GreekChat.com Forums
Page 4 of 10 123 4 5678 Last »
Show 40 post(s) from this thread on one page

GreekChat.com Forums (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/index.php)
-   Alpha Kappa Alpha (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/forumdisplay.php?f=47)
-   -   DARK/LIGHT...SKIN COLOR.........Is this still an issue? Let's be honest Sorors & SF' (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=3485)

southernelle25 10-30-2006 12:25 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by PrettyBoy (Post 1348018)
My mom said she chose my dad who's darker so her kids wouldn't be bleached out. There are 3 of us and we are 3 different shades. LOL. I guess she chose the right guy. For me, it doesn't matter what color. Light or dark, as long as I'm attracted to her inside and out.
I wonder how common this is, that people on both ends of the spectrum purposefully gravitate toward the opposite end so as to produce children in the middle. :confused:

jubilance1922 10-30-2006 12:33 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernelle25 (Post 1348185)
I wonder how common this is, that people on both ends of the spectrum purposefully gravitate toward the opposite end so as to produce children in the middle. :confused:
I know my parents did...my mom is very light and my father is very dark...All of us kids get darker as you go from oldest to youngest.

My father grew up during the Civil Rights era and "Black is beautiful" so I don't feel that I have a color complex. I love my brown-skinned self, and I love all the shades that we come in. I don't gravitate towards strictly light-skinned or dark-skinned men.

DSTCHAOS 10-30-2006 12:58 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernelle25 (Post 1348185)
I wonder how common this is, that people on both ends of the spectrum purposefully gravitate toward the opposite end so as to produce children in the middle. :confused:
If people choose their mates based on that logic then they are idiots.

I remember this brown skin dude I knew who had finely textured hair and light eyes. Someone walked up to him, rubbed his hair and said "you're good for breeding." :rolleyes:

black_princess 10-30-2006 02:27 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS (Post 1348194)
If people choose their mates based on that logic then they are idiots.

I remember this brown skin dude I knew who had finely textured hair and light eyes. Someone walked up to him, rubbed his hair and said "you're good for breeding." :rolleyes:
:eek: what did he say . .. was he totally offended or did he think that was a complement?

DSTCHAOS 10-30-2006 02:29 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by black_princess (Post 1348259)
:eek: what did he say . .. was he totally offended or did he think that was a complement?

He thought it was a compliment, which is what a lot of unfortunate black people think. :rolleyes:

black_princess 10-30-2006 02:48 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS (Post 1348262)
He thought it was a compliment, which is what a lot of unfortunate black people think. :rolleyes:
Wow . . that's why I asked . . I could see how some people might take that as a compliment and get their heads all gassed up . .that's sad. Breeding of all things . . . like he was some type of animal or something :(

This question is for everyone, if you could alter you complexion (lighter if you are a dark-skinned or vice versa) would you? I just finished a book called "The Diary of an Ugly Duckling" and in it a young woman who was tired of being, in her words, "fat,black,& ugly" enters a reality makeover show where they offer to lighten her skin (among other things) so she can resemble her other lighter family members. I just womder how many of you would be willing? When I was younger I might have answered yes to this, (elementary school was rough) but now I really like my almond chocolate and so do the men folk :D

mccoyred 10-30-2006 03:32 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by black_princess (Post 1348274)
This question is for everyone, if you could alter you complexion (lighter if you are a dark-skinned or vice versa) would you? I just finished a book called "The Diary of an Ugly Duckling" and in it a young woman who was tired of being, in her words, "fat,black,& ugly" enters a reality makeover show where they offer to lighten her skin (among other things) so she can resemble her other lighter family members. I just womder how many of you would be willing? When I was younger I might have answered yes to this, (elementary school was rough) but now I really like my almond chocolate and so do the men folk :D
I recently read that book myself. The ending was....interesting!

However, if I had to choose, I would be DARKER than my already chocolate self. I think blue black folks have beautiful skin color, especially when they have an even tone. Unfortunately, sometimes you get bright pink gums, very pink outer lips and rheumy yellow eyes on some very dark folks that make them look strange. However, I have seen many very pretty (by skin tone) black folks, my cousin being one.

