Light Skin vs. Dark Skin Essay Example

automatically granted freedom.

Other accounts of mulatto advantage were that they could inherit and in fact own the inherited land. Newly freed slaves in 1867 were denied land ownership most ex-slaves were impressed into contract labor gangs on plantations under the notorious Black Codes adopted by most state governments (Barnes 4). Oppression still plagued black people both dark skin and light skin on the whole spectrum. Whites throughout history have manipulated blacks and reduced self-esteem and confidence levels to the bottom of the barrel.

The ugliness of the darker complexion was announced day in and day out by slave masters and other whites. This demeaning statement has generated questioning of the black race and culture by blacks for hundreds of years. In 1903, W. E. B. Du Bois wrote a treatise on blacks entitled The Souls of Black Folk (www. encarta. msn. com). Here Du Bois spoke of his past experiences with whites, even though he was biracial. He spoke of empowerment in this work and acceptance of our race no matter how light or dark we were. The problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line" this powerful statement proved to be true for the rest of the twentieth century and today as well.

The media today has played a role in the manipulation as well. Advertisements persuaded blacks to straighten their “nappy and kinky” hair with products. Straying away from acceptance, many blacks felt compelled to change the true African features. Having “good hair” or straight hair and having Native American in your blood has been a must amongst blacks for years.Changing the appearance of their hair still would not eradicate discrimination

by whites. 1954 brought on a remarkable study that proves evident today.

Kenneth and Mamie Clark conducted a study that dealt with dolls of dark and light on black children in integrated schools and segregated schools. They found that seventy two percent of Black children often preferred to play with white dolls over black (Faigman 197). Black children thought of black dolls as dirty and white dolls pretty. This mindset goes back to the demeaning blacks as a whole.

As sad as the results were, the ideology and mindset had to change for the better. The Civil Rights era (1960’s and 1970’s) proved to be a rebirth of the African culture and the Garvey empowerment. Howard University’s student takeover of the administration building in 1968, called for reform in the institution’s curriculum. Howard was known as the “black Harvard” and kept that sophisticated image for years. In the late 1960’s students had enough with “acting like white folks” in a sense and called for reformative measures.

Howard was not embracing its black culture and students wanted a change. ,200 students marched to the administration building and took over demanding that Howard embrace its “blackness” and not fabricate its culture. The takeover lasted for five days, and the student’s needs were met a year later. The Black Arts Movement headed by Amiri Baraka, was meant for blacks to establish publishings, art institutions, and most importantly self-empowerment (aalbc. com).

In 1968, James Brown’s recordedsingle Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud. This was a mainstream driving force to blacks for empowerment and prejudice. We see light skinned women particularly in commercials and on shows over dark skinned women.The evidence of

having white in black people is more of a cultural acceptance than a dark skinned, “traditional” black person. White people usually hire lighter skinned people than dark skinned (www. blackamericaweb. com). Matthew Harrison at the University of Georgia stated, “Fair-skinned blacks probably have more similarities with whites than does a dark-skinned black, which in turn makes whites feel more comfortable around them. " Little do people know the darker the pigment in your skin is the more melanin there is to protect you from the sun.Whites have all the benefits and privilege in the world and while blacks are still oppressed in a sense we try to find ways to have attributes. Ironically, white women now are having surgery done on their bodies to have features such as blacks.

Being black is beautiful and no matter what end of the black color spectrum whether it is high yellow or crunchy black. We as a people must embrace it and dispel nonsense surrounding it within our culture and put our energy into a more constructive effort.

Works Cited

1. Faigman, David L. Laboratory of Justice. (New York: Times Books, 2004) p.97
2. •Brown, James, with Bruce Tucker. James Brown: The Godfather of Soul (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company,1986), 200.
3. •Cottman H. , Michael. "No Surprise - Skin Tone Study Reveals Preference for Light-Skinned Employees.
4. " Black News 26 09 2006 1-3. 1 April 2008 <http://www. blackamericaweb. com/site. aspx/bawnews/skintonestudy925>.
5. •"W.E. B. Du Bois," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2007 http://encarta. msn.com © 1997-2007 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
6. •“The Black Arts Movement” http://aalbc. com/authors/blackartsmovement. htm