...colorism debate among African-Americans. The “light vs. dark” dispute within the African American population is widespread. If someone were to Google the phrase "light skin vs. dark skin" they would find more than a thousand results to look through. This is because the issue of skin color is still a big issue within the black race because in the times of slavery black people were treated differently according to their skin color. The roots of this kind of bigotry run deep throughout the country. African Americans see colorism all the time in the media, their workplace and even in schools but have learned to accept it. This way of thinking began in the time of slavery; skin color has been used as a means of division and special treatment within the black community. It’s common knowledge that slave masters separated their slaves in order to control them and reduce chances of an uprising. One of the main aspects of that separation was turning the slaves against each other based on skin tone. The house slaves were usually light- complexioned and were more likely to receive the special favor of doing work inside the house instead of out in the hot sun. Slaves with darker skin were usually stuck with backbreaking work in the fields. To guarantee the division of the races, it was a well-known law that if a person had 'one drop' of black blood in their bloodline they were considered to be black. As a result, this discrimination among light and dark complexioned African Americans has...
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...The Ongoing Issue- Dark Skin and Light Skin Janice Crosley University Composition and Communication II 10/07/2012 Tracy Alberry “All the prettiest kids are light skinned anyway.” This is a quote that Neyo, a pop/rap artist made during one of his many interviews.(Bougie Black Girl) (4/11/2012) This is how dark skin is depicted in the African community by each other. Divisiveness is a very strong trait in the African American community and being dark skinned is one that has kept oppression alive from within. One might say that this paper is too offensive or bias because of the use of the African American Culture. It is always negative to speak about racism, dark skin or anything that has to do with the African culture and racism normally in any situation. This has been a tainted subject for quite some time now and it travels all the way from the continent of Africa. This is definitely a form of racism and the rules need to change in order to protect, heal and strengthen not only the black community, but the cultural world as a whole. Nonetheless, the origin of racism began some time ago. The first boat that carried Africans to be enslaved was brought to America in 1619. They were bought here by the White man to trade and use for cleaning, cooking, working in the fields and whatever else was needed. It was a business that was flourishing throughout the world. It is said that slavery started with the Africans in the continent of Africa. Slavery was supposed to be abolished...
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...Americans were the same skin complexion? What if we never used the terms light or dark skin? What if we did not judge or imply that darker skin black people are less desirable? That Obama though qualified to run; he is “the right shade” to be president, he passed the “paper bag test”. Basically, what if we never experienced any form of colorism. The term black people are used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups. Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as “black”. The worst classification and the greatest divide with in the African American culture has come through Colorism; light skin versus dark, a form of discrimination within one’s own ethnic groups. Colorism is a term to describe prejudice or discrimination in which human beings are treated different social treatment based on skin color. It is in almost every race, but it is more predominant in the African American culture within the United States. Discrimination within and outside African American’s dates back to slavery and is still happening now more than ever. We have been brain washed through generations, teachings, peers, parents and the media. The light vs. dark topic has been apparent since the time of slavery, but its problems and consequences are still very evident. During the time of slavery African Americans were not only segregated with white people they were also segregated within their own race. There were two...
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...Willie Lynch’s infamous, The Willie Lynch Letter: The Making of a Slave, is a speech that was given in 1712 on the bank of the James River as an attempt to prolong the harsh institution of slavery. Lynch was invited by colonists to reveal his methods on the retention of slaves. This piece was effective in delivering the message that slave owners could control their slaves “for at least 300 years.” One might ask why is the relevant, however, slavery did not officially end until 153 years after this speech was given. In order to persuade his audience Lynch uses euphemistic diction while appealing to his Caucasian American audience with his confidence, charisma, structure of his speech, and vivid language. Another way Lynch sways his audience...
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..."The Willie Lynch Letter" by Willie Lynch in the year 1712 William Lynch was a white slave owner from the West Indies, brought to America to spread his ideas on how to keep an entire race enslaved for centuries. This is the beginning... Gentlemen, I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First, I shall thank you, the gentlemen of the Colony of Virginia, for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me on my modest plantation in the West Indies where I have experimented with some of the newest and still the oldest methods of controlling slaves. Ancient Rome would envy us if my program were implemented. As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious King, whose version of the Bible we cherish, I saw enough to know that your problem is not unique. While Rome used cords of wood as crosses for standing human bodies along its highways in great numbers, you are here using the tree and the rope on occasion. I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree a couple of miles back. You are not only losing a valuable stock by hangings, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the fields too long for maximum profit, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed. Gentlemen, you know what your problems are: I do not need to elaborate. I am not here to enumerate your problems, I...
