If you are black your skin will always be an issue whatever complexion in this country (maybe to your advantage, maybe to your disadvantage), and we all know who started that mess...but come on who wants to be identified with something that has been labeled ugly...ie anything African (although it is certainly not), as a matter of fact the majority of the men i see who refuse to date dark skinned women are dark skinned themselves, they are trying to lighten up their blood line and that goes for dark skinned women who only date lighter skinned men....and light skinned men and women who want to maintain their light skinned blood line and won't date anything darker then them, whatever the case, self hate is perpetuated in our race in so many ways its just ridiculous. Now, I think its great to educate our young people on black beauty but if we don't really feel all shades of black are equally beautiful then its just talk....i dont' think we are there yet......