Kimmie1913 10-30-2006 03:49 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by black_princess (Post 1348274)
Wow . . that's why I asked . . I could see how some people might take that as a compliment and get their heads all gassed up . .that's sad. Breeding of all things . . . like he was some type of animal or something :(

This question is for everyone, if you could alter you complexion (lighter if you are a dark-skinned or vice versa) would you? I just finished a book called "The Diary of an Ugly Duckling" and in it a young woman who was tired of being, in her words, "fat,black,& ugly" enters a reality makeover show where they offer to lighten her skin (among other things) so she can resemble her other lighter family members. I just womder how many of you would be willing? When I was younger I might have answered yes to this, (elementary school was rough) but now I really like my almond chocolate and so do the men folk :D
Being extremely fair, I always wanted to be darker as a child. In fact, the darker, the better. Now I have matured enough to accept me for me and am comfortable in this beautiful pale skin of mine. Yeah, it still pisses me off when people think I am white, or Latina or mixed or whatever, but as long as it is healthy, clear, even and smooth I can't complain.

southernelle25 10-30-2006 04:59 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by black_princess (Post 1348274)
Wow . . that's why I asked . . I could see how some people might take that as a compliment and get their heads all gassed up . .that's sad. Breeding of all things . . . like he was some type of animal or something :(

This question is for everyone, if you could alter you complexion (lighter if you are a dark-skinned or vice versa) would you? I just finished a book called "The Diary of an Ugly Duckling" and in it a young woman who was tired of being, in her words, "fat,black,& ugly" enters a reality makeover show where they offer to lighten her skin (among other things) so she can resemble her other lighter family members. I just womder how many of you would be willing? When I was younger I might have answered yes to this, (elementary school was rough) but now I really like my almond chocolate and so do the men folk :D
Sounds interesting. I always felt blessed to be medium toned. "I am the bag", I say. lol I would not want to be much lighter or much darker, so to answer your question: no. However, I would not mind being a brighter tan color or a darker bronze... basically, a slight variation of my own skin tone in either direction.

pinkies up 10-30-2006 05:07 PM
I posted somewhere (I can't find it) about how I used to want to be darker because I always thought that darker girls were prettier. I also wanted a jehri curl too. The bottom line was that I wanted to fit in somewhere. My mom is white and my dad is black and I was just somewhere in the middle. Now that I'm older, I am happy with who I am. I love my color, (except when MAC has those fierce darker skinned models who can wear the hayle out of the make-up I can only dream about) and I wouldn't change it.

southernelle25 10-30-2006 05:13 PM
Anyone who does not believe black is beautiful should consider a trip to Africa (or the nearest African community ;) ).

_Opi_ 10-30-2006 05:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernelle25 (Post 1348378)
Anyone who does not believe black is beautiful should consider a trip to Africa (or the nearest African community ;) ).
Africans have as much colour variations as African Americans. How would a trip to Africa be any different than, say..a trip to a populous African-American community?

southernelle25 10-30-2006 05:30 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Opi_ (Post 1348381)
Africans have as much colour variations as African Americans. How would a trip to Africa be any different than, say..a trip to a populous African-American community?
Africans have much greater diversity and far more darker skinned varieties of people.

DSTCHAOS 10-30-2006 06:29 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by black_princess (Post 1348274)
Wow . . that's why I asked . . I could see how some people might take that as a compliment and get their heads all gassed up . .that's sad. Breeding of all things . . . like he was some type of animal or something :(

This question is for everyone, if you could alter you complexion (lighter if you are a dark-skinned or vice versa) would you? I just finished a book called "The Diary of an Ugly Duckling" and in it a young woman who was tired of being, in her words, "fat,black,& ugly" enters a reality makeover show where they offer to lighten her skin (among other things) so she can resemble her other lighter family members. I just womder how many of you would be willing? When I was younger I might have answered yes to this, (elementary school was rough) but now I really like my almond chocolate and so do the men folk :D

No, although I do enjoy my summer tans that make me a light golden, which matches my hair color and my eyes. :)

When I was young, I sometimes wanted to be a little darker. While a lot of people hold lighter skin on a pedastol, and that's annoying to me, the reverse is also true sometimes. A lot of people would make assumptions of me, such as I was a light skinned stuck up beyotch with long hair (that's more true now than it was when I was a child :p ), that I wasn't black enough, and I even had someone tell me God didn't keep me in the oven long enough. It would sometimes hurt my feelings but I tried to remember that this "reverse" is far less common than what black people with darker complexions and more dominant features have been going through for years. I also had to remind black folk who prejudged me that lighter skin may make many white folks more comfortable but it didn't keep some blacks from getting hosed down or attacked by dogs during the Civil Rights Movement--not to mention how Huey P. Newton was one of the "blackest" yellow bruthas I've ever known. :p

DSTCHAOS 10-30-2006 06:32 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Opi_ (Post 1348381)
Africans have as much colour variations as African Americans. How would a trip to Africa be any different than, say..a trip to a populous African-American community?
That's true and that depends on what part of Africa people visit.

