Why does tension exist between light-skinned blacks and dark-skinned blacks ?

Question

Serious answers please.
It exists because I've seen it.

YOU'VE GOT IT,beautiful mind,you know what I'm talking about.
When I was a kid I got called"Oreo" "Half-n-Half",plus,other things I don't dare mention here.

I know,I'm a black Latina.

Answer 1

For the most stupid reason of all. There has been so much social pressure on Black that many of them are looking to be identified in a different perspective. It is because of our current educational system and the media that seems to only sell paper's if the black face is on the front page because he or she has committing some crime. Now you have the lite skin black that can be identified with another race thinking that they are better off then the average black and by no means are they. Then you have the movies playing up to lite skin black and they for what ever reason seem to help them forget where they come from. And the movie industries sees them as tool to increase their profit margin. in fact the movie industries are using lite skin blacks is a very negative way. And that is setting all the wrong examples for future generations of blacks children. Now in our school system The average black child, is not really taught correctly about the the greatness that many, many black men have achieved thru out history. And believe me when I say that they are plentiful they are.. And the greatest thing of all is that every man woman and child no matter what race creed or religion, can trace their blood line back to Africa. Now I wonder how many black children are being taught that aspect of their culture. The white man figures that that If they can keep the black people fighting amoung themselves, What will they ever amount to and it has worked so far.....

Answer 2

I'm a very light skinned white person, and I've heard of the tension. Personally I find the variations in skin color quite interesting. I can find beauty in the light skinned blacks as well as the dark skinned blacks. But anyway, apparently in a lot of countries, the lighter skinned citizens are considered prettier.

Ex: This season on ANTM there was this Indian girl who was the darker skinned, haired, and eyed version of some other Indians and she wore blue contacts at the audition because she felt her dark skin and eyes weren't pretty enough.

I find this odd because with white people there's an opposite effect. In white culture the alabastor/redheads like me are sometimes considered ugly or too white by some people's standards. And a lot of really white people go for the fake tanning stuff. I have myself. Like people will joke that your legs are blinding them and stuff like that. So apparently lighter isn't always better.

Answer 3

I really don't know anything about that. I am a medium brown color, so I guess I wouldn't see it because I'm in the middle of it all. I know some black people who are so ashamed of their color that they call themselves light skinned, even when they arent. Like being dark is so horrible....
but it goes back to slavery days. The light skinned were treated better and did light work as opposed to the darker field hands. History, whether people want to see it or not is still impacting our society today.

Answer 4

The same reason why people of color all around the world where there is a variation in skin colorseem to have a color complex between the lighter and dark skin ones

kool hand hit the nail right on the head; dang, why didn't I think of that first

Answer 5

it's called Post Slave Disorder. When the European came into power everything that looked European was either excepted wholly or in part. Some of the animosity between lighter and darker peoples of color come from the enslavement of the African. The cross-breeding of African and European created more mixed children of that time. And since the European was coming into power a child that was mixed with European would often times receive much better treatment than that of a non mix person. And from that time up to now those privileges still exist.

Answer 6

havent experienced tension between light girls and dark men but I have between dark girls and light girls. but Im assuming you mean biracial by ''light-skinned blacks'' because were half black and half white so if that is what you mean my answer is I dont know....but every other day when im walking to and from school darker girls ALWAYS say unecessary rude stuff to me for no reason and roll their eyes and what not, thats not it, happens at the mall, movies, even when I was on vacation and I dont do anything. Two girls said ''ooo she think shes cute'' before, when all my friend and I was doing was talking on a cell phone...didnt even know there were people around us UNTIL they said that, (yes it was directly to us) and alot of black girls always caused problems with me since I was young but could never say why or im sorry, they use to say ''I just dont''. I hate that because Im the nicest person someone could ever meet and like I said, I dont even do anything. Im a stranger to them when they say these things!!!! I hate it.
or it could have something to do with the slavery theory. check my question out

Answer 7

It exists, true.

To understand why, you must understand the ideology of beauty that exists in western civilization today.

The people on television, as well as the people in the magazines are, for the majority, light-skinned people of various nationalities. The African blacks and American blacks who are televised, for the most part, are lighter skinned.

In addition, many believe that the lighter skinned blacks are part-white, due to slavery rapes, mixed relationships, etc.

Overwhelmingly, it is because the society in which we live fails to recognize beauty that exists on a multitude of planes, therefore, people are alienated, and whenever anyone is alienated, bad emotions exist.

Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Its because our society says "Light skin is beautiful" and if you don't look like this your not good enough. Light or Dark, skin color doesn't define beauty. And Its not just blacks who do this to each other but hispanics who are darker are looked down on but the lighter ones. Its been implanted in peoples minds by what we take in by society just like big breast are better, when its all crap.

Answer 9

I think that it exists because people make it seem like lighter skin is better, and they believe that's all you see in music videos. And SOME dark-skinned people treat light-skinned people like they are not fully black. People argue over who has it worse, but to be honest, we all have it bad. This foolishness needs to stop. We are all equal. I haven't been treated right sometimes because I am light, and may not seem black.

Answer 10

It comes from slavery. Slave owners treated light-skinned blacks better than dark-skinned blacks. I think that some dark skinned blacks may think that light-skinned blacks think they are better which is not the case all the time. Anyway I think we should all just get along and stop bs drama.