Colorism:”is a practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin are treated more favorably than those with darker skin. In the African-American community, this traditionally played out via the paper bag test. Those lighter than the standard paper lunch bag were allowed entry into fraternities, sororities and other realms of black upper class life, while dark-skinned blacks were excluded. The Spike Lee film “School Daze” is an exploration of colorism.” ~ About.com
I just read a post by a light skin Black author who summed up her article by saying after all we are all Black. Yes, we are all Black. Its pretty convenient to say when you want a kumbaya moment.
I first want to acknowledge, that you as a Black person probably have dealt with racism. However, light skin Blacks and dark skin Blacks experiences with racism are quite different. Light skin privilege is real and I have studies to prove it.
I am going to post on the very tricky issue of Black light skin privilege. Yep, its going to have folks in a tizzy and their panties in knots but I do not care. Unlike those who won’t admit that black people of a lighter hue benefit from light skin privilege, I will. Light skin Blacks who do not acknowledge it are doing what racists White people do when they claim that we are all treated the same, that racism no longer exist or that they don’t see color. You are pretty much disregarding your darker brother and sisters experience. Here is a wake up call. No, we are not treated all the same. Dark skin blacks not only have to deal with racism but intraracism too.
There are structures within the Black community itself that have historically worked to benefit people of a lighter hue. Spike Lee’s “School Daze” movie touched on it. Some of America’s oldest historic Black organizations participated in colorism. Historically Black sororities and fraternities had paper bag tests. Yes, THEY DID! If you were too dark skin, your application to join could have been denied simply because of your hue. The NAACP was a very colorist organization. The NAACP wanted only light skin receptionists. But please remember, the NAACP was not the only one.
Study after study and article after article shows that light skin privilege is real:
Pittsburg Post Gazette – Documentary, studies renew debate about skin color’s impact
In a December 2006, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article it points to a University of Georgia study that found, “that a light-skinned black male can have only a bachelor’s degree and typical work experience and still be preferred over a dark-skinned black male with an MBA and past managerial positions,” says Matthew S. Harrison, a University of Georgia doctoral student in applied industrial organizational psychology, who presented his research in August to the Academy of Management in Atlanta.” For female applicants, “If the credentials were different, in the case of women, the more qualified or experienced darker-skinned woman got it, but if the qualifications were identical, the lighter-skinned woman was preferred,” Mr. Harrison said.”The article went on to point out that, “Dr. Frisby asked 79 female college students — 45 white women and 34 black women ages 18 to 28 — to evaluate the photographs, which they thought were for an upcoming ad campaign. And 78 of the 79 women chose the light brown skin tone as more attractive.” For more information, click here.
The Impact of Light Skin on Prison Time for Black Female Offenders, by Jill Viglione, Lance Hannon, and Robert DeFina of Villanova University: “With regard to prison sentences, their results indicated that women deemed to have light skin are sentenced to approximately 12% less time behind bars than their darker skinned counterparts. The results also show that having light skin reduces the actual time served by approximately 11%.” For more information, click here.
- Shades of Difference: Why Skin Color Matters by Evelyn Glenn http://bit.ly/xBfIrd
- Brits believe mixed-race people are the ‘most attractive and successful’ Daily Mail
- Americans rank mixed race people ahead of blacks socially The Grio-
- All the Dark-Skinned Stars in ‘Precious’ Are Bad. All the Light… The Root
- The Legacy of the Brown Paper Bag The Hilltop
- The Paper Bag Test The Hilltop
- Who is Black? One Nations Definition PBS
- Blue Vein Society InDie GoGo
- Colorism: Black on Black Racism The Washington Post
- Shades of Black Personal Stories of Colorism and Privilege Columbia University
- Skin-Deep Discrimination ABC News
- Do light-skinned Black people have an advantage? Yes. They are likely to get hired first and may earn more money Ebony
- When Whites are guilty of colorism The Washington Post
- Schools’ Discipline for Girls Differs by Race and Hue New York Times
- Straight Out Of Compton Colorism topics on Bougie Black Girl
- Skin Tone Memory Bias: Light-Skinned Black Men Perceived as More Successful Hinterland Gazette
Study: Light-Skin Blacks Preferred Over Dark-Skin Ones The Grio
“The study, which sampled over 12,000 black women imprisoned in North Carolina between 1995 and 2009, showed that light-skinned women were sentenced to 12 percent less time behind barsthan their darker-skinned counterparts. The results also showed that having light skin reduces the actual time served by 11 percent.
Even employers seem to prefer the lighter-skin blacks among us:
A 2006 University of Georgia study showed that employers prefer light-skinned black men to dark-skinned men, regardless of their qualifications. We found that a light-skinned black male can have only a Bachelor’s degree and typical work experience and still be preferred over a dark-skinned black male with an MBA and past managerial positions,” said Matthew S. Harrison in 2006, then a doctoral student in applied industrial organizational psychology at Georgia.
But when it is not mainstream society (code words for white folks), it is people within our own community making light of our historical pain:
In Oct. 2007, a Detroit party promoter caused an uproar when he promoted a party giving free admission to light-skinned women only. Ulysses Barnes — or “DJ Lish” — promoted a party for “Light Skinned Women & All Libras” but promptly cancelled it after women and activist groups protested the party’s premise.”
Yes, you may have been told you are not Black enough by Blacks and you have every right to complain. But you will not be taken seriously until you have acknowledged the benefits of light skin privilege. Once you do it is your duty to call it out when it happens. When we discuss White Privilege many African Americans are quick to say that the only time White privilege will end is when White people address it. Well I am asking light skin Blacks to do the same.
Here is a list of light skin privileges using the studies I cited above (feel free to disagree):
- Having the ability to deny or not acknowledge that colorism exists.
- Be recognized as a symbol of post racism.
- It is assumed that you are race neutral when issues of race are raised.
- Being standard of beauty in the Black and Latino community.
- Being called Black based on the antebellum era one drop rule.
- Being racially ambiguous.
- People automatically assuming you are mixed and it is seen as a positive attribute.
- It is automatically assumed that you are more intelligent than the darker members of your racial group.
- Not being seen as angry unlike the darker members of your racial group.
- Being considered less threatening by the Eurocentric mainstream based on the color of your skin.
- People not making the assumption that you grew up poor unlike your dark skin counterparts.
- Being allowed to recognize the variety of your racial/ethnic heritage without ridicule.
- Within African American culture being called a “redbone” is regarded as a compliment while being called “darkskin” is considered derogatory.
- Having someone tell you that your light skin is better than dark skin.
- Can color, dye, relax, or weave your hair without it being seen as an act of self-hate.
- The assumption that your relaxed hair and chemically processed curls are your natural texture.
- Not being told that, “You are pretty for a dark skin girl.”
- Your skin color being valued by some who purposely wants to erase their ethnicity and hates their own skin color.
- Taking advantage of skin color privilege depending upon the situation. For example, applying for scholarships for African Americans and Latinos and later passing for other than a minority.
- You have a better chance of landing a job than a darker person with the same credentials.
- You have better opportunities for education and jobs prospects.
- Because of your light skin your relatives may of have had access to Black sororities, fraternities, and other organizations that promoted intraracism.
- Your images are reflected in all forms of the Black and Latino owned media.
- People who look like you rarely portray the stereotypical maid, downtrodden, Sapphire, and dysfunctional Black women roles on television.
- You always play the Black and Latino wife on television.
- Being able to be biracial, multiracial, or light skin and still play a Black, Asian, Latino and White person on television when people of a darker hue cannot.
- Not having people in entertainment making songs or comments disrespecting your skin color.
- If you are light skin Latino you don’t have to prove it.
- If you are a light skin Latino it is automatically assumed that you speak Spanish.
- You or your family have much more likely have immigrated to America leaving your darker skin counterparts behind.
More articles
CNN’s Don Lemon: “Anchors of Color on Television Are Light-Skinned”
AfricaSpeaks.com - Dialogue on Colorism - Part 1
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This is a truth that is too many times denied. As a dark, brown skinned woman from Jersey who attended an HBCU, I was shocked to see that the light skinned-dark skinned thing was in full affect. It was so prevalent that when a group of men stopped the six of us, they immediately spoke to the lightest of the group first; if they determined that she was cool, then we were deemed cool. Much of what you say have validity, and affects African Americans in many aspects of work, family and education.
This post should be put on blast on all ‘black media’ platforms. It is the blatant truth. I’m relieved to see more bloggers/new media journalists/activists putting this out for discussion. I’m tired of talking about racism when colorism/intraracism is something I have to deal with every damn day. Please keep up the good work. Don’t stop. Black women’s silence has been killing us. Stay bougie.
Thank you!!
Excellent article!!!
Thank you!!!
Amazing article,as someone who has light skinned privilege is painful acknowledging the ways that I have advantages. I denied that this privilege existed for many months and was offended by the notion of it. “How the hell do they know me and my experiences?” I told myself, ” I never had any privilege. I earned all the things I have achieved.” But I had to realize that it is not up to me to define this privilege. I have it whether I want it or not.
Amen
So very real.
Thank you for reading.
Yes it is refreshing to see people are still willing to speak candidly about this problem. I’m surprised all of the comments are so positive! The last time I mentioned Light-skin privilege, I all but got cussed out on Facebook. Keep writing! This topic needs more coverage.
You did a phenomenal job! I never knew of the ‘brown paper bag’ tactic until I lived in Charleston, SC; and a prominent Black attorney wanted to date me. He had the nerve to put a brown paper bag against my skin; and when I asked him what he was doing, he told me that I ‘passed’. I was totally confused because I grew up in California and had not heard of such a thing. When he saw my confused look, he explained and told me he could introduce me to his family. I told him to kiss my ‘BLACK’ arse and to never talk to me again! I felt humiliated, especially for all the Black women who are treated like garbage in the Black community. I will definitely pass your awesome article on.
