Prejudice and Racism - Color or Character Essay - 690 Words

Color or Character? nbsp; nbsp; On TV and in magazines, you seldom see a dark-skinned black person. Our culture is still being led to believe that having lighter skin somehow makes you a better person. nbsp; Black people with lighter skin get treated better; I believe this discrepancy stems from the days of slavery. In general, dark-skinned blacks labored in the fields while light-skinned blacks worked indoors. Slave owners and even slaves gave lighter-skinned blacks more respect. This segregation of shades within the same race is a serious problem. nbsp; Colorism has always been an issue for the black community. In the past, some black social clubs and societies only allowed those who had light skin. People say that†¦show more content†¦nbsp; Our society has taught us not to accept differences. One senior I know said, My grandfather accepts me, while he treats my sister as if she doesnt exist because she is darker. I asked a number of my classmates what a beautiful black woman looks like, and most of them gave the obvious answers: Halle Berry and Vanessa Williams. nbsp; But one response surprised me. When I asked one classmate, she said she thought there was not just one. She named Lauryn Hill, Jada Pinkett Smith and Erykah Badu, who are all very different, but each has something that makes her beautiful. She also mentioned her deceased friend, Monique: Monique was beautiful because she was smart, always kept herself together and did not let her looks get to her. nbsp; I also asked my classmates how they felt about seeing primarily light-skinned black women in music videos. They all gave the same answer: It is messed up, but what can I do? Most were angry about how dark-skinned black women are portrayed in music videos: When they do show dark-skinned girls, they are greased up with a These images of dark- and light-skinned black women affect people differently. However, it is clear that the absence of beautiful dark-skinned women and the flood of images of light-skinned women increases self-hatred and division. The self-hatred comes in many forms; when I was in middle school, a black girl told me she only wantedShow MoreRelatedUnderground Airlines And The Secret Life Of Bees Tell Related1630 Words   |  7 PagesUnderground Airlines and The Secret Life of Bees tell related thematic concepts through distinctly similar and different ways. Both Underground Airlines and The Secret Life of Bees discuss themes along the lines of, racism and prejudice br ings pain and injustice, and to not judge a book by its cover. These two thematic concepts develop together throughout the course of each novel. 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