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...DeNayia Holmes Carol Swain Lewis Advanced college writing October 25, 2015 Stereotyping people In the modern America that we live in you are judged by your appearance. Whether it be the clothes you wear, the places you work, or the color of your skin. More often than other many will be stereotyped by the color of their skin; as it is believed that, one can learn all they need to know about a person, just by their skin. Stereotyping is the evil monster no one wants to admit to, seeing how it is constitutionally wrong, it’s easy to pretend it’s not a part of our everyday lives. The other side to this that nobody wants to admit, is that the people stereotyped the hardest are people of color. Stereotyping people of color is so common, that it is has become so forcibly embedded into American society, that its presence in law enforcement, social media, and community finds it to be natural. Taking a backseat view to stereotyping people of color make it clear just how serious it is. Although banned in the United States racial profiling is often used in law enforcement. the number one group that is pursued in stop and frisk situations are young African American males (NYCLU 2.) in new York the epidemic got so bad that the law was made officially, that police officers could no longer stop and frisk solely because of ethnicity and gender under the fourth amendment (Cornell 1.) while this is an active law several men of colored are still...
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...Civil Rights struggle we may have never known each other because it would have been almost impossible for your dad and mom to create you being that she is White and he black but I am glad things have changed for the black community over the years. You know some things about the African-American race but since you grew up mostly around the Caucasian side of your family with the Black side of your family being in and out of your life I feel like there is a lot that you can take from me writing you this letter pertaining to the struggle that African-American's have had to endure just to have the same rights and freedoms that all of the other races were entitled to. You already know from Social Studies and History during school that we as African-Americans were once enslaved and Caucasians owned us so I won't go into grave detail about that. I was reading an article on History.com that explained how the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Color People) was founded in 1909 by W.E.B. Dubois in hopes to enforce the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution which would provide complete and fair education to all African-American's just as it had been provided to the White race, because of this we were able to meet and attend school together engaging in daily learning that has been of a great benefit to the both of us. The NAACP also was formed to see an end come to the unlawful lynching of...
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...The on-going battle in the African American community between light skinned and dark skinned individuals is not only an issue of the present, but stretches many years back as seen in Adrian Piper’s work and lifetime struggle with her identity. With a growing number of interracial families many children find it hard to fit in with society’s expectations of black and white. Like Piper, many are looking to identify themselves but are disheartened by lurking stereotypes. All in all, it’s a problem society hasn’t overcome, but efforts such as Adrian Piper’s are educating and altering notions of the past. Piper’s racial identity issues, worsened by discrimination, began before her time when her father, a light skinned black man was placed in the segregated black army brigade only to be shunned by fellow troops men because they thought he wasn’t dark enough. As a result, Piper grew up to question her identity, not knowing where she belonged. However she later learned to defend her stance as a black woman, but along the way her enthusiasm was stifled by the constant “derogatory, insensitive behavior” she witnessed towards blacks whether they were around or not. In an effort to combat the racial discrimination, Piper turned to art as an outlet, and her photography not only helped her overcome her issues but also brought light to an overlooked societal issue. In 1972, Piper, in a series of images know as the Mythic Being progressively portrayed herself as a black man with a mustache,...
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...Brown v. Board of Education The case of brown v. board of education was one of the biggest turning points for African Americans to becoming accepted into white society at the time. Brown vs. Board of education to this day remains one of, if not the most important cases that African Americans have brought to the surface for the better of the United States. Brown v. Board of Education was not simply about children and education (Silent Covenants pg 11); it was about being equal in a society that claims African Americans were treated equal, when in fact they were definitely not. This case was the starting point for many Americans to realize that separate but equal did not work. The separate but equal label did not make sense either, the circumstances were clearly not separate but equal. Brown v. Board of Education brought this out, this case was the reason that blacks and whites no longer have separate restrooms and water fountains, this was the case that truly destroyed the saying separate but equal, Brown vs. Board of education truly made everyone equal. The case started in Topeka, Kansas, a black third-grader named Linda Brown had to walk one mile through a railroad switchyard to get to her black elementary school, even though a white elementary school was only seven blocks away. Linda's father, Oliver Brown, tried to enroll her in the white elementary school seven blocks from her house, but the principal of the school refused simply because the child was black. Brown went...