Africans, outside of Northern Africa and some other parts where the people are of lighter shades, are assumed to be a less mixed group of people than are African Americans.

DSTCHAOS 10-30-2006 06:35 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernelle25 (Post 1348390)
Africans have much greater diversity and far more darker skinned varieties of people.
Since when? You've never seen beautifully blue-black black folks walking around? I have and not all of them are from overseas.

Are you talking about a larger concentration of extremely darkskinned people in one African nation or culture?

southernelle25 10-30-2006 07:16 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS (Post 1348432)
Since when? You've never seen beautifully blue-black black folks walking around? I have and not all of them are from overseas.

Are you talking about a larger concentration of extremely darkskinned people in one African nation or culture?
Of course I have, but those who believe they have not seen a beautiful black person where they are should broaden their horizon. What better place to consider than Africa? It is well documented that African populations are the most diverse in the world, and African Americans are but a tiny percentage of their diaspora. There are countless opportunities to find black beauty there, if one can not seem to find it at home.

DSTCHAOS 10-30-2006 07:32 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernelle25 (Post 1348468)
Of course I have, but those who believe they have not seen a beautiful black person where they are should broaden their horizon. What better place to consider than Africa? It is well documented that African populations are the most diverse in the world, and African Americans are but a tiny percentage of their diaspora. There are countless opportunities to find black beauty there, if one can not seem to find it at home.
:confused:

There's nothing saying these people have to think black people of any color or characteristic are beautiful. It's not a requirement, just like thinking Halle Berry is beautiful isn't a requirement. Going to Africa could make these people look around and say "oh great!! A continent full of ugly people!!" That's their perogative.

southernelle25 10-30-2006 08:06 PM
Lol, good point.

_Opi_ 10-30-2006 08:24 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS (Post 1348430)
That's true and that depends on what part of Africa people visit.

Africans, outside of Northern Africa and some other parts where the people are of lighter shades, are assumed to be a less mixed group of people than are African Americans.
They may be presumed to be mixed, but they may necessarily be not. I am not exactly talking about being light-skinned, but more of a different shades of brown among Africans all over the continent. The image that pops up in someone's head about people of a certain region is a misconception for the most part. I know in Somalia/Ethiopia/Sudan/Eritrea, there was no mixing. They've been this way for generations. And People for the western countries are thought to be "extremely black skinned" but I will guarantee you they have many shades of brown there as well. I've met light, non-mixed West Africans, and dark-skinned North Africans.

Also, you'd be surprised how colour is still an issue even in many parts of Africa.

DSTCHAOS 10-30-2006 08:43 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Opi_ (Post 1348542)
They may be presumed to be mixed, but they may necessarily be not. I am not exactly talking about being light-skinned, but more of a different shades of brown among Africans all over the continent. The image that pops up in someone's head about people of a certain region is a misconception for the most part. I know in Somalia/Ethiopia/Sudan/Eritrea, there was no mixing. They've been this way for generations. And People for the western countries are thought to be "extremely black skinned" but I will guarantee you they have many shades of brown there as well. I've met light, non-mixed West Africans, and dark-skinned North Africans.
We've already acknowledged that Africa is a diverse continent in terms of physical appearance with or without "mixing." It isn't safe to assume that there was no mixing in Somalia/Ethiopia/Sudan/Eritrea. Being a certain way for generations doesn't preclude mixing (but it also doesn't assume mixing). Afterall, many African American families' appearances can be traced back to an era when white men forced themselves on black slaves or when blacks intermingled with Native American cultures.

The fact of the matter is that many people assume that being "straight from Africa" implies that you are less mixed with voluntary or involuntary "white blood" and that your physical appearance is stereotypically "pure African." I've been hearing that eversince elementary school when darkskinned children with defining features were called "African booty scratchers," especially after Shaka Zulu aired.

Quote:
Originally Posted by _Opi_ (Post 1348542)
Also, you'd be surprised how colour is still an issue even in many parts of Africa.
I'm not surprised at all. "Color" is an issue in almost every society.

_Opi_ 10-30-2006 09:01 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS (Post 1348561)
We've already acknowledged that Africa is a diverse continent in terms of physical appearance with or without "mixing." It isn't safe to assume that there was no mixing in Somalia/Ethiopia/Sudan/Eritrea. Being a certain way for generations doesn't preclude mixing (but it also doesn't assume mixing). Afterall, many African American families' appearances can be traced back to an era when white men forced themselves on black slaves or when blacks intermingled with Native American cultures.

The fact of the matter is that many people assume that being "straight from Africa" implies that you are less mixed with voluntary or involuntary "white blood" and that your physical appearance is stereotypically "pure African." I've been hearing that eversince elementary school when darkskinned children with defining features were called "African booty scratchers," especially after Shaka Zulu aired.