LMAO
Thank you
I am a dark skinned black man who took notice of the phenomena of colorism as kid growing up in New Haven, Conn. My best friend from the sixth grade on was light skinned. I felt back then that I deliberately chose him because of skin color because I already new that having him as a friend could provide things that I would not have access to otherwise. During our upbringing I was very aware of the better treatment my friend received over me. And I knew that in order to keep my friend being my friend I had to be the best friend a person could want; and I was. I have worked very hard with the NAACP as an adult and saw blatant colorism at work in that organization to the point that after several years I could not take it anymore and ended my involvement with them. There was a time when colored people were considered light-skinned people and black was reserved for dark-skinned people. That was a time when if you called a person black you would have a fight on your hands. Light-skinned people still do not want to be called black; that is why they pushed for the term African-American, attempting to reduce being called black to an insult again.
I am thankful that there are people who see the truth and speak on it. Thank you for the article.
i am a AA woman w/ light brown skin & i HATE when people say something ignorant about the differences in skin color (& hair texture) i’ve been hearing this crap since birth from my own people & i’m 34 and STILL hear the same comments like “oh, you’ve got that good hair” or “you’re not all the way black”
Very few of us have BLACK skin while MOST of us have BROWN skin, whether it’s light, medium or dark its shades/hues of brown so there’s nothing wrong w/ someone not wanting to call themselves black which is a color NOT a race but since there’s so much self-hate in our own community & the historical fact that the majority of us are “mixed” or multi-racial we need to reject colorism.
I do not say/do things to contribute to the problem of colorism. I’ve heard dark skinned black men (past boyfriends) say very negative things about their own skin color and I’ve been the one to reject that and say “No, don’t say that! don’t think that way your skin is beautiful and you have to LOVE it and love your self.” When I was a young child I used to wish that my skin was darker because other AA females always hated me and I was always bullied due to the jealousy and insecurity of my peers. Now at age 34, I love my self just the way God created me. I love my natural, curly, “nappy” hair and I love my brown skin and brown eyes and big, wide nose even if NO ONE else likes/loves/accepts it. Light or dark, we ALL need to LOVE our selves.
.
.
There is actually no such thing as a so-called “Light-Skinned
Black” person … but rather … such individuals and groups
are actually people who are of a ‘Multi-Generational
Multiracially-Mixed’ (MGM-Mixed) Lineage that some may
have been pressured or encouraged to ignore or downplay.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4160
.
People of Mixed-Race lineage should NOT feel pressured to
‘identify’ according to any standards other than one’s own.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4157
.
The legal -application of the racist-‘One-Drop Rule’
(ODR) was banned in the U.S. way back in 1967.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4162
.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/253286018082418/permalink/253341891410164
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4187
.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/253286018082418/permalink/253341281410225
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
Listed below are related Links of ‘the facts’ of the histories
of various Mixed-Race populations found within the U.S.:
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
There is no proof that a ‘color-based slave hierarchy’
(or that ‘color-based social-networks’) ever existed
as common entities — within the continental U.S.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4154
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4153
.
It was the ‘Rule of Matriliny (ROM) — [a.k.a. ‘The Rule of Partus’
(ROP)] — and NOT the racist-‘One-Drop Rule’ (ODR) — that was
used to ‘create more enslaved people’ on the continental U.S.
.
This is because the chattel-slavery system that was
once found on the antebellum-era, continental U.S.
was NOT “color-based” (i.e. “racial”) — but rather
— it was actually “mother-based” (i.e. ‘matrilineal’).
.
http://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/309460495741441
.
There were many ways (and not solely the sexual assault
and sexual exploitation of the women-of-color) in which
‘white’ lineage entered the familial bloodlines of
enslaved-people found on the continental U.S.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4238
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4239
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4240
.
An ‘Ethnic’ category is NOT the
same thing as a “Race” category:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4236
.
http://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/300777016632181
.
Other Topics:
.
https://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/279223868853420
.
https://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/164203590359746
.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
Hate to break it to you, but there IS such a thing as a light skin black person. There are tribes in Africa where the WHOLE entire tribe is light skinned. Take the Bushman of South African heritage, they can be very light red to light skin sort of a yellowish undertone. They are not a racially mixed group of people at all. They also have very Asian looking eyes, yet they don’t have the Asian DNA. They are a people that can be very light (or Saan), also known, or Basarwa
Again they are NOT racially mixed people. They have a very distinct yellowish brown color just like you see with a lot of racially mixed people in America. Africans in America DO vary because of racial mixing and slavery. However, IN SIDE OF THE CONTINENT of Africa, some tribes are light skinned. The “ndi eboe” tend to be yellow in skin-color So yes, there are such a thing as light skinned blacks who are NOT mixed with European or any other type of blood.
India pointed out something I did not know which is that there are light skinned- probably caramel colored- a distinct yelloowish skinned coloring - African tribes secret as it is kept! These are not a mixture of people but just how they were created with asian looking eyes but no Asian DNA-Wow- makes me feel good about myself! Also, makes me recognize how brilliant God is to create so many interesting looking peoples.
Racism doesn’t exist? What white people are you refering to? I’ve never met a white man or woman that has stated that they believe racism, flat out, does not exist. You would have to be delusional to believe that. However, you would also need to be delusional to believe that counter-racism is the solution to racism.
A long time ago, there were white men that did some pretty horrible things to African men and women. (Republican) President Abraham Lincoln put a stop to that and, believe it or not, thousands of white men died to liberate your ancestors from slavery.
Racism exists, but anyone is capable of being a racist. I, for example, am not a racist. The color of any given person’s skin is a matter of supreme indifference, to me. That being said, here’s a real-life scenario of what happened to me, just two days ago…
(Entering the grocery store to get fabric softener, as per the instruction of my wife. Approaching the end of the aisle to retrieve the desired product, I notice a different brand, than what I was told to buy, was on sale. I turn to my left, and notice a young man collapsing boxes and wearing the store’s uniform.)
MYSELF: Excuse me, Sir. Is this the brand on sale, or is it this one? (Pointing to different bottles of fabric softener.)
STORE WORKER: (Glares at me and says, verbatum, the following.) You think because I’m black I have to be working in here? Fucking stupid cracker. (Shakes his head.)
MYSELF: Of course, not. I thought you’d have to be working here to be breaking down boxes and stocking shelves. The fact that you’re dressed like all the other workers kinda gives it away, too.
STORE WORKER: Go fuck yourself.
MYSELF: Right after I talk to your boss, Jerkoff.
(Needless to say, I talked to the store manager before I left.)
Who’s the racist, in that situation? The black man for slinging racial slurs and unjustly judging me based off of my skin color, or me, just because I’m white?
Food for thought.
Joe was mad because someone was ungracious about working in a store to him! Joe- try being treated to that kind of talk and hostility all the time and for generations on end and consider that this is how we feel. Think about it!
Well aren’t you one stupid woman. Or man.
Joe is absolutely correct so shove it
I don’t mean to sound ungracious. However, in a conversation about colorism amongst Black women, I find Joe and his comments to be inappropiate. I hope I did not duplicate this time.
I thought your article was excellent. I am a light-skinned Dominicana, and this thinking/racism is also pervasive in the Dominican community. Your article’s focus is extremely informative, and beyond truthful, as are the sources you cite. Thank you!
At my job, I’m experiencing colorism. People laugh at me because I told them that the high yellow unqualified women at work are getting promotions like crazy. All of the top female black administrators are “High Yellow.” No joke. I didn’t realized that it was a name for this until recently.
I fully acknowledge light skinned privilege but it will never outweigh the racism I’ve experienced. The thing is some language I’ve heard (not in this article) implies that being lighter is an adjunct to White privilege or that we’re exempt from racism. That makes one get defense.
I honestly believe that colorism does indeed hurt us all. I’ve been verbally and physically attacked in elementary school because I was light with long hair. I was never taught that it was jealousy but that it was a reaction to how they’d be treated by others. At the end of the day, we are still all Black though.
For the sake of our future generations, we do need to come to some resolutions on ending colorism once and for all. If we all, especially lighter Blacks, start making little steps towards it..we can really defeat it. For instance, I can’t stand to see a woman call herself Redbone or HighYella because it feels like she’s drank the colorism koolaid. Another way is to not allow people to feel comfortable enough to say mean things about darker Black/Latinos around you. Act as if they are talking about you too. I really think the first step is articles like this helping people understand light skinned privilege and colorism. The more you know about it, the easier it will be to rid it all together.
Absolutely
Nia, your situation is one where the script was truly flipped on you. You undoubtably are a woman of character having undergone all of that! No one deserves to be mistreated like that and ou see first hand what so many of our darker sisters have gone through. You have true empathy. If you came up in the eighties I suppose you are not alone in your light girl experiences where people were wont to show serious aggression towards a traditionally elite type look that you happen to possess. God bless you. If it consoles you a little,I suppose that to some degree we all have gone through it maybe not as physical but more of an aggressive passive slow torture type thing as women are generally more passive agressive towards one another when they have a bone to pick. There can be so much pain inflicted in this world upon human beings no matter what the color or gender.
I was thinking how I know that God does not want people in this kind of agony here on Earth and that when all the White folks are finally almost all gone and buried and there are a few left- that we whould not treat them as horribly as we were treated- all but physically anihilated. Pain and hurt is pain and hurt no matter who suffers it. I would hope that in 30-40 years when we are more on top and they will have fallen from grace in large part, that I will be hollaring as loud from the rooftops about equality when we have more of the power than they and not want to and enjoy exacting justice from them and being indifferent to the plight of the new minority. I hope so for my soul’s sake.
To your point about the common term of redbone and the like- I think the proper word is “olive” complextion- that is met to denote darker as opposed to lilly white within the Caucasian culture ie Italien sicillian. When you picture that darkish tannish brown-its olive not as in green but as in not White but darker than- so we also are referred to not white but darker but of course lighter than noticably typically African descent. American heiarchy just is so complicated and sickening. Anyways it sounds better than the terms we give to one another- redbone and all of that Well, look at what our sisters and brothers are called- how charitable can they have been when coming up with names themselves! I from the South so I and others like myself was kind of dubbed High Yellow- not complimentary. Every individual known to man has some frigging derogatory and disrespectful name assigned to them. We teach each other kindness and meaness. its best to keep to our actual names instead of referring to others ancestry and demographic in derogatory ways.
Light skin privlege certainly exists. I acknowledge that.
