways you can change this is by making friends based on who you like and who is a good person. You must be willing to stand up to those who want to keep you from associating with darker people. If you allow people to dictate who you can be friends with, things will never change. Change means taking a stand for what you believe in.

Answer 3

I have... I'm not truly light or truly dark, I'm one of those black people in the middle (I prefer caramel) and I usually get it from the darker blacks who are like "Oh you don't get it cuz you ain't dark" or "You don't belong with us, you too light" and when I get it from the lighter blacks, it hurts just as much because we're all the same.

So what if I'm lighter or darker? I didn't choose my race OR what color I came out as. My color doesn't make me no better or worse than them. Our choices make us who we are, not our color.

My family has every color possible for a black person to be in it and we all love each other and don't diss based on color, we DO joke about it, but we never hurt each other's feelings over skin tone, so why can't blacks from all over be the same? My mom's 1 of 9 and the first 3 kids came out dark, the middle three (my mom's one of them) came out light, and the last three are red like me. They always joke about it and laugh.

We shouldn't treat each other like villians cuz one's dark or like a wannabe-white person cuz they're light. It's not right and it should stop. Because if their children end up light when they're dark or vice-versa, then what? Will they scorn them too?

Answer 4

This has existed for a long time since slavery times. The lighter-skinned blacks (usually fathered by the owners) were preferred for easier, indoor jobs. White people started this--on purpose. Years ago you could see ads in the paper wanting a "light-skinned" black woman for a job etc. Obviously lighter-skinned blacks are favored or advantaged in many ways...all is not equal.
and this has been true for a long time. I have worked on changing it (when i was a teacher not letting my students hassle each other on this factor for example) but it is very strong in the black culture.

Answer 5

I don't see among our people as much as the media tries to
perpetuate that light is good and dark is bad or evil.
The white supremacists are behind this thinking. If you look at
movies and television they will show the good guy as light skinned
while the bad guy is dark skinned. The same with beauty,light skinned women are more likely accepted as beautiful and good
than dark skin women.

Answer 6

it's called colorism in EO lingo. And it goes back to the palntation when light skin blacks were favored for house work and other things over darker blacks who tended to be relegated to field work.

We internalised the bias and carried it over into emancipation and beyond

Answer 7

I do not understand racism of any kind. I never have and never will. People are people. The color of ones skin has nothing to do with their morals, character and attitude. At least, not in my opinion. I will be friends with whomever I choose and if nobody likes it, thats their problem. I have never let anybody dictate any aspect of my life.

Answer 8

no i never experienced that from my own race if Ur black Ur black i don't discriminate on ppl who's skin tone is darker than mines it's fascinating how many tones humans can come in

Answer 9

u know how it is ... the human race is strange ... that happens in every race u know... dont u see how the middle classs white people treat the lower class whites they call them " white trash" now what kind of **** is that????.... that's how it goes... everyone judges everyone..........

Answer 10

Because Blacks are the most racist people. They always say that white people usually discriminate against them for no reason, but look what's happening the black community is messed up.... they even hate their own kind just for being lighter skin can't you imagine how they really feel toward someone who's 100% white, sound pretty racist to me.