I'm not surprised at all. "Color" is an issue in almost every society.

There is no such thing as a pure race. Eventually, we are all mixed. However, I guess what I'm saying is how immediate this mixture is. From Colonial days? 500 years ago? Different regions have different experiences. When someone says mixed, I'm thinking like going back maybe 100 years, from a traceable perspective.

lol@color/colour <---canadian spelling

DSTCHAOS 10-30-2006 09:06 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Opi_ (Post 1348584)
There is no such thing as a pure race. Eventually, we are all mixed. However, I guess what I'm saying is how immediate this mixture is. From Colonial days? 500 years ago? Different regions have different experiences. When someone says mixed, I'm thinking like going back maybe 100 years, from a traceable perspective.

lol@color/colour <---canadian spelling
Exactly. ;)

How immediate it is doesn't really matter. And traceable shouldn't be the guideline because that would negate a majority of people in the African diaspora in most continents including many parts of Africa. Sometimes that's only the difference between consensual mixing and nonconsensual mixing because you have to consider the impacts of slavery and colonialism. Unless the African society wasn't that interrupted and existed in a bubble, and of course some African societies can claim to be more pure than others, I wouldn't be surprised the dynamics going on there.

As an aside:
The average African American family are of diverse shades, hair textures, and facial features. Sometimes these traits aren't apparent based on the lineage that the family knows about and sometimes it comes from way back. Kids used to get teased for taking on the fairer traits of grandmothers or great grandmothers. They were told they're the milk man's baby until their mother said "you look just like my great-great grandmother's side of the family." Many families can't trace their lineage much further back than that.

pinkies up 10-31-2006 12:41 AM
^^^TRUE. I my cousin and her husband (both dark skinned) have 2 babies who are light skinned and one has green eyes. Yeah...my cousin was trying hard to get a DNA test on both of them. Both of them are 99.98% his. My grandmother used to say that the "baby reached waaaay back" to get those features. Whatever color, WE are beautiful people.

hellocutie 10-31-2006 12:49 AM
^^^ I know someone with in that very same situation. Both parents are dark brown and their daughter is "high yella". It's funny, but my Bio Prof told me it takes more than about 15 different genes to determine a person skin tone will be.

AKA_Monet 10-31-2006 05:04 PM
Time to step in...

The older the human population is on the planet, the more diverse their genetic code based on population genetics.

Right now, it various "groups" in sub-Saharan Africa in specific locations, such as Mali, Twe, !Kung and one other group, I forget.

And if anyone wants to explain to me the genetic mutations and SNPs in tyrosinase gene family, I would really like to know. It is still a mutation process that actively occurs in some parts of The Congo and elsewhere.

_Opi_ 10-31-2006 05:43 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS (Post 1348426)

When I was young, I sometimes wanted to be a little darker. While a lot of people hold lighter skin on a pedastol, and that's annoying to me, the reverse is also true sometimes. A lot of people would make assumptions of me, such as I was a light skinned stuck up beyotch with long hair (that's more true now than it was when I was a child :p ), that I wasn't black enough, and I even had someone tell me God didn't keep me in the oven long enough.
I've had similar experience. I'm quite content with how I am, don't get me wrong. I just find that it's frustrating that people cannot identify what part of the world I'm from or make comments that I find quite unnecessary. I'm always having to find that I have to explain to people here that A) I'm African B) No, I'm not mixed C) No, I'm not Indian, Hispanic, Arab, etc. D) Defend that I am, in fact, black. My sister is a few shades darker than me, and she used to get negative comments from her own people when she was a kid. It was hard for her because her sisters were lighter than her.

southernelle25 10-31-2006 06:26 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by AKA_Monet (Post 1349181)
Time to step in...

The older the human population is on the planet, the more diverse their genetic code based on population genetics.

Right now, it various "groups" in sub-Saharan Africa in specific locations, such as Mali, Twe, !Kung and one other group, I forget.
Ethiopia? According to this article, "no region in the world has a larger genetic diversity than East Africa and Ethiopia." http://www.afrol.com/articles/15984

burgertown 11-01-2006 10:05 PM
Just a matter of preference
 
I read a couple of pages of this and forgive me in advance if I should not be posting here, but I believe that it is just a matter of preference for a majority of people. I have a friend who only dates light skinned women. He just isnt attracted to dark skinned ones and is dark skinned himself. Another friend only dates dark skinned women because he does not like the way that light skinned women look. I personally prefer brown skinned women, but I have dated those darker and lighter.