I would appreciate if darker hued sisters would also acknowledge the resentment they direct towards light skinned women. Maybe not all dark skinned women hold this resentment, but it is quite prevalent in the various blog posts and comment sections on the web. It seems that it is acceptable to bash or discredit a light skinned black woman. I have heard comments such as:
“She thinks she is white/she is trying to be white”
“She thinks she is cute”
“Light girls are conceited”
or even “She isn’t actually pretty, she is just light skin” which is similar to the hurtful phrase “Pretty for a dark skin girl.”
The unique pain and difficulties that light skinned girls face is basically disregarded in the black community. Lighter skin yields greater opportunities in a white dominated society, which is why colorism is usually from the perspective of a dark skinned individual. I get that, but there are two sides to everything.
I’m not here to say one has it worse than the other, but I believe both sides should be expressed. The extreme hatred directed towards light skin girls is dismissed which sends out the wrong message.
One of the items on your list sends out the wrong message as well.
Number 6: The privlege of being racially ambiguous.
First of all, if someone is mixed then of course they will appear to be something other than just black. That is not a privlege. That is just fact.
A dark skinned woman will not have her blackness questioned because it is obvious she is black. A mixed person is indeed racially ambiguous.
Number 6 should not be on the list. It translates to: “If I can’t look mixed then neither can you!” Which is ridiculous. Mixed girls will look racially ambiguous because they actually are racially ambiguous. Dark skinned girls are obviously black.
I agree both sides of the coin should be explored. I think the privilege makes it hard to be seem as victims. Even though we are as well. I can’t see having real dialogue on colorism if we silence light skinned Blacks in the conversation.
Thank you Laura. That’s how I feel as well.
You are absolutely right Laura. When you have everyone discussing how things are, you become more enlightened. If not, then you just keep hearing the same gripes and frustrations. One may not agree with their comments but you can start to solve some issues and challenges with information. All light skin women do not agree with one another. We are however familiar with a lot of what we might have to say. I have found the comments enlighening and hopefully empowering in that I can have this subject broached and met with embrace and enthusiam when my Darlker sisters and brothers want my frigging imput on something that comes up in their lives instead of putting them off and leaving them to wonder and be frustrated about important matters to them. Its nice when I can dispel something and by being honest make my friends feel better about the world in which we live.
I agree with you, Anggirl. I won’t deny that Bougie also made some very valid points in what she said…some of it is definitely true.
But I wonder what us mixed/light-skinned people are expected to do about it? I mean, yes, we can acknowledge that some of what she says is true. Colorism and racism is wrong.
However, no one can tell me that my life is perfect because I’m very light-skinned. I’ve always had to struggle with a lot of things. So did my mother before me, and she looked damn near white (her father was white). Nothing has ever been simply handed to me. And I can relate to being treated like crap just because I’m light…something I have no control over. While I understand that some dark-skinned women have been hurt by colorism, lashing out at others is not OK, especially when the lighter person hasn’t done anything to deserve it.
I grew up in the South and I can tell you that it was no walk in the park. I caught hell from both sides, black and white. And the Latinos here are often very racist…I am lighter than some of them, yet they call me the “N” word.
And yes, I agree that when somebody insults me for being light-skinned, it is no less hurtful than a darker person being called names. Now at the age of 30, I still struggle with feeling ugly and inferior…it isn’t only dark-skinned women who are made to feel bad about themselves. I was called “nappy-head”, told that I was fat (when I was actually very thin) and generally made to feel ashamed of my light skin and my looks. I see a pretty woman when I look in the mirror but other people have told me that I’m not, from the time I was a little girl. I guess they assumed I would be “conceited” because I’m light so they figured that putting me down was the answer.
So it’s a bit ironic when darker people talk about the “privileges” lighter folks receive, but they really don’t know what it is like to be a light-skinned person. I can’t talk about a dark-skinned woman’s life because I’ve never experienced it.
Some of the “privileges” that really aren’t…
1. Being approached by guys who don’t truly like you for who you are. Instead they are drawn to your light skin, long hair and “exotic” looks. They see you only as a sex object to be used and thrown away. They don’t care about you as a person, just the fact that you make them look good.
2. Constantly having your ethnicity questioned, as in “what are you?” Sometimes being excluded by other people of color. Having other Black women hate you when they don’t even know you, just because your skin is lighter and your hair is longer. They don’t even take the time to find out who you are…they simply judge you based on what you look like.
3. Still feeling the pain of racism because no matter how light you might be, that means nothing to people who simply see you as another Black person. Being followed in stores and treated like a criminal. Being denied jobs even though your light skin supposedly means you’ll move up in the world.
4. Feeling like you don’t belong and like you can’t speak up about anything because a darker person (and sometimes even white people) will shut you down.
5. As a woman, if you’re light, some people will find you attractive but you will still deal with insecurities about certain standards of beauty. Some people will call you ugly because you’re not an “authentic” Black woman. You will be told that your skin is too light in some cases, but you also don’t fit in with other groups.
6. I hate to be blunt, but as a light-skinned woman, some people do see me as “angry” and “threatening”. I am a very soft-spoken person but I’ve been dealing with negative assumptions about myself for years. It’s not only the darker people who have this problem…misconceptions are held about Black people in general, whether light or dark.
MB,
Thank you for sharing your experiences. You have brought up many valid points regarding the negative sentiment and stereotypes attributed to lighter skinned women. I have also dealt with many of the experiences you went through, especially the constant questioning of my race. The racial questioning often comes from dark skinned women who are on the verge of obsession with questioning lighter skinned women (especially in the southern states, as you mentioned).
You also raised a very good question, a question that I have asked as well:
“But I wonder what us mixed/light-skinned people are expected to do about it?”
Yes! I was wondering the same thing. Acknowledging the issue is good but where does it go from there? We can acknowledge privilege all day long, but we will still receive resentment from dark skinned women because they STILL won’t have the same privileges.
There is another idea about light skin privilege that is erroneous.
The idea that lighter skinned women never earned their achievements, or (as you stated in your comment) things are just handed to us.
Fairer skinned women do earn our success and are not incompetent or unqualified. We work for what we need and want, like dark skinned women. The privilege is when the fairer skinned person (who is indeed qualified and competent) gets preferred over the dark skinned person as a result of racist/colorist mentality.
We do get preferential treatment over darker women, however we are still discriminated against because the world still views us as black.
During the Jim Crow era, light skinned women were segregated with the “coloreds”, NOT the whites. We are still viewed as black.
Also, during the Jim Crow era, women light enough to “pass” could indulge in white privileges as long as their black ancestry wasn’t detected. We are still viewed as black, but we do have privilege over darker blacks.
“misconceptions are held about Black people in general, whether light or dark.”
Your statement is very true. There will always be incorrect assumptions when it comes to black people.
Many blacks believe talking about colorism will start the healing process. The healing cannot begin if both sides of the story are not recognized or respected. We must acknowledge each other’s story, because both light and dark skinned people have struggles.
Well, its not so ambiguous if you know your heritage. Many of us are mixed with something White- French, Irish, German. Lots of menfolks love themselves some Indian and Black women apparently! Some of us look it more than others.
No matter who we are and what we look like we all have people who do not like us and sometimes for the way we look. Its more an issue of the person doing the disliking than the person who is disliked. Truly ladies, we have to be confident about who we are and know that we are magnificent in God’s eyes however he made us and that he is pleased and does not make mistakes. Man is cruel and heartless and ready to judge. We all have an equally compelling case of how cruel the world has been to us all if we each tell our indiuvidual stories of how other women have betrayed us whom we feel should have loved and adored us. Friendship can be so hard to come by. Rejection is never pleasant and all of us as human beings are hurt when it happens to us personally. People do exact revenge for perceived hurts so as light skinned sisters, we need to be aware that we can be the targets of sisters who have been very rejected in the past as well as now. If we had to deal with what they have had to deal with, we too would not always be so pleasant and accepting towards a group of women who have it considerably easier in every way that counts. I know I would probably be soooo pissed that they were getting all the frigging credit and positive attention. It would just get old. I woud be ready to make some serious changes and yes, I would probably be bleaching my frigging skin and anything else I had to do to get my propers. But then, that is just me I suppose. I know when I was in grade school, the same cute demure fine girls were so admired by all the cute boys! By 4th grade this idarned on me. I started to try to emulate them. I changed my whole demeanor and outward personality all to just changed that frigging scenereo. it got old and redundant. That was not even about race- that was just a girl thing. Even more about a more serious issue like race. To my darker sisters- just know not all fair skinned people are mean and ignorant.
Very true, Anggirl…I should clarify that it wasn’t my intention to dismiss what dark-skinned women deal with, just in case anyone misunderstood.
When I asked what light-skinned (black and/or mixed) people are expected to do about the situation, I mean this…we can talk about it all day. Conversations are good because dialogue helps us to understand other perspectives. But like you said, what more can be done to fix the issue? I feel like some people want to complain and blame and attack light-skinned women, but this is neither helpful nor productive. It doesn’t move us forward as a people. And it only serves to make lighter people feel defensive, as if they should be ashamed of who they are and should apologize for being of a lighter hue. What might help is if we learned to respect one another (no matter what we look like) and uplift one another, instead of falling victim to “crabs in a barrel” syndrome.
I won’t deny that some light-skinned women are privileged and in some cases, depending on the person, it goes to their heads. But I will say that most light-skinned women (excluding the ignorant ones) don’t spend their time trying to oppress their darker sisters. I’ve never looked at a dark-skinned woman and belittled her for her appearance, or acted as though I were superior because my skin contains far less melanin than hers. I know that some ignorant light-skinned women do engage in this behavior, unfortunately. And the few “bad apples” can ruin the whole bunch sometimes…they make it more difficult for those of us who don’t have a superiority complex.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that even for those of us light enough to “pass”, life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Privilege is sometimes perceived, because people don’t always know what is going on in somebody else’s life. Their life might seem ideal from the outside, but you just never know. My mother was a gorgeous woman in her youth…very fair skin, long wavy hair, a lovely face, hourglass shape, etc. And lots of women hated her without even knowing her because they assumed that she was a “b*tch” simply based on her looks. They hated her for being a pretty girl who just happened to be light with long hair. But what they didn’t know was that she had a very difficult life, filled with pain. Some people are blind to the struggles of others because they can’t see beyond the surface.
