Comments on: Colorism – Expanding Black Beauty by Kela Price

By: blendingin

blendingin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:09:10 +0000

Actually, Lil, I am not of mixed race. Both of my parents are black and so am I.

By: AllPeople

AllPeople — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:11:23 +0000

Since mention was made of the topic of
‘house and ‘field’ slave — I just wanted
to note that — actually — this false
concept that so many people have — that
the lighter-complexioned chattel slaves
“had it easier” or “thought they were
better” than the darker-complexioned slaves
– and / or “relaxed in the big house” while
the darker-complexioned slaves “suffered in
the fields” — is very much like the infamous
‘Willie Lynch Letter’ Hoax) all VERY MUCH AN
URBAN MYTH (and is one which, in nearly every
way that’s possible, completely defies
the true historical recorded account).

The historical record shows that
those enslaved people who were of a
lighter-complexion (i.e. mulatto-lineage)
and that were found on the continental
United States during the antebellum
(chattel slavery) era were actually treated
MUCH, MUCH WORSE than were those enslaved
people who were of a darker-complexion.

In fact, record shows that most of the White
people (specially the White women) tended to
look upon the lighter-complexioned slaves
as being mere ‘mongrels of miscegenation’
(resulting largely from the rapes caused
by overseers); in their disgust at the sight
of these slaves — insisted that they be
“banished to the fields”; and also then
purposefully reserved most of the ‘big
house’ positions (ex. mammy, cook, driver,
etc) for the darker-complexioned slaves —
who most of the White people perceived as
being “more loyal, docile, less competitive”
– and, equally important, of a skin tone
which could never cause them to be mistaken
for ‘white’ or a possible member of
the plantation owners’ own family.

And this maltreatment was generally
even much more so the case if the
lighter-complexioned enslaved person
was ’suspected’ (by a wife, sister or
daughter — who ran “the big house”,
while a ‘male’ family member ran “the
plantation”) of possibly being the
offspring of a plantation owner
(or his son, father or brother).

In addition, the few lighter-complexioned
enslaved people that were actually permitted
to do any work within the house were – as
punishment for having the lowly status of
“mongrel” and in order to make sure they
did not become “too uppity” — kept under
much more severe supervision (by both the
White women who ran the plantation household
and also by the darker-complexioned enslaved
people) and under much more severe work
detail than were most of the (more trusted)
darker-complexioned enslaved people.

Books by Deborah Gray White; Paula Giddings;
J. California Cooper; bell hooks’, etc.
expose the truth about the urban-myth and
show that the lighter slaves received NO
special treatment and were (as mere “mongrels
of miscegenation”) usually treated much
worse than were darker-complexioned slaves.

Hope this information is helpful
& that everyone has a great day.

– AP (soaptalk@hotmail.com)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MGM-Mixed
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FGM-Mixed

By: AP Gifts

AP Gifts — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:40:17 +0000

Since mention was made of the topic of ‘house
and ‘field’ slave — I just wanted to note
that — actually — this false concept
that so many people have — that the
lighter-complexioned chattel slaves
“had it easier” or “thought they were
better” than the darker-complexioned slaves
– and / or “relaxed in the big house” while
the darker-complexioned slaves “suffered in
the fields” — is very much like the infamous
‘Willie Lynch Letter’ Hoax) all VERY MUCH AN
URBAN MYTH (and is one which, in nearly every
way that’s possible, completely defies
the true historical recorded account.

Hope this information is helpful
& that everyone has a great day.

– AP (soaptalk@hotmail.com)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MGM-Mixed
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FGM-Mixed

By: AllPeople

AllPeople — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:25:15 +0000

A comment on the term of ‘Light Skin Black’:

It is often a surprise for people to learn
that, in reality, there is actually No Such
Thing As a “Light Skinned Black” person.

