Seeing the light (skin)

Let me just say that this happens within the Hispanic community. I am Puerto Rican but am very light. Because I was brought up in English-speaking schools, I have lost most of my Spanish. I too get discriminated against because I am not darker. I don't feel superior because I am lighter and closer to white America. But I feel that my darker relatives feel they are inferior - that somehow they are still stuck in the barrios.

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Name : P. Hall, Gender : F, Race : Puerto Rican, Age : 24, City : Zephyrhills, State : FL Country : United States, 

I am embarrassed by this question and the support it got. It is basically petty. This shows how we, black people, can't unite. From my experience, black women are jealous of pretty women, period. I am sure it happens in other races, too, but this dark/light bull---- is amazing. I am a light sistah with long hair, and I have never looked down on dark-skinned people. Can we forget our color differences and work hard to make our race a better one? Can we set up shops and businesses instead of being bothered about how much closer we can look to the white race? Maybe if we do that, we will like ourselves the way we are, and everyone else will like us, too. Maybe then we really wouldn't want to be close to whites. Please think about the future black generation instead of dividing yourselves as light and dark.

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Name : lola, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Oakland, State : CA Country : United States, 

Light-skinned African-American women are not hated because of their fairer complexion or straight hair. It's their attitude. I have many friends on both sides of the color scheme, though many, including myself, are in-between (caramel color). I have never felt resented by people on either side.

In most cases, the girls I know who are light-skinned tend to have bad attitudes and come off as women who believe they are superior to the darker African-American woman. Believe me, black is beautiful, and I don't ever recall meeting a dark-skinned woman who didn't believe that. Light-skinned women just seem to exude this aura of superiority, and that's why dark-skinned women resent them. It's not because the darker women have low self-esteem or are jealous, it's simply the attitudes of the lighter women.

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Name : Caramel delight, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 18, City : Oakland, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Upper middle class, 

I have to disagree with Jon from detroit. I am a dark skinned woman and I have never discrimanted againt my light skinned sistas. We are all Sistas. But I can say that I have been looked at wrong and so on by my light skinned Sista. Like some of them do think they are better than the dark ones. The heavier Sista talk about the skinny Sistas and the well off Sistas talk about the ones that are struggling. Like the one Sista said we need to come together and stop the War among ourselves. I love all my Sista's

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Name : Ms-Lou20367, Gender : F, Race : X, City : Southfield, State : MI Country : United States, 

My heart goes out to this individual for in my opinion it does not matter if the person is light or dark complexioned beacause it is about time that black people get over this nonsense beacause it is counterproductive and keeps us from doing the things that we need to do to be successful in this society.

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Name : Felipe L. Simmons, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 36, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Cafeteria Worker, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

Does every African American issue have to be explained by slavery? I don't think the slave masters were smart enough to 'institutionalize' a divide and conquer mentality in a culture that would persist for over a hundred years. These were greedy, selfish, evil men not wise men capable of doing massive-scale institutionalizing. I think the fact that you grant the slave masters that much intellect implies that you think of them as superior. I know lots of intelligent African Americans who rise above their heritage, just like me, and refuse to be victims of that heritage. Otherwise they would still be slaves to that heritage. Why would you give your power today to those slave masters of yesterday? I think that the light black/dark black issue just shows that the racism in America is more complex than just ethnicity vs. ethinicity, but within ethnicities there is deep levels of racism.

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Name : Martha, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

This comment is for everyone in general, but especially for Micheal of West Monroe: Obviously, you are a very ignorant man. I knew before the end of the message that you were a white male. Anyone who thinks a color determines intellectual capability or amount of physical appeal is likely insecure and needs something to make them feel better. Yes, you probably do think light-skinned African Americans look better, but don't you think that has to do with the fact that you think white people look better? It is a shame that you even considered your comment worth typing. I happen to know a large number of African Americans of all shades who are beautiful. My question to you is, Why are white males so intimidated by intelligent, dark and beautiful African Americans?

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Name : Kesha, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 18, City : Nashville, State : TN Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,