Saw this episode of Tyra one time talking about whether black people with lighter skin complexions have it easier than those with darker complexions. Being a light-skinned black person myself, I couldn't understand why someone would think I have it easier than another black person. Of course, as with anything, there are advantages and disadvantages. But at the end of the day, I'm still black no matter what shade it is. I still face the same racial profiling, prejudice and discrimination the next black person faces. I don't really don't know from my experiences, but do light skinned blacks really have it easier than dark skinned blacks? I, personally do not think so.
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Shale
femme fatale
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Who has it easier? Light or dark skinned blacks?
femme fatale- …is a Power Member.
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Shale- ...is a Chamber Royal.
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This post made me think of a very funny (and thoughtful) SNL skit in 1977
If you don't know, Julian Bond is a civil rights activist and the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks and confronts hate groups. Which is why this is so outrageous & funny.
If you don't know, Julian Bond is a civil rights activist and the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks and confronts hate groups. Which is why this is so outrageous & funny.
captainbryce- …is a Power Member.
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YES and NO! It depends on which demographic of people they are around. As far as the perception of white people goes then light skinned people generally have it easier. They still face discrimination and racial profiling or course, but not as much as they would if they were dark skinned. I base this partially on my own experiences. Most people consider me light skinned. I've been on the receiving end of racial stereotypes and prejudice, but not nearly as often as my darker skinned friends. Being in the military, I see all kinds of latent racism because it's almost part of the culture. I feel like a lot of white people who would normally be racist against me because I'm black, find it easier to put their hesitiations and stereotypes aside with me than they would with others I know who happen to be darker skinned, because the perception is that I'm closer to being white than they are. If a racist white person had a choice between having me on his crew vs having an equally qualifed dark skinned black person on his crew, he would choose me. There are a lot of assumptions made about black people based on their complexion. If you are light skinned, its easier for people to imagine that you "speak well" and present yourself more positively than if you were dark skinned. Sad as that is, I've experienced things like this before.femme fatale wrote:Saw this episode of Tyra one time talking about whether black people with lighter skin complexions have it easier than those with darker complexions. Being a light-skinned black person myself, I couldn't understand why someone would think I have it easier than another black person. Of course, as with anything, there are advantages and disadvantages. But at the end of the day, I'm still black no matter what shade it is. I still face the same racial profiling, prejudice and discrimination the next black person faces. I don't really don't know from my experiences, but do light skinned blacks really have it easier than dark skinned blacks? I, personally do not think so.
White people have actually said racist things (about blacks) in my presence, thinking they could get away with it because "I'm not like the rest of them". My mother is darker than I am by has a lot of naitive American blood, so she has "good hair". My dad is very light skinned but both of my parents are black which makes me black! Yet people often ask me "what am I mixed with", as if I can't just be black. Because I'm light skinned and don't have nappy hair, I always have to be black and something else! My aunt who is much lighter than I am (and could basically pass for Jewish or Italian) is often mistaken for being something other than black by white people. White people use the N word in front of her all the time because they don't realize she is actually black.
However, when it comes to blacks, light skinned people have it worse. I've been on the receiving end of prejudice from black people as well. Black people judge other blacks based on their complexion and hair type. Except that the closer you are to being "white" the more you are preceived to be "stuck up", "full of yourself" or "think that you are better than everyone else". Because I am light skinned, I talk "proper" and I have "good hair", to them it means that I have it easier in the world than they do and they resent that.
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Historically, lighter-skinned black people have been the more clearly favored amongst both mainstream white society and within the black community as well, and deemed the more attractive. That's just fact, and there's no denying it. I once heard this woman refer to someone else as a "pretty dark-skinned girl," in a tone that was very cynical. As if to imply that this girl was some sort of an exception to the general rule. Speaking of daytime talk, remember Queen Latifah's old talk show? I recall her doing this topic as well, but from a familial angle. Her focus was on a black mother with three daughters; one was light, the other two were dark(er.) Guess who she openly favored? The lighter daughter, and made NO bones as to why either.
