Shades of Black - Colorism, Skin Color Discrimination

In addition to dealing with racism in mainstream American, issues around skin color have permeated African American communities for generations. "Shades of Black" is a short documentary exploring colorism amongst African Americans and its impact.
The video above is a shorter version produced for a Laney College Media Communications class. A longer version is in the works for 2011.

[@kelybigdeal]

I have lived in Nigeria, Dubai, Uk and now US. A striking observation from the 1st three countries is that some people especially the females tend to bleach their skin but there are hardly any issues about shade. I have never been treated unfairly or made to feel inferior because I am darker than the next African. Then I moved to US, good lord! Everything is about skin tone within the black community. It was only in this USA I heard such outrageous and ridiculous remarks like how a lighter skin African American behaves better than the darker skin ones. Sounds like the Hutus and tutsis nonsense of Rwanda. Black people let's stop doing this to ourselves. We degrade ourselves in front of other races this will give them the audacity to degrade us.

[@MultiSmartass1]

Good point. I have met my share of African immigrants and they dont seem interested or involved in colorism. Its not an African thing to make distinctions based on color because that makes no sense. However, in the US, the whole colorism thing is supposedly a big deal. I found out about colorism a couple years ago and it seems silly and nonsensical to me.

[@MultiSmartass1]

***** Black Africans do not engage in colorism like Black Americans do. Also, the colored people of South Africa are not considered black-this is why are known as colored or mixed race. They are a wholly distinct and seperate community from both white Afrikaaners and black africans.

[@MultiSmartass1]

***** Yes in South Africa apartheid did produce seperations. However, black Africans do not consider mixed race people black and never have. Langston Hughes found that out the hard way when he went to an African nation and was called "white". Even after Apartheid, Blacks in SA do not consider mixed race people one of their own neither do white Afrikaaners. This is why you have not simply a category of people who are "colored"but a community with its own institutions and political positions. This is basically going to be the reality for mixed race people everywhere else in the world-they are going to have to be their own community in order to advocate for their issues and concerns.

[@RasheedShabazz]

What can we do to change these images and concepts?

[@Wayne_C_Kelly_II]

Where may I purchase this video? Is there a direct webpage?

[@trulyblessed3490]

This is so crazy because my mom favors the lady with the dreads but she had hazel eyes. I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world! I never noticed the color thing until I was in school and light girl wouldn't play with me. and they were popular so they told other people not to talk to me and don't be my friend. they picked on me a lot. calling blackie. they would hold different items to my face and say that I was that black or blacker than that item smh. I'm a milk chocolate color. and they gave me hell growing up.. family too. I can only imagine how bad it was if u was darker than me smh.

[@mocancer8485]

Kills me to hear this, Im so sorry you had to go thru this..your titlename here speaks for you..you a truly blessed and very beautiful..I'm one of those melanated kings who truly loves his black queen.

[@ines1891]

Did you ever get to finish the longer version? I loved this discussion and would love to show it to my undergrads when I teach on race. Very important topic that I think many conversations on anti-racism forget about.

[@mrroberttrujillo]

This is dope bro' Reg. So glad to see you speaking on this and continuing the conversation. Its hella necessary!

[@SweetULadY]

Wow, from my european perspective, this is absolutely unbelievable!!! Dark skinned people are also beautiful!! Beauty comes in all colours and shapes!!

[@rswoods5417]

Curious seems that black people discriminate themselves the most

[@ApolloTheCreed]

It was designed that way. Divide and conquer. Works for generations. Willie Lynch "How to make a slave" explains it all. www.iupui.edu/~blacksu/PDF%20Documents/Documents/WillieLynchLetter.pdf

[@thadevilzadvocate]

And it's also funny how black people have all these stupid nicknames for different skin tones to try and further segregate them. Then you got the internet wars with all these different "gangs" and "teams" Black community sucks.

[@sunriseguru9308]

What about India?