I totally agree with you…”we must acknowledge each other’s story, because both light and dark-skinned people have struggles”. Very true! We shouldn’t reject one another or try to hurt one another because whether light or dark or in the middle, we are all caught in the system of racism/colorism somehow. I know that Bougie talked about that in her post, but I feel like only one side is being heard in these discussions and we need to be careful about not showing empathy to everyone, because it isn’t only the darker sistas who experience colorism. As I stated in my first post, I was mistreated by other Black people because of what I looked like and those experiences have stayed with me. It is wrong for a grown woman to tell a little girl that she is ugly, because her skin is the “wrong” color…this happened to me as a light-skinned child and it is also wrong to do it to darker children. Black children in general need all the validation they can get, because this society is not kind to some of us. This is why I tell both of my daughters on a daily basis that they are beautiful and loved. And I don’t allow other people to comment negatively on their features, complexion, hair, weight, etc. Some Black people have a nasty habit of doing this, even to very young kids, and I don’t want my girls to grow up feeling the way I did. I want them to be proud of who they are and to be confident and to know that they are worthy human beings. I want them to love and respect themselves, and to treat others fairly. And above all, I don’t want them feeling like they need to apologize for being lighter than some other girl, as if they should be ashamed of their skin. We are who we are…as long as we treat others right, that is what matters.
@MB I appreciate your honesty. And some dark skin people have become the worst at
“you got pretty hair”
and the pedestaling of light skin people, the whole thing is out of control, i just knew it would be a thing of the past with my generation 70’s baby, but it seems to have gotten worse
Kudos Sister! Keep telling the truth. Afterall the truth hurts, most “can’t handle the truth” but only the truth will set us free.
I have become so politically correct through the years that there is so much I don’t say anymore. Thank you for not doing the same, know that you raise many people’s concerns and observations (in this an other posts) but we again, have been beat into submission of not rocking the boat, not wanting to deal with the backlash of liars/denialists/deluded ones—these types are not very rational or logical anyway, as afterall you have to be honest to be. But they use dime store psychology and half truthisms, play the victim, change the issue and derail and honest discourse.
Once again, you ain’t doing nothing but telling the truth. I have lived it my entire life with a light skin sister, a light skin best friend whose Mother told another parent of a light skin friend that they shouldn’t be playing with me.
We are so sick as a people and most of it stems from our DISHONESTY!
And for all that “what am I supposed to do about it” a victim line…what everyone should do about everything.. BE HONEST!
If you can’t acknowledge the following you are part of the problem and actually being abusive by failing to acknowledge reality, this does not say that light skin people don’t have their own story but that is not what is being discussed (again, change/derail the subject)
The subject is dark skin black women
1.There is intra-racism within the black community where light skin is placed above dark skin
2.Hollywood roles for dark skin women (gone with the wind) have followed a certain stereotype and lighter skin women have had more camera time than dark skin women
Now the issue of light skin seen as black is another issue that is not being discussed and the above is true and unfair, abusive psychologically and damaging
Although your argument is minimally valid the first place in my young life I experienced racism was among my own darker skinned brothers and sisters young and old alike we have managed to perpetuate Willie Lynch it’s time to let go of the color difference and bond together as one it is not our fault that Some darker some lighter… it’s time to put imposed differences away
I was just telling a offline friend about what is going on on this post. She laughed.
She ended up saying how they are so used to be the center of attention within the black community that even when dark skinned black women are talking, they have to one up it and regain the center of attention, even out victiming someone where clearly they were not the most severely victimized.
As my friend pointed out from them being in the house there has been preferential treatment when dark skinned was out in the fields.
I suppose the article strikes that cord in me as well. Woe is me even though I am getting all the goodies! Your friend is funny and makes a valid point. However, ladies, we should make the efforts to see things from one another’s point of view to gain empathy which is always a good thing. The article is great in that it starts a pretty honest conversation about our experiences and how we really do feel and maybe why. If it helps us understand and learn more about our realities, its a good thing. Oprah encourages the colorism conversation. Its not so easy for light skin people to want to discuss and so most darker complextion people get stopped when they even broach the conversation with us. We get defensive. My personal tale of woe when I was young was the obvious- not accepted by either White or Black! I chuckle now because I understand that in the big scheme of things life is about what you make of it- your choices and your attitudes and giving God glory but still we must address that racism makes it a whole lot easier for some to do better than others and when we can address this as individuals we can then address the frigging elephant in the room and improve things by showing our Darker sisters and brothers that indeed we do care very much and would do anything we could to improve their plight if that is indeed how we feel and if not then they need to know that too.
Hey Rated R,…
Just some food for thought for you…. Being in the house Constantly RAPED by the Master and baring his unwanted children, who would ALSO be slaves or sold was NOT a “privilege” I am sure any lighter skinned woman would have chosen the field any day of the week over being RAPED by their! abuser…Just something to think about when you are diminishing the pain of Light Skin woman’s ….
I guess i should start of by staying that I am light skinned, confused as mixed my whole life. I can admit that there is a slight privilege i have over my darker skinned relatives. But are the privileges really that huge? There are bigger issues to be dealt with than skin tone. People of color, no matter what shade of lightness, are still subhuman to all white people. Instead of focusing on infighting, we should focus on the bigger picture, equality for all, not just light and dark skinned.
The way the issue is describe here, i feel like everyone who isnt dark is bad. I dont think mixed races are bad, nor light skinned “pure”(if you will) race, or even being dark.
What i do think is that being attracted to some that is mixed or looks mixed is an evolutionary trait. We werent meant to stay one race, so its programmed in us to find skin tones closer to mixed skin tones as more favorable. Ask anyone, white or black, what they want their baby to look like and majority would say a mixed baby.
I do feel for my dark skinned brethren, but everyone has their injustices that they have to face. Its easy to complain and dwell on it, but that slows down progress. We have to keep going and sticking with the people who have positive messages and ideas and leave behind those trying to hold us back.
I hope i explain my view well. But nonetheless good article, on a topic not thought about outside black communities
I wish I had the time to read all of the comments., then I’d know if my points were already made.
I am what folk laughingly call “light, bright, and damn near white”. I don’t like it. I don’t like being called “redbone” or “red”.
I am usually treated poorly by my black sisters who THINK - no, they KNOW - I think I’m better than them. The ones who hate themselves are the worst or the saddest. They also KNOW that I ALWAYS benefit from my skin.
I had to physically fight frequently in order not to be abused by those who instantly hated me for my color.
I always thought of myself as “black”, so when it finally dawned on me how light I am, it was a revelation. We were not taught to focus on that in my immediate family.
White people are not always happy to see a walking reminder of what they, as a people, have done.
And, it’s funny how some of the greatest revolutionaries in my time were/are light-skin-ded.
Lawd knows they could have just sat back and been mellow-yellow.
Wow, Karen, when did you come up? Sounds like a tough childhood- wow- you sound a little angry. Don’t be resentful. I am sure you are a lovely and beautiful woman inside and out. My Mama being from the country would have called you “Like White”! I always found most girls like that beauty queens. and cool chicks. see you have a fan base and you have foes- just like everybody else. To point out the obvious to your ending- the people who tried to propel the race - your Angela Davis and Huey Newtons and the like some of which were light soe of which were not- all felt compelled to get off their behinds and be relevant- they most certainly would not agree with yellow is mellow and white is right. They put energy and efforts into improving things in a time when our people were becoming very Afrocentric which kind of put their physical appearance in question. Personally, if I have to loose a job or be rejected because I do not look like the Black woman that I feel inside- that’s fine if it means the true advancement of our race such as a Black President and the browning America. Truly, racism is so redundant- don’;t you just want to see the underdog win for a change- reversal of fortune. I can’t wait.
Thank so very much for calling out my privilege. I will sayI have been guilty of the first line. But see my mother has a darker complexion like milk chocolate. And my mom was dating a white man and people automatically assumed I was biracial. It really gave me somer to think about. I will work on deconstructing this white supremacist and disgusting ideology within society.
Now, that is a mouthful- Go Bri. This is my kind of light skinned woman!
I am so glad I found this article. I am very vocal on issues effecting the black community. Often times my experiences are discredited because I am half white, it’s not my place to get mad because at the end of the day there is a light skinned privilege.
Light skinned women need to acknowledge the privilege and plight of dark skinned women. It is extremely ignorant to say that “we are all black” and act as if skin tone does not play a role in how we are perceived in Amerikkka.
Amen
I was loving your blog until I came upon this article. It’s racist against your own people and ignorant.
Do dark-skinned Black women really sit around and dream about this so-called “light-skin privilege” some of us supposedly have?
Let me enlighten you: those are your dreams, your fantasies, and your wishing to look like I do.
And if this stuff does exist, what am I and others who look like me supposed to do about it? I was born looking this way from two Black parents and was never treated like anything special, since in my family we are all different shades, from deep black to milky white.
Your blog seemed like it was written by someone who had intelligence until I came upon this article.
You are no better than a racist white person. Please go away and stop crying because you don’t look like Vanessa Williams.
I had to laugh at your comment. Authentic or real black women don’t want to look like you. I am sorry you don’t seem to understand the subject. But it is concerning people being treated better because they are closer to white. You want to keep the privilege going from your statements. I am glad I don’t look like Vanessa Williams my race is never questioned. And why are you so hurt by her pointing out the truth. Even the other light people acknowledged it. You are hurt because you fear that you may lose the only privilege you have based on being light because we know white people see you as black and treat you as such.
Its good that the Darker sister is glad that she is noticably of African descent. I hope that more people can feel the same. We all can’t be. I didn’t come out darker so I have made my peace with my appearance- i wouldn’t mind have Vanessa’s eyes- hey she was the first Black Ms. USA- that at one time- 30 years ago or so was almost equivalent to First Black president- and when they decrowned her another sister was there to take her place. I wanted to point out that maybe Reese doesn’t get treated like the crap you claimed- but look at what all Vanessa had to go through- after all her White counterparts have never been humiliated like that. You do make the point that Light skinned women can be humilated at times. I embrace my Irish ancestry- My Mom had told me that her Irish Grandfather was a nice White man- was always- relatively- good to them- light skinned privilidge I would imagine back in the 1920s. He hired my Mom’s Father who was married to his half white daughter.(biracial) My upbringing: I was told that I had plenty of White in me so I should embrace that heritage as well to a degree as in not to hate them. I was stunned to be told this as I felt we needed to mobilize! At any rate, I thought the old Irishmen seemed to have made quite the impression on my Mom who was the only grandfather she ever knew so I came up thinking that all or most Irish men were probably pretty cool dudes.
