Prejudice Against Skin Shade:
Before being forcefully submerged into a world of white, Africans were known to be very peaceful people with a high appreciation for their culture and people. Whether your skin was lighter or darker was never a concern. Black was beautiful no matter the shade. Unfortunately, over the years, such appreciation began to vanish once these Africans were turned into slaves. During the time or slavery, the lighter shaded blacks were treated as a higher class than the dark skins. This acknowledgement stuck for so many years proceeding that it still exists openly in African American society today. According to American standards, the "light-skinnded" blacks are depicted as being more beautiful and appealing. Maybe because they generally have "nicer" features and look more closer in appearance to whites? Whatever the reason, society has learn to grow to this theory so much to the point that African Americans have begun to see things this way as well. More than likely, if asked, an African American will probably tell you that, in terms of beauty from society's stampoint, blacks with lighter skin are normally seen as more appealing and beautiful. Whether you open a magazine, watch tv or movies, or any type of advertisement, you will more than likely see the African American representative as one with lighter skin. You will see the occasional dark skin every so often, but there is really no comparison. This is simply because society has decided to declare so. However, if African Americans as a whole can ban together and start showing the world the beauty of darker skinned blacks that society will follow in pursuit. African Americans have slowly begun to earn their, highly fought for, respect so if an issue was brought into view of the entire US from the African American community, they will listen.
On the other hand, many darker skinned African Americans exist and are appreciated as well, and more are entering with each new year. People such as Naomi Campbell, Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington, and Tyrese Gibson are all fairly dark skinned people who are viewed as depictions of beauty. Light skins may be seen more frequently but that does not mean that dark skins are not seen at all. To say such a thing may be a simple understatement. Though this may be true, that does not mean it is okay. Being that light skins are depicted more frequently, they are made out to be more of a preference. Highlighting them in any type of way above dark skins is how the overall problem really begins. If they were shown more equally, maybe the uneven preference between the two would level out. Being that African Americans alone see light skins as being more attractive is a issue in its own. Dark skins have grown to become very unappreciative and ashamed of their darker complexions and many have even tried bleaching their skin. African Americans need to relearn to appreciate and see the beauty in dark skin just as much as light.
Related Articles:
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh06z1I9ZOH0Gw0lei
http://blackgirlthinking.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/light-skindark-skin-still-an-issue/
http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/01/11/the-ugly-roots-of-the-light-skin-dark-skin-divide.html