[@thadevilzadvocate]

Eastonia Stewart oh hell yeah they have it bad too. They use a "caste" system for that skin tone crap. And in brazil. So you see there really is no escape. The "man" spread their poison nationwide.

[@rswoods5417]

Eastonia Stewart India ..one of the most weird and racists people on the planet.I would say more then the black society.Thanks for noticing this.

[@mygitR]

"I have seen some ugly mofo's, that dark skinned girls drooled over, just cuz their light skinned ... " For real? Bitching about how unfair it is to be judged by the shade of your skin color, but then in the same breath coming out with shit like that? Imo being called ugly is worse that being seemingly overlooked due to the shade of your skin. The girl with that shitty attitude gotta stop being so derogatory herself before accusing others ...

[@amandaclouse8740]

That comment really bothered me too! Just because she viewed him as ugly doesn't mean her friend thought he was ugly and might have had NOTHING to do with the fact that he has light skin. Then, another woman says "I like my men like I like my coffee"...so she only likes dark skin, so isn't THAT being unfair based on skin pigment???

[@MrDhoover]

Great work Mr. James. I look forward to the completed work.

[@RasheedShabazz]

I once read a book that quoted an American white man during slavery. He said, "White women are for marriage. Mulatos are for f*cking. and Black women are for work." When you are not in the South, do you have the same experiences or interactions with men, based on your skin color?

[@toricollins6516]

Rasheed Shabazz I actually have read something similar in the past. As an African-American woman who is considered "fair-da-middle'n", with a "caramel" coffee complexion, I have been fetishsized myself & it's been unsettling. It's frustrating, really.

[@kyromani]

I didn't know 90% of the terms and I still don't know what they mean

[@RosySpeaks]

Really appreciated these perspectives and it happened right here in the Bay!

[@RasheedShabazz]

How old is your daughter? Would a video like this be cool for her age group? or does it need to be something for younger children? All jokes aside, a friend is talking about working on this as a cartoon, and using that to speak to the youth.

[@KenTheWary]

Lil Wayne dropping by at 1:05

[@williamjames4031]

Kenneth Simon He looks exactly like Lil Wayne.

[@Janissi42]

Yeah, you are right. Fair skinned people go through their issues as well. There's no doubt about it; however, I think that being dark skinned, not just in the AA community, but in many cultures is definitely seen as being less than those who look the closest to whites. Black/dark is seen as being evil and sinister, yet white is seen as perfect and pure. I'm not trying to diminish anyone's experiences.

[@mocancer8485]

Now think about it who do you think orchestrated that whole mental notion?.. No other than the oppressor

[@13princessjade]

@billysuter unfortunetly i think that some of these terms are coming over to the UK as yesterday i was called a yellow bone -_-. Why not just a black person?

[@dieudonnekoffijustinbrou1440]

Brother I would like to be interviewed for this!! Let me know if I could be of help!!

[@Kaneki6386]

Doesn't "monotone" refer to speech? 1:04

[@prettyinpunk4]

I feel like that quotes still holds true in popular opinion today. Thanks for the vid.

[@mitesser80]

Most stores don't even carry black dolls. How many black people recall seeing a dark skin women as a love interest on a movie or a tv show. What about cartoons? Last I counted there are only like two cartoons with black main characters. This isn't just about dark skin women but light skin ones and everything in between. Our society puts a premium on color, this isn't just about black people. My neighbor from India uses skin lightening cream. Obviously other societies are having this issue too.

[@Samuel115s]

all im herring is light skin dark skin where dose medium brown fit in

[@hannah60000]

This is really interesting because a few years ago we in South London the young used to have a saying that "mixed race girls are hoes" (I cannot remember if it included light skin girls as well), but I wonder why such a perspective has formed?

[@nnennaumelloh8834]

I really appreciate you sharing this.