I am mixed race and I must say, while I totally agree with this article and being in school still see firsthand what you say, I have experienced many of these things in a different way. I look white or Hispanic, but when people meet my father and find out I am 1/2 black, they tend to treat me different. I get very angry at school because blacks our stereotyped to be hoodlums, teachers meet my dad and I get treated different. Its really aggravating.
On one hand, yes, light skinned and since I am, biracial people get treated better. On the other hand, the victim line thing makes me mad because some of us do acknowledge the problems darker skinned people go through, I fight racism whenever I can, and I really can’t change anything beyond that. While we have our different struggles, lets stuck together in a fight were all still fighting, no matter the scale!
You are a lovely person. Still you can do more.
With all that you are given, much is expected. Look for creative ways to be relevant where it has an impact on the masses- this is what we are asked to be thinking about. Lovely is fine but still our people are just continually being enslaved of sort. What can we do- stand with and join those who are changing things and not being able to share or even loose some of the favor that we have because people treat us more humanly than our darker sisters and brothers. We are asked to not only be lovely which is the least we can do but also to be effective. To put our advantages to an effective use for those people we purport to love and care about and have empathy for.
I am of Puerto Rican, African and Arabic descent. I am light skinned, with long curly hair, I don’t consider myself anything BUT black though. As much as I hate colorism in the black community, I can’t stand to hear white people call themselves Native American, when they don’t look or seem the least bit Native American. You ask them their tribe, and it’s always Cherokee. lol White people have the colorism thing too, they want to be warriors, or like the tanned Native Americans. They also tend to try to point out how “well they tan” all the time. Some even hold their arm up to me to compare the color. It’s ridiculous and I feel embarrassed for them. The white women I know, they want that exotic sort of Asian look that the Native Americans have. White people like to use my skin as a comparison to their own skin. It’s sad when they say they can “get darker” and it’s really annoying. There are other cultures that also believe in colorism,. I see East Indians who try to lighten their skin as well as some women in Thailand. It’s ridiculous, everyone running around wanting to look more white, when you have White folks wanting to be more Native American. I think I hear white people call themselves Native American more than Black people do?
@ reese - No reese, you sound like a fool, and you didn’t laugh at my comment, you became angry at it. You have no reading comprehension. “You’re glad you don’t look like Vanessa Williams”-that is so stupid. I would gladly look like the new “It Girl” Lupita, because she’s a beautiful, elegant woman. Who cares what her skin color is? YOU DO! You hate yourself-and that is YOUR problem, not mine. As the above commenter said, this playing the victim is too much! Get over yourself, stop crying and join the life party.
You’re whining about being dark, but the Black women who are the most successful in the arts, education, business and science are not fair-skinned. But that’s because they’re not sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, wishing they were light-skinned.
You’re glad because no one questions your Black card? Well, I am more than my color. If you want to walk around waving your color-card all day be my guest…
You’re probably just ugly. And stupid. And ugly cannot be helped but stupidity can damn sure be. Get over yourself.
well I’m light skinned and I am in no way even thinking about how light my skin is. I do think Vanessa Williams is gorgeous, but Lupita is beautiful as well. All women regardless of color should be happy in their skin.
Not all light skinned blacks care about color, and not all of us even think about our skin tone as an advantage. I think some people need to get over themselves and stop complaining about skin color differences among blacks, because what black people don’t realize is that we are ALLL seen as BROWN darker than white people, so they don’t care about our petty fights. It’s just like Asians when Japanese hates being called Philippians because they are darker Asians? It’s getting absolutely ridiculous. Did y’all know that the biggest consumers of plastic surgery are Koreans? And the people who buy the most skin lightening creams are East Indians and people from Thailand. Color-ism is even worse in some parts o f the country. I really hate when these articles are written to divide and attack people for something they can’t even help, I can’t believe that we haven’t come further than this? First let’s focus on the REAL enemy to black women, and that IS black men, I came here to discuss these terrible black men who do black women wrong, not to read about something as ridiculous as this. Let’s stay focused and supportive. Believe me, people like Tommy Sotomayor and other black men who disrespect black women get a KICK out of us fighting over skin color and they want us to hate each other so they can continue screwing with us emotionally.
Wow Toni. That is quite the viewpoint! We really should stay on the topic which is how we regard ourselves and one another before we begin to chat about our sexuality and those issues. That is kind of going off on a tanget- but I can see its dear to your heart and this forum offers us a chance to discuss what is important to us and what comes to mind. To one of your points- I read a book this Summer from a leading Black female psychology expert about the contemporary history of Black women and men’srelationships- turns out that they left Darker sisters for us and over the past 20 plus years left us for the “real” thing- one of my personal protagonist- White Women! So my Sister, you really don’t have to worry about it anymore- the brothers no longer really want any of us!
Giving these awful black men what t hey want by fighting over who’s the “lightest” or how light skinned blacks don’t like dark skinned blacks (Supposedly) Is taking the whole website off focus, this is not something we should be discussing when we all know who is the real enemy to black women.
I am a light-skinned black woman who comes from a family of vastly different hues in both my immediate and extended families. I also consider myself fortunate that my parents didn’t practice colorism and taught us to see beauty of all kinds. However, my experiences and observations of dynamics among black folks outside the family showed me just how different the realities out here were from my familial experiences. I saw, and continue to see, just how poorly dark-skinned black women are treated both inside and outside of our race. I have a cousin one generation removed who is dark-complexioned and who as an adult complained to me about how the paternal side of her family gave her an unnecessary complex about her dark skin. She has told me that the negativity she was forced to endure as a child has been somewhat mitigated by the fact that no one on this side of her family has done that to her. In fact, I took care of her myself for a brief period of her childhood, and I always assured her that she was beautiful. I reminded her of that when, as an adult, she related her bad experiences at their hands. My own daughter is a coppery brown and gets quite dark in the summer if she’s in the sun for any extended period. She has told me how some ignoramuses tell her she’s pretty for a dark girl. As she was growing up, I always praised her complexion, which she inherited from her father. No matter what shade she turned out to be, I would have done the same thing because it’s about instilling a healthy self-respect. I consider it vitally important in preparing kids for the realities of dealing with a society that devalues black folks, especially our dark-skinned brothers and sisters. As for privileges, I have noticed certain ones throughout my life, one being that white folks view me as less threatening, and another having situations where guys paid attention to me and overlooked the darker women I was with. I have also been judged as “stuck up” and not being a “real black woman” by men who were angered that I wouldn’t give them the time of day. As far as I was concerned, no self-respecting woman of ANY hue would have given them the time of day, so their insults rolled off my back. Denying colorism may be a privilege, but I have listened to too many stories about the destructiveness of colorism from both light and dark folks to be either able or willing to be in that kind of denial. It is very real, and a direct result of internalizing white supremacy and black inferiority in ways that continue to hold us all back.
I love your writing Anne. I like the way you tell a story. You get it. The very worse is when families do that to their family members- that’s sick which of course reflects the sick society we live in. When we hate ourselves or kill ourselves it is so very tragic. When we as a people look at ourselves and each other in the same way as people who preside over us is the worst! Right there we have been slaughtered. A lot of people have that story- Oprah included. One of the great things about this forum of comments and interest and issues is that it allows us to be apart of one another’s lives. It allows us to not be alone in our thoughts which can become tragic- our thoughts and spirits depressed. When we chat and listen we become one and not so succeptible to those inferiority and superiority evil notions that aim to reduce our true noble selves.
You know…I never heard “your skin is so beautiful” until I left the U.S at age 22. When I was abroad, I heard it ALL the time from all nationalities and ethnicities. But none of these people were American. I’ve been thinking about that lately.
I’m a brown skinned African American woman. Growing up, no one complimented me on my skin in particular. My lighter, caramel colored sister was the only one continually praised for her skin, all the time, while I understood there being ignored. No big deal. I never thought that my skin was pretty. It was just skin.
But then I traveled to Asia and Australia and all kinds of people (friends and strangers alike) would stop me in public to say that I was beautiful and that my skin in particular is so beautiful. Chinese, Korean, British, Australian, Middle Eastern, European, men and women, gay or straight old and young rich and poor….all these people said it.
But never American. Conclusions: Americans, for whatever reason, don’t see the beauty in darker skin tones. Which is fine by me…there is a whole world out there who does.
Cheers.
Some of this is bullshit from my experience. I know many of fair complected African Americans including myself that never received preferential treatment because of our lighter skin. Hell, I had to go through more bullshit from envious brainwash Negropeans with their nigga envy making it more hard for me because they have envy and self hatrred. In addition to that I had to deal with discrimination, racism and ignorance from white society along with other races that hated and were jealous of light ethnic people because simply they wanted to be them. If you are more darker complected you need to lover yourself and stop blaming light skinned ethnic people for your problems. Thats why people of color have not had solidarity for years and Caucasians have came in and conquered and divided. SMH
I experienced some negativity due to being light, but most of it came from black men who told me they initially disliked me because they believed I thought I was all that, for no reason but my being light. I did have the experience of a darker women saying to me that at least she didn’t have any white slaveowners in her family. My reply: How do you know? You do not have to be light-complexioned to have white ancestry. The hatred directed toward you is a direct result of the self-hatred these folks acquired as a direct result of being told something was wrong with their being dark. We all should love ourselves, and now that we kno
just how damaging colorism is, we need to do better, especially for our children’s sake. I’m sorry for what you have gone through, and it’s important to show how no one hurts black folks like other black folks do regardless of skin color.
