The Black Community and Colorism

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The Black Community is suffering from the oppression of history. The issues African Americans are facing today are a direct result from slavery and is a major significance to American society. Slavery, racial discrimination, and Aryan hierarchical mentality, has an effect on the African American community today by causing and influencing negative circumstances educationally, economically, and socially based on skin color, closed minded perceptions of beauty, and skin tone division as a whole. “Color preference is a cousin of racial prejudice, and like prejudice it is closely linked with the urge to obtain and keep power over others.”(Harvard University). The preference for lighter skin has been alive for centuries. In Spain, having a light skin tone meant you were full of pure Spaniard blood versus if you were of a darker complexion, you were not seen as worthy to even reside in the Spanish empire. Today, skin complexion dictates a person's ability to achieve employment at all. According to Berkeley, darker people want to be lighter because they believe it will make them more appealing for courting, employers, and even to seem more intellectual. Economically, it is proven that lighter complexion men have a better chance of employment compared to their darker skinned counterparts. Not only this, but proven statistics from UNCP show that darker skinned blacks are more than likely to have lower socioeconomic status, education, and marriage rate in comparison to lighter skinned blacks. . Firstly, to attain a career one must also attain an education in today's society. It is the social normality today to have at least a bachelor's degree to achieve any height of economic status at all. Being an African American in today's world mea... ... middle of paper ... ...b. 14 February 2014. Harris, Angela P. “From Color Line to Color Chart: Racism and Colorism in the New Century.” Scholarship.law.berkely.edu, 2013. Web. 19 February 2014. Burris, DJ. “Colorism affects the African- American Community.” 2.uncp.edu, Spring. 2013. Web. 19 February 2014 Hochschild, Jennifer L. “The Skin Color Paradox and the American Racial Order.” Scholar. Harvard.edu, December.2007. Web. 19 February 2014. Gayle, Angellique. “Light Supremacy: Colorism and the Black Man.” Thehilltoponline.com, 26 February. 2012. Web. 19 February 2014. Kerr, Audrey Elisa. “The Paper Bag Principle.” H-Net.org.H-DC, August 2007. Web. 20 February 2014. “On Dark Girls.” Association of Black Psychologists. Abpsi, 23 June 2013. Web. 20 February 2014. “United To End Colorism.” Colorism Healing. Web. 25 February 2014.

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