[@jessicaaaaaaaaaaa95]

@miul146,te enamoras de cual hombre con los dreadlocks?hay dos,y espero que te refieras al hombre que no se lleva el sombrero jaja

[@ActivistoftheLeft]

When I was 12, there was this one girl, she came straight from Afrika. There was another girl named "Melinda", and she didn't like the sista from Afrika because she was darker.

[@jewelhopson9240]

Parade of Shades by Jewel Hopson is the only novel that deals with both sides of colorism. For more information check out www.jewelhopson.com.

[@Gorgerliscous]

Easier said than done, I know not all black people are like that but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Being insulted and talked about almost every day is depressing. :(

[@roxannawhittaker-lewis1707]

I'm obsessed with Black America. It spills into black culture in Britain and there is a big difference between the slavery you had to the colonialism we had. Also we have different types of black over here no just one umbrella "black" so you see someone dark and you assume they are african and if they are light you assume they are Caribbean and then they seperation, if their is one, comes from their ethnic background.

[@BethiBEAR]

I completely agree with this idea. I am mixed and I have been told numerous times that I look exotic and men have flat out asked me to have sex before. OR they tell me that I look like I would be down for kinky sex. The funny thing is I am a virgin and I dress modestly. Maybe I am reading into it, because I am sure lots of women experience this...

[@Mulatto4Metal]

Me too!! Peanut butter, caramel, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha-baby, cappuccino-cutie. Skin colors are sound so much nicer when a food analogy is attached to them.

[@hannah60000]

Sometimes people are called light skin relative to those around them, so compared to the black people around her perhaps she was the lightest hence consider light skin, which I have notice can be a very subjective term...

[@armani3762]

Team lightskinned African-American!!

[@theearthiseggshaped733]

manofsteel33 What,blacks are racist to their own race but they constantly complain about other people?And that darkskins are the ones who hate the most?

[@Machelle3200]

Being light skinned woman myself, I think my skin tone draws the wrong type of men to me. A lot of southern men have preconceived ideas of lightskinned women and some even say we are only good for sex. Some of these men are probably looking for some "european' sexual experience, and that look stupid when they don't get it. I'm black and I don't like or do the things that maybe more white women are more inclined to do.

[@Coonjabas]

I am sick of people saying it is just a different skin colour. Look at my avatar of a black albino i.e. white skin and you will clearly see it is more than just different skin colour!

[@Kancerous]

If your comprehension wasn't so terrible you would understand that I made a general statement, not about anyone specific or anyone in this video. I was actually advocating people speaking up like in this video.

[@RasheedShabazz]

Why do you have that preference?

[@Niaimani92]

I dont think the girl in the pink and green knows she's dark skin lol.

[@Rawrlor]

It depends on the white person in question. White colorism is all intaracial meaning that blonde hair and brown hair whites are both the same race just with different hair. Light skinned people with black ancestry are actually mixed race so it is not the same thing. Mixed people are of a different RACE to blacks and not really black..

[@justmeruhi]

I know it's so sad. I am Indian and whenever i get more tanned my beautician says i should bleach and i'm like get off my face please.

[@Gorgerliscous]

Sadly it won't, the only hope I have is getting good grades and moving out of my black neighborhood. Thank you for your support, it makes me feel better

[@Thedarksecret1]

@Fuzzbabby First of all, if they called that dude a "redbone" I hope that they were females. If those were other dudes calling him redbone then they were trying to get him in the booty. I've never referred to a light skinned man as a "redbone". I find that very odd.

[@RasheedShabazz]

Your Black is beautiful. Don't let your experiences with a few confused children drive you away from your people.

[@PrussianEngineer]

"It's not genocide if it happens to a people who committed genocide 400 years ago." Yea okay, strong counter-argument.

[@Gorgerliscous]

I appreciate the support :)

[@RavenMoonChild00]

it actually starts in kindergarten. when i was 5 a boy called me tar baby and burned cookie (i liked him but his references confused me because i wasnt raised to be self racist)

[@DayeDayeX]

What is up with this country with Skin Color?

