Why black American are so fussy about their colour?

Question

I was watching a Ricky Lake show here in the UK. and i was ashame 2 know that most black African Americans dont like very dark skin. are they ashame of their own colour? What ashame!!! not good at all.

Answer 1

Please do try to understand two (2) very important facts:

Fact #1)

With the exception of 'Oprah' and 'Dr. Phil' ---
the majority of American daytime-talkshows
are 'scripted' with 'really bad actors' who are
simply hired to play a 'reality TV role' and that
it is all 'sensationalism' and done for ratings.

Fact #2)

Contrarry to popular myth and misconception --
most people who are of the African-American
'Ethnic' grouping are *not*mono-racially 'Black'.

Most people really need to try to begin to
understand that the 'African-American' (AA)
'Ethnic' group is *not* the same group as the
'Black American' (BA) 'Race' group -- that the
two (2) terms are *not* synonymous and that the
two (2) terms should *not* be used inter-changeably.

We are *not* speaking of ‘semantics’ here – but rather
– the BAs & AAs are two different groups of people.

The AAs are the (largely Mixed-Race) ETHNIC group.

The BAs are the (Mono-Raced) RACE group.

As confusing as it seems -- the U.S. government
[due to racism & wanting to stigmatize the part
of their lineage that was from Africa which, by
the way, is only one part of their lineage] ---

has labeled those individuals who are the known
"descendents of the survivors" of the system of
chattel-slavery found in the USA as being AAs
(the hyphen is used in reference to acknowledging
the fact that most of them are Mixed-Race,
with African & non-African blood lines)

AND

has labeled those people who are "volitional immigrants"
who are directly from places such as the continent of
African, the West Indies, etc. -- as being BAs
(with the word 'Black' used in reference to acknowledging
the fact that they are of a Mono-racial full-Black lineage).

In addition, it should also be remembered that – although
some AAs adhere to a socio-political ‘identity’ that is
often described by the slang term of “black”—the AAs
are actually *not* a "Race" group at all -- but rather
they *are* a largely Mixed-Race 'Ethnic' group
(and the socio-political ‘identity’ that a person chooses
*does not* change their racially-mixed ancestral lineage).

Most (+70%) of the people born to two (2) parents who
are of the AA ‘Ethnic’ group are are of a Multi-Racially
‘Mixed’ (MGM) lineage – while the people to two (2)
parents who are of the BA ‘Racial’ group – on the
other hand – are of a Mono-Racially ‘Black’ lineage.

There is a big difference between a largely Multi-racial
'Ethnic' group and between a Mono-racial 'Race group.

In addition, there is also a big difference between
one's socio-political 'identity' (ex. "black") and
one's ancestral racial 'lineage' (ex. 'Mixed').

Just because a person adheres to a given
socio-political 'identity' does *not* change
the composition of their ancestral 'lineage'.

For more information -- see the links listed below.

Also -- the 'One-Drop' Rule is nothing more than pure-racism.

The racist 'One-Drop Rule' (used only by the United States
government, by the way) was created during the antebellum,
chattel-slavery era by White racial supremacist in order to
get people to believe the false racist myth that the so-called
White "race" was "pure" and to falsely view the Black
"racial" admixture (even the slightest amount) within
someone's ancestral lineage as being "tainted".

To embrace the 'One-Drop Rule' (the false and racist
teaching that 'any amount' of Black ancestral lineage
make a person "full black") is the equivalent of BOTH
embracing "racism" and embracing the false teaching
that a Mixed-Race person's Black lineage is "tainted".

My advice is that a non-Racist should *not* embrace
the concept of the 'One-Drop Rule' -- as "Black blood"
is *not* "tainted" -- and should never be perceived
or embraced as being so (not even in the
name of so-called "pride" and "unity").

In addition, legally-speaking, attempted forcible
application of the racist 'One-Drop Rule' -- against
any individual or group -- was made illegal and ruled
as unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court
in 1967 via the case of 'Loving vs. The State of Virginia'.

Through the 'Loving vs. Virginia' case, the U.S.
Supreme Court, ruled against both all of the laws
banning Interracial marriage -- and -- also ruled
that any so-called law which forcibly applied the
'One Drop Rule' -- was racist, discriminatory,
illegal, unconstitutional, and non-enforcible.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/991
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1399

------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------

--- Dr. Luigi Caveli-Sforza, who is the Executive
Director of the Human Genome Project and the
world's foremost authority on human genetics
has both tested and proven that more that 70%
of all AAs have a full ancestral lineage which
consists of +20-30% White / European and
more than +25% Amerindian bloodlines.

--- That means that the 'average' (+70%) person
born to two (2) parents who are both members
of the AA Ethnic group actually has slightly
less than 50% Black / African blood lineage
found in his or her full-ancestral lineage.

