<p>I worked with a black woman who commented that she never dated dark skinned black men because “everyone knows lighter skin is better”. That was how I learned that some black people are prejudiced against other black people. </p>
<p>Has anyone read Nathan McCall’s book “Makes me Want to Holler: A Young Black Man in America”?</p>
<p>Busyparent: That person wasn’t prejudiced. She was just plain stupid. The black equivalent of white trash.</p>
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Oh, that’s true of course. I was thinking about people who culturally see their heritage as that of countries like Jamaica or Haiti. But the black people in those countries are all of African descent somewhere down the line.</p>
<p>According to genographic studies, we are all of African descent.</p>
<p>There’s an amusing song in the musical “Avenue Q” called “Everyone’s a little bit racist.” People laugh when they hear the song, but it has the ring of truth and points the finger at people of all races.</p>
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<p>I don’t know if what is being spoken about here is official definition, which one can find at </p>
<p>[Black</a> or African American persons, percent, 2000](<a href=“http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_68176.htm]Black”>http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_68176.htm) </p>
<p>or about general public day-by-day identification. As for the official definition, the Census Bureau itself says “The concept of race as used by the Census Bureau reflects self-identification by people according to the race or races with which they most closely identify. These categories are sociopolitical constructs and should not be interpreted as being scientific or anthropological in nature.” In other words, a person of wholly traceable European ancestry and of “white” appearance could, in principle, be “black” by self-identification. As for day-by-day identification, I wonder what a photo line-up including photographs of people from Australia, New Guinea, the Andaman Islands, south India, and other places inhabited by dark-skinned, non-African people would show for identification as “black” by third-party observers.</p>
<p>I have “The New Adventures of Old Christine” droning in the background while I work. I had to laugh at one of the jokes – Her gym has many new members, all black. Her friends ask her if she’s noticed, and she replies “Oh course not, I’m a Democrat.” Then she won’t answer what color her Prius is, because she doesn’t “look at color.” </p>
<p>I’m doing the show/jokes a disservice, but I thought it apropos to this discussion. :-)</p>
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<p>According to anthropologists aren’t we all technically of African descent, regardless of skin color?</p>
<p>NSM, my comment much earlier about not being allowed to be accused of racism was supposed to be dripping in sarcasm but I’m not sure it came through. :(</p>
<p>“I worked with a black woman who commented that she never dated dark skinned black men because “everyone knows lighter skin is better”. That was how I learned that some black people are prejudiced against other black people.”</p>
<p>There are a lot of black people who feel that way. Their perspective results from slavery when the masters’ black children got the more desirable jobs of working in the house instead of having to toil in the fields. That’s because white people viewed the mixed race slaves as being more human (Keep in mind that until the early 1900s, there still were academic discussions about whether people of black African descent were really human.). Also, if the mixed raced offspring were light enough, they might be able to pass for white and gain the privileges accorded to white people. </p>
<p>White people also viewed the mixed race slaves as being more attractive. Even after the days of slavery, lighter skilled African Americans were chosen by white people to have more desirable jobs than their equally talented darker skinned brethren.</p>
<p>For instance, my grandmother was born in 1892 and graduated at the top of her (segregated) teachers’ college in D.C. However, because she was dark skinned, she was sent to do her student teaching in rural Virginia, not in D.C. where the lighter skinned graduates were placed.</p>
<p>Because of the advantages that lighter skinned African Americans had, my grandmother chose to only date light skinned men, and married a man with light skin. I remember my mother and grandmother telling me about the importance of “marrying to improve the race” so “your children won’t look like rare animals from the zoo.” By that, they meant that I should marry a man with light skin, thin facial features, and hair that was soft and straight.</p>
<p>I am very grateful to the “Black is beautiful” movement for allowing me to look beyond such ideas – especially since – due to my mom’s not following her mom’s advice-- I don’t fit the light skinned, straight hair ideal. I also didn’t raise my sons to consider things like skin color, facial features and hair texture – or even race for that matter – when selecting romantic partners. There are lots of other qualities like character that are far more important.</p>
<p>Is it human nature to try to seek differences within any group to form a hierarchy? </p>
<p>I only wonder if, even in the absence of slavery, if folks with stars on their bellies (and those without) would still find reason to differentiate.</p>
<p>Back in my twenties, I became uncomfortable about identifying people as “black” when I became aware of how much negative media attention there was to crime perpetuated by black men in particular (especially if the victim was white). Not long ago, that was the primary reason for any black person to make it onto the local news (wow, has that changed!). Talk about perpetuating stereotypes. I guess I was also participating in that inadvertently. but I did find it offensive when I heard white people relate anecdotes about “a black guy”, but never about a “white guy”. Not being either white or black myself, I’m not sure why, unless it’s that I’ve always identified with the underdog. I have noticed lately, however, that being referred to as “white” has become somewhat pejorative among some white people of my acquaintance (I’ve actually seen flinching). What on earth is going on?</p>
<p>Great insights, Northstarmom. Thank you for sharing a bit of your story. I didn’t know the genesis and history of lighter skin preference.</p>
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<p>Yes, thanks for the explanation. Being a white guy, I’ve always stayed out discussion of that question, since I have no understanding of the issues and no standing to have an opinion. But I first became aware of it some years ago when I read in some Personals/Dating ads where African Americans of both sexes were openly specifying light skin in what they were looking for in a partner.</p>
<p>There are light skin preference too in the hispanic community. I’ve been told how good it is that our daughters can pass for white. One of the auntie’s was offended when she was mistaken for native american.</p>
<p>On the tv novelas, most of the actors are european looking. If some actor looks to be of mixed background they are often put into roles such as maid or driver.</p>
<p>In the past, job advertisements in some areas of latin america might use code words such as attractive for hiring of receptionists or hotel clerks. That meant lighter skin.</p>
<p>I think white people discriminate against white people–for ex: the use of the word redneck, trailor trash</p>
<p>Discrimination seems to occur across the board and reflect ignorance and fear of differences.</p>
<p>Everyone discriminates against someone. Redneck and Trailer Trash are cultural, not racial. I’ve heard blacks use the same terms to describe white people.</p>
<p>hmmmm cultural not racial–I will have to think about that one because every time I have heard the references they have been directed at someone who is white.</p>
<p>They are cultural differences amongst whites. There are cultural differences between all subsets of a race. It’s not like all whites are the same…nor are all blacks or Asians. I view rednecks the same in the same vain as hip-hop thugs, from an analogous pov.</p>
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<p>As notmamarose mentioned earlier in this thread, there’s a great song in the Tony Award winning musical Avenue Q called Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist. If you search the song title on youtube, you can find it or I’m happy to PM a link to anyone interested. A lot of truth from a very diverse cast.</p>
<p>Man you people care way way way way way way too much about race. Just do your jobs, get your pay and live your life and bada bing bada boong that’s it. I mean people always inject race into something college, job, house appraisal, neighborhoods, education, voting, crime its so stupid people don’t give a **** whether you black, white, yellow, green, blue, etc. if you’re smart and you can do your work you’re good to go.</p>