[@CerromeX]

Dark Skin girls are the same color as the Queens of Africa. I love my African Queens.

[@craigedavid3633]

And its not until we start to see our self and our women as Beautiful, stronge, inteligent spiritual entity's. Instead of Creamy skin, big ass, good hair, charcoal, bad hair. Black, Brown, Yellow. That we will move forward and respect our self as a people.

[@soseabrook1]

Having difficulty seeing your natural beauty? Join the “Barely Beautiful” Facebook group. We are helping, encouraging and uplifting one another’s to see and then embracing our natural beauty.

[@torontosorewristhex]

we are all fusions of life.

[@Pentazoid111]

yep, and red hari , pale pasty skin and freckles being generally at the bottom

[@Janissi42]

Yep, that's true. They worship the Anglo Saxon "purity." Blonde hair and blue eyes is considered pure.

[@tHE1iAm38]

@Thedarksecret1;The dude who said they called him red bone was obviously joking and trying to make a point.Point being that their are black people far darker than himself.

[@SalmaV1]

2:08 Lil wayne ??

[@hafsadoloresdarlings]

There is no need for insults and rude language. Well you did say "mixed out of existence", you were implying extinction, yes? I never said it is meant to happen, but if it happens over a span of time through interracial relationships, then who cares? What is the importance of saving whiteys? I just don't understand why people make a fuss about immigration and mixed races. We all share this planet together; one piece of land shouldn't be only for one race, it should be for all races equally.

[@BLACKMANIZGOD]

Interesting vid but the fact is even in Africa you have light skinned blacks mid brown and dark to extremely dark. The light skinned blacks who look mulattoe are usually what are referred to as the red bone types example halle berry lookin black chics etc. The black race is shades of brown but the light skin girl in this vid posess white attributes like she cud have a white grandma or sumthin. To be honest those kinds of blacks are different in how they connect to tru black ppl experience

[@Kancerous]

3. Reginald claimed I was denying the experiences of the people in this video, which was an ignorant assumption likely tied to his horrible comprehension, in the same way as you have displayed by making a reply on what was clearly a rhetorical statement, but apparently you missed that. 4. Comprehension helps, do you not know what the word IF means? Why do people suck at English so bad these days?

[@starRavenCraft]

@MsJazzkitty The person you replied to is not very intelligent, he does not understand genetics, You can be dark skinned and have " white " blood too, you can even have more white blood then a lighter skin person depending on who you are, my two cousins one is very light, the other dark, they both have the same parents,btw Chris Rock is 20% white and he's darkskinned, being darkskinned dosent mean your " pure " african, and having white blood dosent always mean someone was raped

[@billysuter]

this is messsed up, never heard of hardly any of these terms in living in the UK, makes me feel bad, i thought this shit was over :S

[@craigedavid3633]

You hardly ever see a movie were the sister isnt doing or saying something that depicts her in a sexual manner, It makes me sad that we no longer see our self as a poeple but as objects . It all seems that it is orientated around sexual preference, and not the real value of a person. Me personaly Dont care about what shade you are, if you are inteligent, African and beautiful i wont think twice about geting to know you.

[@abby-a]

I'm black wouldn't mind if somebody called me ebony I think it's a pretty word I used to know a black girl who's name was ebony

[@summerchick621]

within*

[@TheChildfreeCurlyGirl]

Oh hunni, I'm soooo sorry this happened to you.

[@Janissi42]

Some of the most color struck people I've met are foreign blacks who think they are superior to AA. What's more, many of them worship white people as gods, especially many Jamaicans. I'm not trying to throw shade on Jamaicans (my grandmother was Jamaican, and I still have relatives there), but many of them are very color struck.

