Light Skin versus Dark Skin

I was asked to research a controversial topice for my research class. I thought and thought and thought until I came up with the all time issue of light skin versus dark skin and it's impact on African Americans today.

Picture this, a set of equally attractive twins with the only difference being that one is light skin and one is dark skin. Who is prettier? Many people will unconsciously choose the light skin twin, but why? This leads to the ancient discussion of light skin versus dark skin, which is a forbidden topic in the black community. “You are pretty for a light skinned girl” or “All light skin girls are conceited” are sayings that can be heard throughout the black community. People rarely notice who you are before they notice the color of your skin. Today, blacks discriminate against each other, with the thought of light skinned African Americans being better than darker skinned African Americans. Instead of coming together as one, black people are still bringing one another down. It is ridiculous that blacks discriminate against each other, upholding one shade of skin over another. Society views lighter skinned African Americans higher than a darker skinned person, which creates self esteem issues in all individuals.

We are teaching this way of living to our children at very young ages, creating a future of insecurities. Children are in schools teasing each other, putting light skin peers against darker peers. Teasing can be detremental as a child, scaring them for life. These scars worsen as the child gets older because whites and blacks ridicule them as well. Having to deal with prejudiceness from whites is one thing, but dealing with it from blacks is utterly repulsive. Black people come from the same place and share the same story. It is ridiculous that children are turining their backs on each other due to skin tones.

Black people need to get on the same page and love each other for being different. Black people need to empower and believe in themselves. Black people need to get over this hump and become great. Too many people have lost their lives to gain acceptance in a white man’s world and black people do not appreciate them. We put each other down especially if someone is not white enough. This treatment deters people's mental state, leaving them feeling like they do not measure up when they really do.

Differences make the world go round. If we were all the same, there would be no room for creativity. Black people need to become open minded and work together to fight this colorism problem. If this problem persists, our children and their children and their children will hate each other. Hate will only ruin the black community. We have worked too hard to become our own self destruction. To express one’s faults and mistakes is a huge step and fixing a problem. It takes a strong person to admit when he or she is wrong. The fact that blacks are noticing colorism will help generate ways to put an end to this historical problem of light skin versus dark skin.