The term “Light Skinned Black” is really
nothing more than a racist oxymoron
that was created by White Supremacists
in an effort to forcibly deny those Mixed-Race
individuals, who are of a Multi-Generational
Multiracially-Mixed (MGM-Mixed) Lineage, the
right to fully embrace and to also received
public support in choosing to acknowledge
the truth regarding their full ancestral heritage.

The people who have been slapped with
the false label and oxymoronic misnomer
of “Light Skinned Black” person are simply
Mixed-Race individuals — whose family
have been continually Mixed-Race
throughout their multiple generations.

For more information on MGM-Mixed
lineage, feel free to view the information
at the found at the links listed below:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/3331

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1399

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1747

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1570

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1573

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1402

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1400

Source(s):

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MGM-Mixed

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FGM-Mixed

– AP (soaptalk@hotmail.com)

By: Lil

Lil — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:09:40 +0000

“As a light skinned woman, I can accept this from whites, but it’s a hard pill to swallow when it comes from your own people.”
The truth is that you are mixed-race. Black people see this, hence your difficulty w/acceptance.

By: Lil

Lil — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:08:06 +0000

“Dark skinned isn’t good enough and light skinned people are just trying to be good enough because we think we’re white.”
U ought to be a bit more careful w/your word selection here, Love.

By: simply starla

simply starla — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:07:44 +0000

I received this on an e-mail forward:
Oh and while I’m add it, according to an email I received, BET is saying “no” to black female hosts. Via Email:
Sharon Carpenter, who is half Indian and half White, is bragging all over the internet and in interviews that BET went after her because they wanted her so badly. They didn’t think Black females could host a show. They have a Dominican American Rocsi as a female host of 106 and Park. They had a Puerto Rican Julissa as a host of the now defunct College Center, and now they got an Indian-European as a host for BET News. I won’t even mention how they used a lightskinned mixed woman to host BET African music just like they used Rachel to host Caribbean Rhythms. Sadly, colorism is still a problem in our community.
Sian-Pierre Regis is the Asst to the VP of BET News. His phone number is (212) 975-1513 if you want to voice your complaint.
Sadly, I believe it…

By: jdick

jdick — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:08:39 +0000

You know, I put that colorism post up about 6 months ago, received no feedback on it, took it down and then reposted it last month and now it seems like the elephant has been let out of the room because I’ve been getting a lot of feed back on it. Unfortunately, some people are pretending to be (color) blind and not notice the elephant. But I think you’re right in asking how do we break the cycle. I think that we must certainly pass down to our children (if we decide to have them) the story behind the historic legacy of colorism and the positive idea that all shades of black are beautiful, but that beauty itself does not define a person. More so, I think that when some one says something that reinforces the color hierarchy, even if they are joking, like in the case of your relatives it might prove useful to call them out, tastefully. You might create the space for open dialogue. Let me know if you try that out. challenging relatives can be tough.
Anyways,I am uber glad that someone else is making space for dialogue about colorism. I think you said you wanted to use my post as a response to your blog. go right ahead- anything to get the conversation flowing.
peace.

By: jdick

jdick — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:56:20 +0000

You know, I put that colorism post up about 6 months ago, received no feedback on it, took it down and then reposted it last month and now it seems like the elephant has been let out of the room for everyone to see bc I’ve been getting a lot of feedback about colorism. Unfortunately, some people are pretending to be (color) blind and not notice the elephant. But, I think you’re right in asking how do we break the cycle. I think that we must certainly pass on to our children (if we decide to have them) the historic legacy behind colorism and the positive idea that all shades of black are beautiful, but that beauty itself does not define a person. More so, I think that when some one says something that reinforces the color hierarchy, even of they are joking, like in the case of your relatives, it might prove useful to call them out, tastefully. Let me know if you try that. challenging family is always tough.
Anyways I am uber glad that someone else is making space to dialogue about colorism. I think you said you wanted to use my post in a response blog. Sure go right ahead- anything to get the ball rolling.
peace.

By: achieveology

achieveology — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:05:23 +0000

glad you could shed some light on a dark situation )