ProBlack, doing a keyword search for "colorism" on the search engine turns up pages of threads on this topic. Skim through those old threads because we're tired of discussing such matters.

It actually is sad that someone who just did a senior thesis can't figure out the answer to this question himself. Stereotypes exist because some people fit the stereotype and the stereotype represents some kind of ideal and ranking system. Apply that to all of your questions.

You have a whole lot of research to do if you don't know how such stereotypes came to be. This topic is a whole lot broader than you are obviously trying to research (even though you claim to have written a thesis on it). I'm sure you know that this issue is less about Black Greek Organizations and more about Colorism in the Black Community back then and really about people of color all over the world, even now. No need to make anything unique to specific organizations. If you really want the answers and are not just trying to start drama, do the research.

Speaking of passing, I'm still waiting for Bob Barr to admit he's Black.

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:...&ct=clnk&gl=us

I have been waiting for that for years. lol. I posted about it on BP, when BP was still relevent. You do the math.

Bob Barr looks like some of the men in my family. That's neither here nor there, though.

Race is a human invention and I'm more humored over what "being Black" means outside of America than over the Blacks who are passing in America. Either way, the websites that are insisting Barr publicly identifies with a race is similar (not the same as) insisting on forcing people "out of the closet" regarding sexual orientation. If people are nonwhite and know it, they may be hiding it for a reason...oh well...let them do their thing. Just don't expect us to come to your aid when you are found to have a double life that included multiple mistresses, none of whom are Caucablasian. :)

On that note. . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W6XjXIKRyw

I'm kinda mad at David Arnold but I laughed out loud a couple of times. :p

Why would you go into a chatroom to get information regarding your thesis? Maybe you should just stick to founding your own club, "Zeus", and stay away from writing a thesis if you are going to go on GC for information regarding your topic.

You all are being so nice. I think that this is her coy and sly way of asking about membership info. ;)

When Anatole Broyard was exposed by Henry Louis Gates after his death (although his racial background had been discussed well before that), I didn't understand how because he looks just like my dad.

Funny that, racial identity thing.

I don't know why, but this cracked me up.

So just because curious minds would like to know, what were some of the conclusions of this thesis?

Race is not just a human construct, it is distinctly a political one. Just witness the foolishness over Harry Reid's remarks that have just been made public in this book.

Being inherently political, race means one thing in one society and can mean something different or even totally opposite in another. I guarantee you that the same person would be classified differently and receive different treatment with the same credentials in countries such as the US, Germany, Brazil, Russia, Australia and Japan.

white people.

Yes, "political" means that race is socially constructed (a human construct) to shape human interaction and hierarchical arrangements.