One for Dr. Cheese

[Munjibunga]

Since you're the expert on these matters, here's a question for you. I occasionally watch real reality shows like Cops and The First 48. Sometimes, when the police are questioning African-American witnesses, the witness may refer to people as "the dark-skinned girl" or the "light-skinned guy," both in reference to other African-Americans. So is there prejudice among African-Americans based on relative darkness of skin?

[XigXag]

They call me Dr.Funkfinger, but there was in the past, I don't know if it still exists.

[funkydjembe]

when I was young, my best buddy was light brown,,once in a while some folks who were dark would call him "piss brown"

[BurningSkies]

There IS well documented discrimination in this way in Jamaica, the term used for a light skinned black person is a 'browning'

[UnsungZeros]

Originally Posted by funkydjembe

when I was young, my best buddy was light brown,,once in a while some folks who were dark would call him "piss brown"

If your piss is coming out brown, something is wrong.

[jonathan_matos5]

Is this similar to Caucasians and Gingers?

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

There IS well documented discrimination in this way in Jamaica, the term used for a light skinned black person is a 'browning'

True dat. Also in Cuba, the lighter-skinned Cubans have an overt attitude of superiority over darker-skinned people, even though racism was officially outlawed by Castro many years ago. And Cubans in America, post-Cuban-revolution (most of whom were lighter-skinned, interestingly), tried to distance themselves from "black" drum-based music--which is why "salsa" was largely invented by Puerto Ricans playing Afro-Cuban music. And ever since slavery days in the USA, there has been social division between "black" blacks and "high yellow" blacks, especially the ones who might pass as white. Remember the old saying "If you're white you're all right; if you're brown, stick around; if you're black, get back!" As wrong or dated or inappropriate as that saying may be, it points out that there is a long well-known division in the US between dark and light shades of brown skin.

[nutdog]

This reminds me of an old SNL skit with Julian Bond (I think). He was being interviewed by Garret Morris. Bond is light skinned and Morris is darker. Hilarious.

Seriously though, I had a flight instructor from India. He was looking forward to going back home to show them that "brown boy had done good". According to him they looked down on darker skinned people. The WASP Americans don't have a monopoly on racism.

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Since you're the expert on these matters, here's a question for you. I occasionally watch real reality shows like Cops and The First 48. Sometimes, when the police are questioning African-American witnesses, the witness may refer to people as "the dark-skinned girl" or the "light-skinned guy," both in reference to other African-Americans. So is there prejudice among African-Americans based on relative darkness of skin?

I confess that I never watch Cops, but it's a fact that some of us are fair skinned and some of us are dark. Mere description of complexion is just a facutal description. Kind of like saying someone is blonde or a redhead.

There are others issues of skin color and status have popped up from time to time, but they are not relevant to what you asked.

[blendermassacre]

Originally Posted by jonathan_matos5

Is this similar to Caucasians and Gingers?

watch it, bub.

[GregC]

I'm posting this clip from Spike Lee's School Daze because it's somewhat related and features ladies dancing in skintight outfits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtfEmTHeYNw

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Since you're the expert on these matters, here's a question for you. I occasionally watch real reality shows like Cops and The First 48. Sometimes, when the police are questioning African-American witnesses, the witness may refer to people as "the dark-skinned girl" or the "light-skinned guy," both in reference to other African-Americans. So is there prejudice among African-Americans based on relative darkness of skin?

Not in my experience. Girls seem to go for the brown to light skin dudes though. There aren't many distinctions to be made between them. Personally, I'm somewhere in the middle and I have yet to hear anyone of my race or another discriminate me because to the degree of darkness to my skin.

[sloasdaylight]

When I was on the step team in High school we had guys all different shades of brown, and everyone got picked on for it, but it was always friendly ribbing between us. One of the guys' line name was actually red cause everyone told him he was a shade of red.