In Europe, you will hear a lot of people comment about darker skinned blacks being more beautiful or more exotic, because light black skin is considered average over there.Since most blacks in Europe are mixed, they see a dark hued person and think it’s different exotic and beautiful. Many of them want to date you because you seem gorgeous to them being so shiny and different. Many people make assumptions about others without knowing what thy are thinking. You will certainly meet more men and women over there in Europe for dating trust me, I’ve been to the Netherlands, and the darker East Indian women are always with these Nordic looking dudes.And you will see many a African both male and female with white people.
I am light skinned, sort of a caramel color with gold yellowy tints. White people in American love my skin, but I’m no big deal in Europe, so I always tan to get attention when I’m in Europe. I like to smoke weed, so I go to the Netherlands and I will get a tan before I go because I like to have fun with the guys becasue they are a bit freer. It’s kind of fun to date all nationalities and all colors over there because it’s so liberal and you can have many international romantic exotic encounters. One day could be an ebony prince the next day a Blonde Viking The possibilities are endless. I am fond of taste testing dark, light and in between men. Some days I’m in the mood for dark chocolate, and other times some pretty blue eyes are calling to me for some romantic fun. So i’m a sampler and like to try different color men. I like different people of all colors if they are interesting and fun.
I’ve never really thought I had ugly skin because I wasn’t white, so no one dark skin should feel bad about themselves because they aren’t the caramel coloring like Beyonce or Halle Berry. I didn’t even know what “red” meant when I went down south, I heard “RED” all the time, little red, it was funny, but people over there, focus alot on skin color more than Northern people, because there was segregation in the South much longer than in the North. Everyone thought I was either Mexican or RED, when your light black in the South, they treat you like you’re not even really black! I don’t have any red undertones to my skin so I was confused as to why they kept calling me “red” lol In Jamaica people say “clear skin” and that’s annoying, “clear skin” what the hell does that mean, I will never know? My thing is just donn’t make assumptions that all light skin blacks have it easier, it’s not true, it doesn’t matter we are all black, because we are seen that way.I still LOVE black people, my race we come from Kings and Queens, but I still love to sample all kinds of people no matter the color dark or light is all fine with me. 😀
Some of this is bullshit from my experience. I know many of fair complected African Americans including myself that never received preferential treatment because of our lighter skin. Hell, I had to go through more bullshit from envious brainwash Negropeans with their nigga envy making it more hard for me because they have envy and self hatred. In addition to that I had to deal with discrimination, racism and ignorance from white society along with other races that hated and were jealous of light ethnic people because simply they wanted to be them. If you are more darker complected you need to love yourself and stop blaming light skinned ethnic people for your problems. Thats why people of color have not had solidarity for years and Caucasians have came in and conquered and divided. SMH
When did empathy go out of style? When having a drunken conversation with one of my lighter skinned cousins, she became enraged when I said that darker skinned people all ove ther world have it harder. She heard “All the things you accomplished were only because you’re light skinned.” She (and frankly a vast majority of lighter skinned ladies I’ve talked to in my experience refuse to believe that the darker skinned struggle is a problem. They feel we suffer equally. Them comes the woe is me story where everyone wanted to look like them and therefore abused them. Everyone thought I THOUGHT I was better then them! How terrible. Try being constantly treated like an idiot. Try nobody thinking you’re better than anything. Men commenting that darker skinned women are whores, easy and angry. Being little Pecola in the bulest eye praying that someone will come and bless you with somethig considered worth value across NATIONS. I am tired of competing where there can be no competition. Why are lighter skinned women so obssessed with proving they only get a slight advantage if any at all? When I compared my cousin ignoring light skinned priviledge to whites ignoring there priviledges and saying “well…sigh…its not like I can change the world!” She screamed that I cannot compare her to white people because there is another girl out there who’s lighter and recieves more benefits (um foot in it mouth, I thought lighter hues didnt get priviledge) in a normal attempt to change the subject and paint herself as as much a victim of racism as I. Lets stop competing and own up to facts (the numbers and studies don’t lie). The light skinned womans troubles get the majority of the attention. Is it scaring you hat maybe you are just as guilty of upholding white privilidge in an effort to maintain your self esteem? Think about it! Wonderful article and the way to change things is to point it out and discuss it not with your own sordid tale of being envied for you European features (because its not the same thing as being hated for your features period) and help your sister feel beautiful and worthy and validate each other! Until intraracism is solved, we will never unite to fight the people who are laughing at us because they plotted this and knew it would breal us apart.
It is important for us all to be able and willing to discuss our lives as they really are- ghe good, bad and the ugly! I took inventory over my life lived this past 54 years as a light skin bougie woman I guess and yes we have an advantage certainly. I grew up singing and declaring I was Black and Proud- when I went to see the new James Brown movie I thoiught I even looked like some of those kids they brought in to sing the song in the scene! Despite my personal upbringing and mentality on race in America, people still give me a whole lot less grief than if I had come out darker. That is a fact and to think otherwise would just be deluding myself. When i walk into a room, people do not automatically hate me becasue of my skin color. I have had some Whites even say that I reminded them of their cousin! Heck, I see some Whites and think of some of my close family members! My point to my lighter skinned sisters is that Darker sisters generally are not having these experiences! We may very well be down for the cause and wanting to be fair minded and relevant in and to the Black community but our darker sister and brothers are the ones who are actually being called names, and being actively discriminated against based on skin color and ancesterel background. For light black women at best we want discrimination to end for our people but for our darker sisters and brothers they want it to end for them personally! There is a difference and there is an advantage for us- okay. There is a definite advantage to being able to be regarded as “other” as not black or not “that Black” or “not really black” by Whites. It is so very important for us to acknowledge this and not keep our heads stuck in the sand and delude ourselves into thinking that we should not address this reality so that maybe just maybe we can help relieve the burdens of our more unfortunate brothers and sisters who do not enjoy what we do. Yes, we have problems but not racail ones- we have gender and other human issues but so they do on top of the racial one- unfortunate and burdemsom. The least we can do is acknowledge the truth that Alecia and Beyonce and Halle are where they are because they don’t look all that Black. That is a fact way removed from them personally. They are lucky and blessed to be gifted yes- but too they are also lucky and blessed that their looks did not stop them and they are promoted because they do look they way America sees its Hollywood Starlets- Europeancentric. When I got my job, they knew I was Black, when they saw me they said- “You didn’t tell us you were “attractive”! I may very well have been incensed that they felt that way and was tactless enough to have actually said it but I still got the job! I can’t speak for everyone but for me my life has been that way- maybe I have found White American mainstream folks to be distateful in their view and actions towards my people but I still have lived a pretty charmed life! I know many lightskinned sisters doing the same and not wanting to make too many waves. As militant and forward thinking as I was when i was younger, I am much too old now to get on their bad side so yes I keep my hair fairly straightened our of fear that they may think I am too black- I am sorry to have to report. Yep, my hair can get crimpy, frizzy looking when that sucker gets wet! I see these young light skin girls particularly with their messed up hair that looks like they just got out of bed without combing it. Frizzy and tangled- its a mess! The good news for us people of color though is God is so good. Turns out that there is a day of reckoning soon whereby America is actually browning- that is a good thing. Looks like White people are becoming extrinct at least politically as the century ends. Perhaps, that will be the only way to have equality and freedom when the people who have their feet on your necks are no longer there at all.
This sister does make the valid point of Black families having different hues of color as close family members. The article did get her reflecting and offered her the format to discuss some of her pressing ideas. Another Light skinned lovely sister who feels like all we all need to do is be thankful and all we be well!
My darling, Your color has afforded you that choice and you are so joyful. Others are not so blessed. If they go outside to admire God’s handy work- they might get shot in some of these neighborhoods they are stuck in for time being. Or visiting a relative. I know of a lady who got killed on a sat. afternoon going to church by a stray bullet. If all you can and are willing to do is pray then do so for the Sisters who look like your beautiful Mother because believe me- they need it and would really appreciate it.
Ok to start, this whole topic is just just flat out taking us back to the stoneage. LIFE IS NOT FAIR. Never has been for most. Never will be for most. White people LOVE to see us black people make excuses for not having a progressive mind. They laugh so hard it just makes their day SO much better. While dark skin people talk about the benefits of light skin people and light skin people lash back, we both stay lost in a world of clown s $#!*. Stop crying about things that can’t be controlled. That is the reason you don’t grow as a person. If you are ugly it’s not because you are dark, it’sprobally because you are just plain ugly. All light skin people are not cute by any means either. The light skin girls I see are ugly as well if they are ugly. Skin color dosent hide features. I give common sense props when they are due. Dark and light are equally beatuiful. Stop being weak minded when the time is now to be level-headed and content.
Our ancestors in Africa were the height of knowledge and wisdom. Anger, self-doubt and fear are powerful tools being used against you to keep you ignorant and lost. “I think therefore i am.” Meaning u are what you believe you are. Stop watching love and hiphop and stop letting the white media define what is beautiful, you flamin’ idiots…
Here is the vast majority of the real PROBLEM I see. As children, when we ALL go to school, they teach us about black people here in America. And what do they teach us? They ONLY teach us about the Transatlantic slave trade and they go into teaching us about what happened after the transatlantic slave trade. They tell us about how we was ooooh so lowly slaves, and how we should be “proud” that our ancestors over came such atrocities. BUt these teachings about black people have always been in the hands of white people, our REAL history in ancient Africa was distorted by European historians, white cinema and media from day one, all by design. Our ancient history was seen through their eyes,where THEY controlled what was taught about us as descendents of Africa. When will my people tell our OWN damn story? We need to start writing letters to the schools and protesting what they teach about us in our schools to our kids. We need to do our research about us, learn the facts about our true beginnings, and then teach it to our children. Of course not everything we find out about our ancient pre-American selves will be pretty, but it will be the truth.
They dedicate one month, to black history, while teaching everyone that the only KINGS and QUEENS were in Europe. They teach about THEIR history prior to them hitting America indeed, but never teach anything about African Pharaohs, or the Kings and Queens Pharaohs like Hatshepsut. We know much more about Queen Elizabeth 1 ( Whom I also greatly admire) than we do about our own African Queens and kings throughout all of Africa. We have very little knowledge about where we come from. Many Black women are brainwashed to believe we generally can’t be leaders and rulers without people hating us.
