COLORISM EXISTS
Light-skinned black people do not experience the same level of oppression as other DARKER black people.
Darker skinned black people find it harder to make it in hollywood and find opportunities. Representation of the black community does not end at the representation of light-skinned black people. I want to see more dark-skinned black people in the industry. Every time I bring up the lack of representation in hollywood I see people say “what about lupita nyong'o” “what about viola davis” but that isn’t enough. If we are to have true representation we must have representation of black people of every skin type.
Light-skinned women are sentenced to approximately 12 percent less time behind bars than their darker-skinned counterparts. Women with light-skin also served 11 percent less time than darker women. (x)
We cannot combat racism without first acknowledging the degrees and complexities of it. There are levels to racism, some black people have it worse than other black people, and that’s a fact we have to acknowledge and fight to change.
Colorism is a very real issue and needs to be discussed more openly.
Colorism is internalized racism.
Colorism: This particular argument is weak and nonsensical. As a light skin person, I have somehow benefited in life. Or, I haven't had it as bad as a darker skin Black person? While generally speaking, the latter maybe true. Is my acknowledging it or discussing it going to change perceptions internally or externally? As a light skin man I've had "backlash" my entire adolescent and adult life dealing with perceptions associated with light skin men. Weak, Soft, pretty boy, arrogant, spoiled, entitled. Called mixed breed, mulatto nigga, lil white boy, etc. The fact that I had 2 "BLACK" parents and four "BLACK" grandparents meant nothing to the perception that I somehow was privileged because I am light skinned. I have been targeted and beat by white police, I have been called nigger and threatened by white people, I've been denied opportunities because I was "Black". Many of the things that i supposedly don't understand because of my light skin privilege. And on the flip side darker skin black males often targeted me for no other reason than my light skin. Black females turned me down because they all brought into the hype of soft light skin men. It was usually the really dark sisters that showed love because they too felt ostracized by their own people while being "oppressed" by the dominant society. I say these things not because I want sympathy. I say it because I don't want to be the scapegoat for colorism. While it's true, I don't know what it's like to be a dark skin Black person, I will not FEEL a burden because my skin is light. That's what Colorism attempts to do...make light skin blacks accept guilt because of their skin tone.To accept the alleged "burden" of what it's like to be dark skin ➡ To place blame on light skin Blacks for the manifestations of a White Supremacist culture accomplishes nothing, solves nothing, and creates further division and angst amongst Black people. And yes, I am aware of the historical context of Light skin and dark skin Blacks, the precursor to what is called Colorism. It simply does not fit into the modern narrative of colorism.