[@mocancer8485]

That's a fact...many Africans and Caribbeans have no love nor respect for AA...they think they are lazy, rude, and have no training ( discipline & morals)..they think they are all ghetto and trashy

[@Gorgerliscous]

I live in the UK and I'm quite dark I get ripped on every day by black people or at least when I walk past them on the street they even shout horrible things at me from across the street, and it just makes me feel all the more anxious and self-conscious I go to a predominately black school and I get teased and laughed at by the black people because of my skin when I hang around non-blacks they couldn't care less they see me for me so I just keep away from black people in general as much as I can

[@PrussianEngineer]

There's this little thing called heritage and people tend to want to keep it because it belongs to them, plus they have dignity and pride, at least most of the time. As for land being for all races equally, it isn't. Only European land is for all races equally, all other peoples have their own lands. "What is the importance of saving whiteys?" What if I said "what exactly is the importance of saving blackies?" while they were disappearing" Would I or would I not be a piece of shit human being?

[@RasheedShabazz]

People think you're not her son, right? But all colors come from Black

[@9862972]

3:27 Its Lil wayn!!!

[@hafsadoloresdarlings]

Great response. :)

[@Samuel115s]

dont you mean the guy who as dreadlocks not "the gay"

[@shawndarby4405]

Idk about that.

[@PrinceSoloShow]

This SHIT hurts my head.

[@hellokittycutie2003]

@CarlosCoolidgeAlden Yea...keep telling yourself that and keep building that ego up with deceit.

[@tHE1iAm38]

@Thedarksecret1;Because he said what he said in a joking way!!!!!

[@TheChildfreeCurlyGirl]

I feel like watching this is currupting my mind. I'm a dark complected woman and I don't have an inferiority complex based on my skin tone. Check out my video which documents my experiences as a Black woman in the Caribbean and in North America. It starts from home people. If you're not exposed to it like I wasn't; you will be confident and love yourself. Check out mu video "Light skinned vs Dark skinned" on my channel.

[@worldviewism]

We are just too intense over NOTHING...colorism???? lol wow...lets live!

[@Jaslon73Jaslon]

@Thedarksecret1 Wow I said the same thing too. If he is redbone,I'm damn near white,this is silly.

[@songnigga72]

TRUST ME BROTHER! YOU WILL EXPERINCE IT YOU HAVE NOT LIVED LONG ENOUGH YET!

[@summerchick621]

HOW IN THE HELLL CAN WE ASK FOR EQUALITY.....when we can't even get it together withing ours selves????? judging each other on a shade of brown. It seems like of all races we do it the most and that is sad a.f. Also if anyone likes you JUST becuase of your skin color and you accept that ...you are meant for each other becuase your are stupid and they are ignorant. I Learned that looks can be deceiving so saying that barely ever judge by appearance BUT NEVER by a skin shade.

[@te4888]

ooooooohhhhh we black folk got some issues for real

[@Thedarksecret1]

@tHE1iAm38 Dude, how do you know he was joking? You speak as if you know him personally or something.

[@Kancerous]

I don't deny it, you making baseless assumptions and replying in a defensive manner is quite typical though. I don't hate anyone, the fact that is what you got from me encouraging colorless love is quite perplexing to me. I said any ethnicity could make such a video because it's true, if you're denying that every ethnicity has experienced racism then you're willfully ignorant to the truth. I was encouraging people speaking up like in this video, I wasn't calling them victims. Comprehension...

[@tHE1iAm38]

@Thedarksecret1; He was joking......Damn!!!!! Some of yall lack critical thinking skills.

[@kaylathomas7823]

not in the united states /:

[@Kellcur]

@billysuter Because people in the US are probably the most ignorant people in the world. This is coming from an American too. It's sad. It really is.

[@ryanstones4433]

That makes me hate being dark skinn

[@AlchemistOfNirnroot]

Your picture's that of a light-skinned woman...

[@Thedarksecret1]

@retrojamaican Word!