However, the flip-side is that light-skinned blacks are sometimes singled out as being "not black enough," literally and figuratively. Growing up, I had a high-yella friend who was routinely picked on just for being light, and forever being accused of being full of herself and thinking that she was "cute." Some of the other (darker) black girls in class used to gleefully snub her.
The problem with asking who has it easier, is that it belittles either side's pain, adversity and hardship, and in the meantime people will start trying to cling to their suffrage, as though it is a badge.
However, the flip-side is that light-skinned blacks are sometimes singled out as being "not black enough," literally and figuratively. Growing up, I had a high-yella friend who was routinely picked on just for being light, and forever being accused of being full of herself and thinking that she was "cute." Some of the other (darker) black girls in class used to gleefully snub her.
The problem with asking who has it easier, is that it belittles either side's pain, adversity and hardship, and in the meantime people will start trying to cling to their suffrage, as though it is a badge.
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As I'm neither light nor dark skinned, to put it rather bluntly....I don't give a damn. That being said, we're still black at the end of the day....don't care what degree of lightness/darkness your skin is, it doesn't make you less black. If lighter skinned people are favored (and yeah they are), they still get regular reminders of their blackness when they're in the company of non black people. I had a friend once who was very lightskinned who was constantly making references to it, which only told me he was extremely color conscious and always thinking about it.
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Western societies overall standard of beauty favors a European model, so I'd say that light-skinned black people–particularly those whose African features are relaxed to the point where they are racially ambiguous–are more socially embraced. Though that isn't to say that they don't get their share of racism, bigotry and anti-bias thrown their way. I remember watching an interview with Vanessa Williams, where she talked about her stint as Miss America, and the controversy it caused. She spoke of how some in the black community reacted cynically to her winning; seeing it as a cop-out because of her light skin and blue eyes. In the meantime, because she was still black, she received racist comments and even death threats from white people who didn't appreciate her beating out a white woman.
Sometimes some black people do react kind of *funny* towards lighter-skinned people, and will slight them not being black enough, or because of presumed preferential treatment. When I was growing up, most of my friends were black, and would regularly jab me for my complexion. Usually it was playful, but on occasion it wasn't. Meanwhile, however, I was the one the girls tended to pay the most (or closest) attention to, which probably played into why.
Sometimes some black people do react kind of *funny* towards lighter-skinned people, and will slight them not being black enough, or because of presumed preferential treatment. When I was growing up, most of my friends were black, and would regularly jab me for my complexion. Usually it was playful, but on occasion it wasn't. Meanwhile, however, I was the one the girls tended to pay the most (or closest) attention to, which probably played into why.
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OH! Ur Black?Chris wrote:...Sometimes some black people do react kind of *funny* towards lighter-skinned people, and will slight them not being black enough, or because of presumed preferential treatment. When I was growing up, most of my friends were black, and would regularly jab me for my complexion. ...
Good case in point. You are the non-Hispanic who looks Hispanic. Down here (and NY I'm sure) there are Puerto Ricans who obviously have black in them, about as much as Chris. One never knows whether to reference that or not so we just leave it as Hispanic. Ppl self-identify and it does not always coincide with what color they are. Hence, ppl lighter skin than me (with a tan) are "black."
Chris- Chamber Admin.
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Shale wrote:OH! Ur Black?Chris wrote:...Sometimes some black people do react kind of *funny* towards lighter-skinned people, and will slight them not being black enough, or because of presumed preferential treatment. When I was growing up, most of my friends were black, and would regularly jab me for my complexion. ...
Good case in point. You are the non-Hispanic who looks Hispanic. Down here (and NY I'm sure) there are Puerto Ricans who obviously have black in them, about as much as Chris. One never knows whether to reference that or not so we just leave it as Hispanic. Ppl self-identify and it does not always coincide with what color they are. Hence, ppl lighter skin than me (with a tan) are "black."
Yeah. Biracial, actually, but for all intents and purposes black. I get the you look hispanic thing a lot, but nope. Black father, white mother.
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