First, stop teaching ONLY about the transatlantic slave trade, that doesn’t help our children’s self esteem or help us to instill pride in having black skin, since dark black skin ends up becoming associated with nothing more than “slavery” how does that help OUR children? And what does that say about US as a culture of people, when we don’t stop the popular slave talk, and misinformation that circulates throughout the school system? We need to change the programs at the public schools first. HOpefully this post will get us all thnking about what we really need to accomplish!
Hold up let me get this straight..
This is a blog on light skin female on here admitting she get special treatment over dark skin people..so how is it light skin person fault she got job..??so what color of person that hired light skin chick..??as a light skin man who grew up in hood..dark skin people will call you every name in book and that OK for you light skin lady..how dare you give these dark woman with there racist,low self esteem, self hateing behind a blog like this..nothing wrong with you light skin lady be light skin and proud..god gave you blessings not special treatments because light skin..what if u and dark girl go for same job and you get job??????that bad????you got too eat too!!!!my opinion this my dad black and my mom light skin and I was taught not put myself up or down because of what other people think..especially dark skin people..let me say this not bashing all dark skin people..but what I am saying is you can’t control who gives you better life,job,perks in life… Me personally I don’t look gift horse in mouth…light skin stop trying make peace with dark skin people who hate your skin with passion..I believe you might be dark skin for real writing this crap…as u see everybody has a light skin story tell..dark skin people want be seen as beautiful, they want bury light skin woman or man..truth is dark skin woman are beautiful some of them..but you are not going convince this light skin brother that I must like them because they are dark skin..not chance in hell..so dark skin people keep living in color box because a light skin man don’t tall about y’all as bad as y’all talk about us..then you use word privileged so light skin person not supposed defend themselves..not this one!!!light skin go apply for job at mostly dark skin job site..see if they hire you..see how much light skin privileged you have…don’t kiss these people butt light skin!!!!these dark chick got blond hair,red hair dye..they are breaching there skin especially in these real dark skin countries..go look at numbers on skin bleaching sells !!!!!know this light skin lady a lot dark skin woman still hate you even for your butt kissing blog..don’t give them time of day..you done nothing wrong..unbelievable!!!!!! For record my comment is for dark skin people who make up reason to hate light skin people on any level… And for good dark skin folk much love..I don’t hate y’all..some of coolest people you want meet..peace
All this division is caused by the global system of racism white supremacy. “if you do not understand White Supremacy (Racism)…what it is and how it works…everything else that you understand, will only confuse you.” The color cast system was created by the elite racist white supremacist oligarchs to dominate, control, mistreat those they classify as non-white. Light skin privilege is a wonderful strategy used by racist man, woman and child to divide and conquer and keep the non-white people of the world fighting each other while they laugh all the way to the bank. It works too!… all over the globe. It’s my opinion that we study white people who created this system. Yes, light skin privilege exist, but it’s only one of many psychological war tactics used against us. It’s nothing more than internalized racism. As long as the racist white supremacist can keep us calling each other names, fighting, bickering etc….it keeps the focus off them. Follow the money and power trail. The solution is to stop name calling, stop bickering, fighting, nit picking and look in the mirror and love ourselves…whether we’re blue black or light, bright and damn near white. We need to stop the in fighting cause it’s killing us and our future generations. We must study the system of racism white supremacy and understand what’s really goin’ on! The darker you are the more of a threat you are to white genetic survival. They only make up 7% of the world population with a zero birth rate, but they control the world! How did they do that? They have help from light skinned people who are used as buffers. Yes the light skinned people get a few more crumbs and an extra pillow, but we are still on the same slave ship fighting for a biscuit. peace
I am a dark-skinned man with two light-skinned brothers. They are almost a yellow hue and I am dark like licorice. I am darker than both of my parents. My parents are the color of sugar-daddy candy. I experienced racism in the 5th grade in New York. I didn’t know what was going on, it was very mind and psychologically frustrating. Why didn’t this girl like me? I got confirmation when I moved out of state and back to Georgia. But I realized that when others saw my two light skinned brothers, I immediately became the “ugly” one. So much hate was given to my skin being so black and everyone compared my skin to theirs with side by side forearms. I started keeping journals of my experiences. In my mind being a criminal was what I felt like I needed to be.
Even in relationships nowadays, I can go above and beyond for a black woman but she gives me a lot of crap or low regard because I’m a darkie. And later I see her with a lighter skinned guy and just giving him her world and professing to the whole world at how amazing he is. And it’s sad when I find out that he really didn’t do anything. He can’t cook, massage, fight, come up with creative ideas, doesn’t take care of his body, etc. But all he needed to do was just smile.
My brothers have wives and kids. Women look at me like I’m not shat. I have a light skinned married friend and women just throw him their panties. We did a test. I am a very sexy dark skinned man, I have a body of a super hero too and I look like Idris Elba when I have facial hair, a woman went after me and then after him. He was able to come over her place, nearly have sex, and get her sister too because he was light skin. We stuck with the same logic and convo but I had to do more that would of exhausted me while it was effortless.
Light skin DOES have it better. Even Facebook friends with light skin partners praise them as if they are the holy grail with no objections from anybody. And if there was any fault with him best believe they will defend their light skin. But when I get into relationship, I have to get picked apart, something negative ALWAYS has to be concluded. I usually get the rejection that I’m too dark skinned.
Sincerely,
Jonny Baggy on FaceBook
You will see my body, skin, and face.
Go out with a mixed or white woman! They will think your dark skin is beautiful and you will be appreciated for having nice qualities instead of being a player. Believe me!
(Unfortunately when you go out in public with your light girlfriend, you will get all the eye rolls from average tone/brown black women who didn’t want you in the first place.
And then your poor mixed-race children will sadly have to deal with why average black people (women mainly) hate them and think they have so much privilege, but also want to claim them as all black… At least you will be happy and appreciated for you.
You speak about racism, but split and compare the level or racism due to the hue of your skin (light skinned and dark skinned). Do you not realise that those of us with light skin are also penalised because we aren’t ‘black enough’? There are many locations around the world where the levels of ethnic diversity are low, residents there who are ‘light skinned’ may be considered ‘dark skinned - through lack of diveristy. And through pure arrogance are subjected to regular questions about heritage, culture and religion - questions that could be easily answered if individuals were culturally aware of what is happening around them.
I believe that this essay only projects negativity and potentially damages peoples self - esteem and that segregating privilege through the lightness or darkness of a persons skill, will get know one anywhere.
It’s blogs like these that actually make me glad I’m brown-skinned. That I’ve never had to deal with accusations that I’m stuck up or not black enough for being light-skinned, or daily insults and slurs for being dark-skinned. Thank God.
Really, I stopped reading half way through because I could not believe the nonsense written by the author. I am a Black woman who happens to be lightskin and the only people that glorify me for this, is silly darkskin men.
There is no lightskin privilege, as Black is Black, like really? Do you really think that lightskin Black people are living some glamourous life, hidden from our darker skinned counterpart’s? Or maybe we are, and I am just oblivious to it?
However, one thing I do know is that there is something wrong within the Black community when it comes to colorism. Growing up hearing lightskin family members tell me that my darkskin grandmother only likes me because I am lightskin; which was never the case. Or only having problems/fights with darkskin girls or having Black men tell me they only like me because I am lightskin, like really? Such behaviour sickens me and due to the many issues surrounding my Black men, I made a conscious decision to no longer date them.
My boyfriend is Latino, and is very pale in complexion, (though both his parents are the same colour as me). And since I’ve been dating him what have all my darkskin girlfriends said about him without knowing him, whenever I try to explain that he likes black women, their response is “no I think he likes extoic women, that are your complexion but def not darkskin women”. *Rolls eyes* like really! My boo finds women attractive, he’s not caught up in this colour thing.
He did one time confess to me after Forcing it out of him that Spanish women turned him on, which was slightly hard to digest at first, which made me think, well what the hell are you doing with me? I had to brush it off as I know that I am a beautiful woman, who rides hard for her and he should be so lucky to even be with a Black women like myself.
Anyway:
I do not know what privileges we have, however I do know that some darker skinned people do have issue when it comes to complexions, like my uncle wifes who saw me at a family do and said that I look like a white woman in front of everybody, that was so embarrassing and upsetting as I take pridge in being a women of African descent.
Another thing that I have noticed is, darkskin women who are beautiful and comfortable in their skin, do not carry this attitude, so maybe it stems from a lack of confidence rather than based solely on their complexion.
I am a biracial girl who has personally loved dark skin for a long while now. And there’s many disadvantages. I wasn’t accept by black women, in which I wanted to be friends with the most, but I was seen as a snob and rejected for the most part. Even by my dark skinned family. That hurt the most. Yes, I do benefit a lot from it. Sometimes get my hair done free just because they want to mess with my hair. I’m called ‘half-breed’ by some black people and in school I used to get my hair yanked ad they’d say I had white girl hair. Of course I denied. I wanted them to like me.
Thanks so much to all of the people who posted. I’m a white woman who grew up in the deep South and was harmed by the racist thinking and words of my environment as I grew up. As an adult, I have made an effort to educate myself about racism and have overcome the ignorance of my families past. I will continue to support this dialogue and encourage peace and love. For the longest time I was ashamed of my family, but as I have grown in self acceptance, the shame has been slowly healed. You may be wondering why I am writing. My husband is a dark skinned Mexican American man. He has never expressed any interest in my freckled pale skin and our children look like both of us, perhaps olive skinned with freckles. We attend a church with black pastors and I dance in an African/Caribbean dance ministry and I voted for Obama. I just want everyone to know, that I am doing my little part to end racism by ending it in my own family. Over the course of my lifetime I have witnessed changes in our family and am proud to be part of it. My own children have caused even further changes in me. This gives me hope and I just wanted to share some hope with you all. I will learn more about colorist and fight against it. Thanks for letting me chime in and please keep talking!