For more information -- see supporting links listed below:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1570
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1402
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1400
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1747

--------------------------- ADDED NOTE ---------------------

It should also be noted that -- contrary to popular belief and
myth spread among many groups who are not educated or
informed on the whole topic -- it was not the group that is
currently being referred to as being the African-Americans
(AAs) -- who chose this term for them -- but rather --
like so many of the other terms used to describe
them -- this term was also implemented by
the United States federal government
(starting with the 1990 United
States 'Census Bureau' Forms).

If a person insists on spreading the 'myth' that it was the
AAs who chose this term for themselves -- it is clearly
indicative of the fact that they have never even once
actually studied the entire topic and are simply basing
their comments on assumption-based ignorance --
rather than objective facts and empirical evidence.

.

Answer 2

Whaaatt, Ricky Lake still comes on?!!
Well anyway, it is a hidden problem in the African/Black-American community. One reason, like "bebechick100" stated, is because alot of the Black community look down on their dark-skin members. Many still consider dark-skin as ugly and believe it not, some don't want their babies to be dark. There is alot of discrimination of Blacks from other races, but alot of it comes from our own people. Yeah, light-skin Blacks sometimes get teased and hate being light-skin too, and I'm not justifying teasing, but dark-skin Blacks get teased the most and have to deal with not being widely accepted among any other races and cultures (White, Asian, Caribean,etc.) I mean this dark-skin problem is an issue in almost all races and cultures and if you have a light complexion, you will be accepted immediately. It makes you wonder, how can you really love your dark-skin, if your own people and family don't love it? Want other races especially discriminate against your dark-skin, because you own people do? Unless you are a dark-skin Black/African-American you probably want understand why they are ashamed.

Answer 3

Well Rikki Lake isn't the first place I would look for an example of how the African American community represents itself. I will say that yes, some African American people who are dark skinned aren't as well accepted as a lighter skinned African-American, but that happens in many cultures, not just black. Indian cultures are the same way, along with lots of Hispanic cultures too. Its just the way things have been, I'm not saying that its right, but it has been going on for years in plenty of cultures.

Answer 4

It's not just black people. :( I'm Indian and being dark-skinned is considered unattractive in India. I'm sure this is present in other cultures too.

I guess the world is just becoming more and more Westernized, that Western standards of beauty are so desirable.

But I don't think this is influenced completely by the West. It might have something to do with how in the old days, people who had laborous jobs outside in the sun would be darker and people who lived leisurely were lighter (didn't spend long hours working in the sun.) So back then light skin was a sign of being upper-class and that feeling has sort of remained till today.

Maybe it's also because we tend to love things that are different, "exotic" for lack of a better term. White people don't like to stay pale white, they want to get tans. Darker people want lighter skin.

It's ironic though, because when I was younger my mom would scold me, saying, "Look how dark you've become, playing in the sun!" while all my white friends would be jealous of my tan.

Answer 5

Yes, those people in the Ricky Lake show must of been ashamed.

Answer 6

I can identify those people very well. Growing up I was ALWAYS teased about my skin color. It's just that the the models are hardly ever dark skinned and in America the ideal "pretty" is tall, white, anorexic, or lightskin. Now since I am grown I know that I am a beautiful Dark Skinned woman and everyone always compliments me on my skin complexion and my beauty, but it took years to reverse the negative effect that ignorance placed on me.
AND WE AS BLACKS MAKES IT REALLY HARD TO APPRECIATE OUR OWN COLOR BECAUSE WE CRITICIZE OUR OWN FOR NOT BEING WHAT AMERICA SAYS IS BEAUTIFUL.

Answer 7

the truth is many people dont like dark skin women b/c here in america they are not portrayed as beautiful in the media and thus it has affected the americans perceptions of dark skinned black people altogether. i personally think being dark skinned doesnt make someone less beautiful than any other shade. there are beautiful people of all shades. i dont think dark skinned individuals neccessarily find themselves unattractive but if they do it is because others make them feel that way

Answer 8

Don't take ricky lake too seriously. A friend from singapore watched a few jerry springer episodes and was afraid to even come here. Wow.

Answer 9

Thats because we as black people were taught to hate ourselves. But I know the majority of african americans aren't like that..just a select few.

Answer 10

i think of black adult men could be ashamed that they are downsizing there own race-so as which ability black ladies are unattractive??? i'm latino and that i admire my Latino ladies as properly as white ladies. i might take care of them the two, if something lots of white ladies are shallow or superfisical and that makes me %. Latino ladies greater, considering lots of white ladies are interested in what the different person has and if a black guy did no longer make that $a hundred,000 a 300 and sixty 5 days or lost it, we could see how long they final....

Answer 11

i don't know why african americans think this way. in my family's country, being dark is better. if you're not dark they call yu shiite colored. my cousins make fun of me all the time. i think dark skin is beautiful and i don't understand why everyone holds white people as a standard for beauty.