[@newnimprovesT3]

THAT TIARA GIRL LOOKS DARK SKINNED TO ME. Y DOES SHE REFER TO DARK SKIN PEOPLE AS THEM OR THEY

[@RasheedShabazz]

Since when? Race was determined phenotypically by Census takers until 1940. And your 'point' that 'every ethnicity' could do this means two things: first, you deny the experiences of those in this video who've been impacted by white supremacy hierarchy, and second, it shows the prevalence of this world wide. Does this occur in Europe two, based on color? People will stop playing victims when they stop being victimized, but videos like this resist white norms, encourage love, so stop hating.

[@coconut9121]

Hi Knowledge

[@kristamcdonald1718]

Why has nobody else noticed this lol

[@RasheedShabazz]

What is white genocide? Educate me.

[@missgrizzle90]

Gosh who pooped in your coffee.

[@jaydee4]

stop complaining slavery ended.you're not ugly because of colour but because of the way you groom yourself and the way you act.i am dark as night and i wouldnt have it any other way...i am African and when i was made someone was excited about me so i appreciate her,if you feel bad about your skin colour you are questioning your mothers judgement and that to me is a capital offence.LOVE YOURSELF,YOU ARE NO LONGER SLAVES.

[@fe6523]

Please KZbin SGI Buddhist movement an introduction full length version. Peace and NammyohorengekyO !!! People of the world be the change you wish to see internally!! If you feel like you are being discriminated against or being overlooked or judged by your skin color Please SELF REFLECT have you done that to others!!??? Everything is Karma not color!!!

[@RasheedShabazz]

So, the skin colors we were born with, which leads others to judge us, is a result of something we did before we were born?

[@fe6523]

@@RasheedShabazz Yep,, it means you are carrying some forms of karma be it in this lifetime or past life to attract those type of people. Maybe a majority of us but all people of color do not attract that type of people. It depends wear you were born and wear you grew up and your kama. .If you look at WORLD HISTORY ALL RACES have dealt with karma. Look at WORLD War 2, look at the native Americans, look at Rwanda, also White and middle eastern a long time ago experience slavery. Look at the Barbary slavery trade,it was DIVERSE!!! . Look up Mali with the richest man in the world till this day. A black man who had lots of slaves of different races and the list goes on!!!

[@fe6523]

@@RasheedShabazz I cannot help apart of my people by withholding or going along like it was not our karma. If I truly care about apart of my own people and humanity its important to be honest and own up/ take responsibility of our karma be it in our own individual daily lives or as a collective regarding the African American community. You cannot change your karma/ stuff with being in denial/not taken responsibility and letting your ego get in the way!!!. That's the first step to healing/ overcoming!!!l Also, KZbin Hometeam History. I think he is telling the truth about African history. Because the things he says is really connected to karma.I am half African American and half Moroccan. I am extremely mix and when I started this journey of knowing I was adopted and really discovering my roots I have both people, one who been enslaved on my African American side and my Moroccan side including Mali the ruler Mansa Musa the richest man in the world till this day enslaving all different races of people and the Moroccan side enslaving the White people because they were pissed, off because they were kicked out of Spain., the pirates. A LOT OF DRAMA was going on in Spain, the Arabian pensulia , turkey, that whole Mediterranean coast.and etc.All the history of North Africa including all the people of that history even outside of Morocco and the African American side flows threw me equally. Have a great day!!! Peace and NammyohorengekyO!!!!

[@2KAYE9UNRULEY]

BROWNNSKINN!

[@LiciousSha]

Aww im sorry to hear that Hope it gets better for you

[@RasheedShabazz]

Anti-racist is not anti-white, anti-racist is anti-racism. You speculate about people flooding countries by the millions, but seem to forget how Europe flooded its culture, ideas, and hierarchy to the countries most of those people came from. Those white people also exterminated the Natives around the world. Of top, your comment has nothing to do with this video. White supremacy, which your words reek of, is anti-human. But, this video is not about you, but something you've bought into.

[@MiSs215Live]

lol He does look just like him...but better! lol