Tell Me How Skin Color Discrimination (Colorism) Has Affected You? And Why People In Our Society wont?

Question

Wouldn't they be surprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream, and my real hair, which was long and blond, would take the place of the kinky mass Momma wouldn't let me straighten? My light-blue eyes would hypnotize them ...

- I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.


On TV and in magazines, you seldom see a dark-skinned black person. Our culture is still being led to believe that having lighter skin somehow makes you a better person.

Black people with lighter skin get treated better; I believe this discrepancy stems from the days of slavery. In general, dark-skinned blacks labored in the fields while light-skinned blacks worked indoors. Slave owners and even slaves gave lighter-skinned blacks more respect. This segregation of shades within the same race is a serious problem.

Colorism has always been an issue for the black community. In the past, some black social clubs and societies only allowed those who had light skin.

"People say that in the early days at Spelman College (an historically black women' s college) young women were not admitted if they were darker than a paper bag," said one graduate.

Today, colorism is reinforced by black children having white G.I. Joes and Barbie dolls with blond hair and blue eyes. It is also strengthened by the absence of dark-skinned black people on TV and in magazines. What happened to "Black is Beautiful"? The black race is made up of many shades, so how can anyone say one is better than another?

Our society has taught us not to accept differences. One senior I know said, "My grandfather accepts me, while he treats my sister as if she doesn't exist because she is darker." I asked a number of my classmates what a beautiful black woman looks like, and most of them gave the obvious answers: Halle Berry and Vanessa Williams.

But one response surprised me. When I asked one classmate, she said she thought there was not just one.

She named Lauryn Hill, Jada Pinkett Smith and Erykah Badu, who are all very different, but each has something that makes her beautiful. She also mentioned her deceased friend, Monique: "Monique was beautiful because she was smart, always kept herself together and did not let her looks get to her."

I also asked my classmates how they felt about seeing primarily light-skinned black women in music videos. They all gave the same answer: "It is messed up, but what can I do?" Most were angry about how dark-skinned black women are portrayed in music videos: "When they do show dark-skinned girls, they are greased up with a These images of dark- and light-skinned black women affect people differently. However, it is clear that the absence of beautiful dark-skinned women and the flood of images of light-skinned women increases self-hatred and division.

The self-hatred comes in many forms; when I was in middle school, a black girl told me she only wanted to marry a white man so her children would have light skin and white features. A junior admits her parents don't approve of her boyfriend because of his color.

"My boyfriend and I are both Dominican, but he is darker than me. My mother thinks that since he's darker, if we got married and had children, they'd have bad hair."

This division exists in our communities, schools and even families. It's ridiculous that we as black people do the very thing to each other that was done to us. Instead of dividing, we need to unite to address more important issues in the black community, like homelessness, drugs, violence, HIV/AIDS and poverty. We need to build stronger communities and help instead of judge each other. We all deal with some sort of racism daily - whether it's racial profiling or an old lady clutching her bag tighter in an elevator.

We shouldn't discriminate against each other. More attention needs to be paid to a person's character rather than the shade of his or her skin.

The only way for change is making your voice heard. You are the consumer who buys albums and purchases magazines. If you don't like what you see, speak out, write letters, send emails. Make your voice heard.

Answer 1

I agree but i think it is ridiculous....i am a dark skinned women and I think there should never be discrimination amongst black people!!!!! We are all beautiful no matter our tone. The big problem with the black community is that there is too much discrimination and genocide. we are all beautiful..don't dwell so much on the physical aspects of a person and judge based of your own insecurities. i you love who you are then you should not have a problem showing the same love to another.

PEACE

Answer 2

So lets say this problem is solved, then what? If we were all the same color, people would judge you by your looks or how much money you make. So take away eyes & income... People would judge you by how you sounded. So take away our ears & you would be judged by how soft or firm you were. So take away our sense of touch & you would be judged on how you smell.

The point is that it will never end. Dark, light, fat, skinny, atrractive, ugly, rich & poor, people will always judge others. Since people have senses & it is clear that others can not tell them how tou use them, why worry about it? Lets say you woke up tomorrow a rich, white, male in his 30's, would life be any better? Well not if you are not rich, attractive & in shape, LOL Dont you see the irony of rich white kids hating their lives just as intensley as poor back ones? So blacks hate darker blacks, I have seen an black mother take almost 2 years to accept her second child as her own just cuz he is dark. To this day she still treats the lighter one better. So one day we will die & their will still be sight, sound, smell, touch, taste & people wasting the sensations of life. People will use it to judge others with it. Seems like such a waste to me. Go out & see a rainbow, feel the sun on your face, smell the roses, take a drink from the mountain stream, & listen to the sounds. Lets others waste their senses on stupidity. Come to think of it I am glad we are not all alike, cuz then I would be wasting mine with the masses.

Answer 3

There was a time when light skinned blacks might have been treated better, but these days, the light skinned blacks might think they are treated better, but the mainstream prefers darker skinned blacks to represent their companies because light skinned and brown skinned are often seen as deviant and less loyal compared to darker skinned blacks. Lighter skinned blacks are often not liked by other blacks, being thought of as either "uppity," selfish, or ignorant. In general, people refuse to admit that race and color matters. Some even claim to go by the content of character and not the color of skin, but if that were true, there wouldn't be predominately black and white churches, neighborhoods, etc. There are differences, and there will always be differences, but first of all, people have to accept that people were created differently for a reason. Maybe then some kind of honest dialogue can begin.

Answer 4

I'm black and I'm not sure if its racism so much as racial insensitivity. Like I'll hear white people calling eachoher the N word all the time. Sometimes I get discriminated by other black people for "acting white" because I'm intelligent (which is sad that that is a WHITE trait rather than just me being smart) Its a mixed bag.

Answer 5

My first real experience with discrimination was when I was 11 years old and my best friend was Indian. My coloration is darker. I have dark hair, olive skin and green eyes. My friends parents liked me, asked if I would walk to school everyday with Bella as they didn't want her going by herself. (the school was literally across the side street from her) Then during parent/teacher interviews, they met both my parents. They had previously met my mom, knew she was white, but thought my dad was Indian because of my coloring. When they saw that both my parents were ~gasp~ white, they refused to let Bella and I hang out anymore because all white people are trash. Broke my heart.
Moral of the story-discrimination goes both ways.

Answer 6

why is it (i live in DC), nobody will look at me or treat me like a human because i'm white? i've sat in resturants for 30 minutes before my waitress even acknowledged me (and thats because i had to get her manager). why won't the lady at the store look me in the eye or greet me when i come through her line? but when my black counterpart comes through they're all smiles? i'm a very friendly person and am eager to talk to most anyone and always greet people, even if i'm having a bad day. racism isn't just on black people. try being white in a majority black area. you'll find that black people aren't innocent of discrimination and racism.

Answer 7

Well yeah black people with lighter skin are given more respect. In a culture where whiteness is what's considered beautiful and better, this shouldn't be surprising.

Though I must say that I, personally, would prefer to see people being 'full blown' black or white. 'Light skinned' black people just look like gross racial mutts.

Answer 8

black is beautiful. every one of all colors is beautiful in a different way and those who think different..... well..... **** em.

Answer 9

I like my women like I like my milkshakes,dark and thick(-;