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...In order for blacks to rise in the nation they need to become more unified and stop fighting one another. “Because of the disfranchisement of blacks, it has been hard for them to assume power positions in America” (George, 3). Slavery caused a division amongst blacks, therefore blacks need to unify as one instead of fighting with each other, as well as gain more aspiration in life. Slavery is the main cause for a division amongst blacks. The start of the division go all the way back to Willie Lynch’s speech to slave owners on how to control slaves. He instructed slave owners to separate slaves according to age and skin color ultimately putting them against one another. He said that the plan would last for at least 300 years. Which is sad...
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...Policy Recommendations for Law Enforcement Agencies in Texas Racial profiling is commonly defined as the act of discriminating against a person based on race, ethnicity, religion or national origin. The practice of racial profiling is a serious issue, especially when police officers are accused of this type of discrimination. Accusations of racial profiling can tarnish the reputation of an officer, their department, and can create a negative image towards the community they protect. With such disastrous consequences at stake, something must be done to fight this issue within the Texas police departments. Could possible adjustments be made to our current policies and legislature? More importantly, how can we ensure that all of our citizens,...
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...Racism. A word that we would like to lay in the dark and avoid but a word that is buried deep in our souls and history. Racism can be defined as a statement you make about another person, without knowing the person but judging it because of the skin color, language, or birthplace. You judge a person’s social background because of biological characteristics. It is the fear of the unknown that draws us to racial conclusions. It still exists in our daily life, on the streets, in schools and elsewhere. Though it still exists to a limited extend, if we look decades ago it had a whole other meaning. Though that people may be more aware of the consequences of using labels, it can offend one’s sense of equality in the society. A study developed by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology shows that the racial labels can have a tremendous impact on how a person is met by other people. The study explains that the racial label “black” makes people think of a person with lower socioeconomic status, compared to the racial label “African- American”. It is rather disturbing that a peoples racial label, can have such a big impact on people’s opinion about one another. It is directly saying that a black labeled person is less worth than an African-American. This can also mean that when a man is going to a job interview, he will be situated less ambitious compared to another. The differences in words can play a large role in how persons are perceived by one another. It is important...
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...As we all know discrimination has been around for a while now. So what really is the true meaning of discrimination? Discrimination is when an individual or even a group of people are treated differently due to race, national origin, age, gender, etc. Never once will the person doing the discriminating shed light on what that person’s qualifications and individual behavior are, nor have they ever cared. To illustrate the point, here are a few examples of employment discrimination. Up until the 1960s, almost all police departments, especially the southern ones, never would hire officers that were African American. If you were lucky enough to be hired as an African American officer, there were many restrictions that came with it. For example African American officers could not arrest Caucasians, and were not allowed to work in Caucasian neighborhoods. As an African American you were kept in minority neighborhoods. These are the types of work practices that show what discrimination is. Just because of an individual’s race you were treated much differently with many restrictions. Lastly around the same time frame, males were not allowed to be flight attendants. Only females were allowed to work this position. This is an example of gender type discrimination. Never were qualifications and experience reviewed about an individual first. In today’s day and age, police agencies and our criminal justice system as a whole still show many patterns of discrimination. Some of those discrimination...
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...or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority)” (Merriam- Webster) Microaggression have become in recent years part of the conversation on race in America. Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric sheds light on microaggression towards people of color in American society. She uses poetry and pictures to weave a story about race in America today. Yet race problems are not something new in human history, in Shakespeare’s Othello named after the main character who is a black man, in an all white society. Othello married Desdemona, a white venetian women and around them the plot circles. Microaggression have been part of our society for awhile. These two text show race is two different societies and time periods. Yet the similarities between race relation in each text, begs the question how far we really come in race relations. Citizen and Othello shed light on...
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...“You’re black!” “You’re yellow!” People will always be identified as their skin color, I do not know how whites developed a superiority complex. “FOBs vs. Twinkies” by Grace Hsiang and “Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples are two articles highlighting racial discrimination. Hsiang’s article focuses on intraracial discrimination while Staples’ articles focuses on racial stereotyping outside of his race. In ‘“FOBs” vs. “Twinkies”’ the author is surprised to hear about intraracial discrimination because she expected to hear about whites vs. the minority. Students took turns telling their stories of personal experiences with racial conflict. “Black Men in Public Space” is a little different because the author uses personal experiences...
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