This is not representative of the “light skin” experience in America. Just like I can’t explain the experience of completely black women, I think it’s an error to think you can speak to the experiences “light skin” women put up with. What is “light skin” anyway? Many lighter black women are mixed or multiracial…that means other races other than black are in the mix, and you have no idea what it means to live in isolation of a “community” of people you can relate with 100% racially. Multiracial people do not have a homogenous support system, there is ambiguity. The only ‘privilege’ I can attest to is being able to identify with mainstream culture, not that this means this is reciprocated however. How about ‘black privilege’ in this country? Why does no one ever talk about this? You have a network, you are vocal, you are unified which signifies strength. Yet, in spite of this strength and access to mainstream education, services, activism, civil rights recognition, all of this is never enough! No, you don’t want to live amongst other people and integrate, God forbid. You are never satisfied. Look around, if you have your health, your family, friends or a support system, you are blessed in this rough country, because it’s rough going for everyone, including whites. Especially nowadays, if you don’t have money, status or power, you really don’t have much and forget about having a voice. You have the numbers, be happy with that; press for social justice but please do the multiracials a favor and stop bashing a community that faces the same backlash and challenges, if not more so in a different, more isolated way, than the black American community. Take advantage of what this country has to offer in terms of opportunity, and rise up in solidarity. Address the problems in the black community, because there are problems there and all this blame cannot only be placed on others.
I agree with you 100% that light skinned privilege does exist. I am a light skinned black person myself and have been told numerous times that I have that good hair and skin color. It is very upsetting to hear that. I myself love dark skin. I think it is beautiful. There were times when I wished that I had dark skin. But at the end of the day, we are all black. We need to learn to love and embrace each other.
Of course light skin privilege exists to some extent, just as blond hair blue eye vs brunette brown eye privilege exists in the white community, just as tall skinny vs stumpy chubby exists, just as athletic ability vs disability exists.
Don’t be sucked into the slavemaster divide and conquer strategy by looking at another oppressed Black person and measuring out if they’re less oppressed and therefore somehow responsible for your situation. Focus on the oppressor, not the other oppressed person.
The attitude in this article and some of the comments is just an excuse to treat light skin people badly because they don’t have it “as bad” and you’re gonna be the one to show them what’s up. Your statement “you will not be taken seriously until you have acknowledged…” is basically saying in different words, “you need to prove yourself before I treat you with decency.” Think about how twisted and hostile that is. You should treat people the way you want to be treated and don’t make assumptions based on looks.
I am light skinned, but I was picked on constantly until age 16 by my DARK-skinned ‘brothers’, (and some whites) because of my thick lips and wide nose.
You really want to do this? cry me river with that crap. Whites care a lot less than you want to think.
And oh, yeah, I dated brown/darkskinned women almost exclusively, and I married one, too.
Why? Because most brothers were running after lightskinned women thinking they are prettier.
Your problem is NOT with ‘lightskinned’ people, sister.
That’s always the case. Some dark skinned people can be real bullies. Instead of loving the person God made you, you go off inflicting pain on people you despise because of their skin color. You sound like your white oppressor. Many light skin people go through so much because they are not accepted in their own community. They certainly aren’t accepted in any other community. They a more ridiculed then the rest of the world. Watch Alex Haley’s Queen; studying your history if you want to write blogs on this issue. If not, you just make yourself look ignorant to anyone whose educated on this subject.
I’ve never seen a black person in my life although we are called black. You sound like Willie Lynch. A slave oppressor who separated the African community in America through such nonsense. Just like some light skin people can be ignorant, so can dark skin people as well. Stop trying to blame light skin people for the bulk of your problems and address the real problems at hand. When whites look at any black person regardless if they are light or dark, all they see is a nigger. Understand this. You write an article based off of a paper bag test or a spike lee movie instead of picking up a actual book and really studying your history. You and people like you are the main reason the African Americans can’t rise above racial oppression in this country and the main reason why African Americans are called ignorant throughout the rest of the world. This is a fact. Write about that. Don’t even think that all of Africa is Dark skin because they are not. The difference between you and then, they are very aware of their who they are, so they don’t go out of their way trying to divide a whole race based off a scientific experiment conducted by a white slave master. All this article proves is that Willie Lynch’s method worked and his legacy continues through ignorant ass black people like you!
The predictible complaints of the ‘privilege’ of mixed people… I venture into these forums once of twice a year. Whether the contributor is articulate intelligent or a hysterical illogical racist (yes I said it), there is always the same predictable story overflowing with hostility and resentment for mixed and multi racial people (often erroneously referred to as ‘light skinned’). Isn’t it obvious what the solution is? People who have a large percentage of non Sub-saharan genetics are mixed through their genetics. Obviously (and please save the nonsense about the small admixture black Americans have which is part of what makes them a unique race in themselves) Obviously when these biracial and multi-racial people are raised in cultures other than the black culture, they are not black culturally. Yet out of some absurd: “I have it bad, so you are going to have it just as bad’ or ‘You’re not white, you’re not better than me’ 1800’s slave mentality most black Americans past a certain age will loose their mind if a mixed or multi-racial person dares to acknowledge their non-black part. (Dare I say even be proud of it? ‘Whut?! Hell no! Sisters won’t stand for that. Half breeds being proud of what you are? White Supremecy right there! After we finish having a heart attack about that misguided negro who just happens to be olive/tan/white and look nothing like an indigenous West African and wasn’t even raised in the black culture, so they don’t actually have very much in common with us, we will attacking them verbally. We will castigate them for being the source of all our unhappiness and then, we will remind them they ARE black and not ‘better’ than us’)… You want to stop light and ‘nearly white’ women with silky hair and other non African physical features getting all that privilege (taking black roles in movies, getting the place of the token black person in corporate, getting ‘your men’)?… Stop insisting biracial and multi-racial people are black. Problem solved. Until then, since you want to accept (even demand) anyone with one drop of black claims black, don’t cry and spit about the outcome when you get suckered into being 2nd and 3rd class citizens in your own ethnicity under people who are not your ethnicity. This is why people don’t take this seriously. As with most things in life there is a consequence. Absolutely no logic. Also when YOU stop thinking white means better, you will stop clinging to these people and wanting to identify with and assimilate them into your community… I’ll leave out how brown/average black Americans will spit bile and blame every one else except themselves for the perpetuation of colorism while they treat nearly pure-raced/very dark black Americans, Africans (from Africa) like trash. Once again no logic. Don’t get mad at the consequences to your illogical behaviour… I’m just the messenger.
@Daisy….THANK YOU. You put it far better than I could have. I’m not from Utah, but I live here now. Cost of living. I’m from the DC area, and I got shit growing up because of my fair skin. Threats, bullying…even from my own family. But they swear I think I’m better. Due to their treatment, I’m just now repairing my self esteem. I’d be walking down the street at home, and darker skinned black girls who passed me would often make it a point to loudly say I was ugly. I was followed all through middle school by people wanting to know “what I was.” Only black people did this, darker skinned black people.
Hypocrites they are, they perpetuate colorism and drive us away, then berate us when we find people we’re comfortable with. This is one of the myriad reasons why I’m a misanthrope. And though I wish to belong to the “conscious” community, I’ll be damned if angry people like this blogger disrespect me. I’m not fighting for you if you look down on me. Period.
sorry that was:
pure-raced/very dark black Americans and Africans (from Africa)
I am a black person. I may have a lighter tone than other black people, but I am still black. To a white person, I am black or mixed race, I am still not being classed as white, despite my lighter complexion; only within the black community is there such a focus on what type of black you are, whether it be yellow boned, red boned, light skinned, dark skinned or just brown.
I may be lighter in tone, but I still associate black problems as my problems, as something that relates to me, someone of colour. When someone says that they don’t find black girls attractive, I take offence in that because I am black, and I don’t identify myself as being mixed race or latina, I don’t enjoy when people mistake me for being mixed race because I am not mixed race, I am black and I am proud of being black and the heritage and culture that comes along with it .
I am within secondary education (high school) and I have had no more doors opened for me, than my darker counterpart,because of my lighter complexion.
I understand that colourism exists, I agree that it does (and I am light skinned), it may have originally been an idea imposed onto black people, from a previous era through white supremacy; however, it is the black community that is still holding onto these ideas.
Until I am being classed as a white person, I will not have the privileges that I am believed to, because of my lighter brown complexion.
Throughout my career, I noticed so many times how many more lighter skinned Blacks were in management. So very obvious when sitting in a meeting. One of the problems is that a lot of lighter skinned women will deny this is happening. And it does happen even within our own race. There are countless Black men who feel that only a lighter skinned woman is good enough for them. A few commenters here have asked what they are supposed to do about it. This article was not written so that anyone would do anything about it. Racism will always exist. The author’s point was merely to discuss the issue & make everyone aware. I honestly cannot say I ever personally experienced this type of racism - that I know of. But we must keep in mind that unlike the old days, white people do not shout out that they are being racist. These days it’s all in the closet. However, I have heard Black men announce that they don’t date dark skinned women.
I like your blog, but you should consider using a darker font for your comments. That light grey font is terribly hard to read. A lot of people do not have great vision, especially over a certain age. They also might not have a great monitor. I wanted to read more comments, but I got a headache straining to see the font. No need to lose readers because of a font. Black always works for everybody. We don’t care about cuteness of the fonts. I just want to read the blog. This happens so much. Countless people use barely there fonts on their pages and blogs.
It is a fact that being lite skinned in America is an advantage in many ways. We all know that. Black people as a whole don’t often talk about it because it is very painful to discuss this issue. We have learned to live with our different skin tones and love one another in spite of the jealousies and envies that we may have within our race of people. The bottom line is that as a result of slavery we have been divided on several levels with skin color being the most obvious. However we live and love ! We compliment each other very well!
I hope that over the years you have had the appropriate therapy to deal with your own slave mentality. Because I find it hard to find privilege out here in Utah, where there are practically no black people, and my pale ass is still suspect, followed through stores, called monkey and nigger. And I think back to all the darker skinned girls who used to threaten me ALLLLL through school. To my brother laughing me into submission to the point where I’m afraid to dance now, because my light skin meant I would only do the “white girl shuffle.” I was teased when my mother dragged me overseas, and I learned the language of my host country. Teased by my own damned family.
If there is some sort of division, it comes from bitter broads like you, who make us feel like we can’t fit in over something we can’t control. You’re full of shit.
My red haired, green eyed son will still be targeted by the police. I was still suspected of child abuse when he fell out of a second story window. I’m dealing with racism every day. A supremacist punched me in the eye just days ago. So what privilege? Where? In your sick mind?