I think another thing aside from just color are the features of the people involved. Afrocentricity and all. We do tend to focus heavily on European looks.

Just my two cents. . .

southernelle25 11-02-2006 12:28 PM
I agree. Whether someone has something such as "good" hair is often a bigger issue, at least that has been my experience.

Honeykiss1974 11-02-2006 12:46 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernelle25 (Post 1350340)
I agree. Whether someone has something such as "good" hair is often a bigger issue, at least that has been my experience.
Good point. I know some people that see having "good hair" as a "plus" if you are dark-skinned. As if it made up not being lighter. :(

southernelle25 11-02-2006 04:19 PM
Yes, and then there are those who feel bad for lightskinned people who do not having the "matching" hair.

Choo-ChooAKA 11-02-2006 04:39 PM
HAIR
 
I agree with Southernelle. I've never thought too much about skin color (there was no dark/light preference in my family), but HAIR is an issue.

PrettyBoy 11-07-2006 09:59 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS (Post 1348194)
If people choose their mates based on that logic then they are idiots.

I remember this brown skin dude I knew who had finely textured hair and light eyes. Someone walked up to him, rubbed his hair and said "you're good for breeding." :rolleyes:
When I was in highschool some lady did that to me. She said "Nice head of hair" feeling it at the same time.

PrettyBoy 11-07-2006 10:01 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by black_princess (Post 1348274)
Wow . . that's why I asked . . I could see how some people might take that as a compliment and get their heads all gassed up . .that's sad. Breeding of all things . . . like he was some type of animal or something :(

This question is for everyone, if you could alter you complexion (lighter if you are a dark-skinned or vice versa) would you? I just finished a book called "The Diary of an Ugly Duckling" and in it a young woman who was tired of being, in her words, "fat,black,& ugly" enters a reality makeover show where they offer to lighten her skin (among other things) so she can resemble her other lighter family members. I just womder how many of you would be willing? When I was younger I might have answered yes to this, (elementary school was rough) but now I really like my almond chocolate and so do the men folk :D
I'm happy with my complexion. I wouldn't change the way I look. The only thing I don't like is that people think I'm everything except black. Both my parents are black.

DSTCHAOS 11-07-2006 10:18 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by PrettyBoy (Post 1353432)
When I was in highschool some lady did that to me. She said "Nice head of hair" feeling it at the same time.
Maybe she was humored by your Jackson 5 'fro.

PrettyBoy 11-07-2006 10:23 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS (Post 1353445)
Maybe she was humored by your Jackson 5 'fro.
LOL. Would you stop it!:p

SummerChild 11-11-2006 11:05 PM
Hear hear!

SC
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS (Post 1340374)
What is interesting about this topic is that it is still a "big deal" to many people, which is why it is still a topic to be discussed. However, discussing it keeps the topic a "big deal" to many people as opposed to the assumption that discussing something combats ignorance and changes people's thoughts and actions.

I have found that instead of thinking and talking about this "color complex" I just make it a point to correct (usually, black) people when I see or hear them displaying colorisms or hair texturisms. For instance, if I hear some ignorant soul say "good hair" or say "I need to stay out of the sun because I'm black enough as is," I go on (what my friend calls) my Angela Davis speech. I say "no such thing as 'good hair' unless you're talking about healthy hair" and "no such thing as being 'black enough' but you need to stay out of the sun to protect yourself from UV rays and skin cancer, not getting darker. Interestingly enough, your beautiful dark skin protects you from the sun's rays and skin cancer more than lighter or white skin does." I remember when a classmate told me when I was little that I needed to stay out of the sun to make sure that I stayed pretty and lightskinned--my family doesn't talk crazy like that so I was really shocked when I was told that by an outsider. No, I don't need to stay out of the sun to avoid getting shades darker but I do need to stay out of the sun because I have less melanin to protect my skin.

Either case, people have generally learned not to make certain comments around me. I could be changing the world if I force everyone to interact with me on a daily basis. Then I'll be their #1 source of socialization. :D

Krisco 11-14-2006 01:33 PM
Its always going to be an issue, its all about responding to it.

I just say things like "You still saying THAAAT?????" strongly attempting to make that person feel just as ignorant as they sound.


Thing is some of 'us' so-called educated folk are too blame for this still being an issue!

Look at a music video from the early 90's, the main girl usually was biracial with long curly hair, who SAID that was a TYPICAL Black girl?!?!?

Still BLUTANG 12-06-2006 11:53 AM
Saw this as i was browsing the web, interesting.

http://www.afro.com/bnw/bwmain.html


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:40 PM.
Page 4 of 10 123 4 5678 Last »
Show 40 post(s) from this thread on one page

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.