The making of Race in modern America is complicated. And although it doesn't define everything about our identities it can have serious implications for social interaction, economic & educational possibility, and health outcomes. As we continue our inquiry into Black identity, let's use this space to digest some of our thinking. This week we will see why the Post-Reconstruction Era can be viewed as the origination point for the racial norms and codes that trace through the 20th century.
Before we look at these origins, let's continue our digging down in the the difficult, yet critical questions regarding racial identity. What does it mean to be White? What does it mean to be Black? Jane Elliot's experiment really accentuated for us how POWER plays into the EXPERIENCE of racial difference. Bring your reaction to experiment into this discussion. How does Colorism impact Black identity? Use this space to sensitively react to what you have seen and respond to not only the differences but also the similarities that you note. Can we draw any connections between these ideas and Benetha's identity struggle in Raisin in the Sun?
In your response, don't feel like you must address all questions. The questions exist to offer your multiple points of entry for engaging in this dialogue. Can't wait for the discussion to begin!
55 comments:
I think colorism is an important concept when it comes to Black identity. Colorism is when people of color discriminate against those of their own race. As seen in the Oprah video, there is the idea of light skin vs. dark skin. In the video they talk about the idea that Blacks with lighter skin are looked at as prettier, smarter, etc., and that they have it better than those with darker skin. I think this impacts Black identity because the light skinned people have to face discrimination from both sides. They are criticised by the Black community and discriminated upon by Whites too. Several people in the show's audience said that they were called names by other Blacks because of their light skin, but they were also called names by Whites for being Black. I think this impacts Black identity because those people are getting told different things about who they are, which might make finding their identity hard. I think this relates to Beneatha's struggle in Raisin in the Sun because she also had people telling her different things about herself. For example, one man told her she didn't need to think and it just mattered that she was pretty. The other guy told her the complete opposite, and supported her intelligence. She had to find her identity despite all the different opinions people had about her.
I think Jane Elliot's experiment was very good at showing how power effects the experience of racial difference. In the video, the brown eyed children were in power, meaning the blue eyed kids were discriminated upon. She told the brown eyed group to act like the blue eyed group was inferior to them. Her methods may have seemed harsh, but she got the point across. Elliot made them feel as if they weren't good enough because of their eye color, giving them a very different experience from the brown eyed group. Kids in the blue eyed group said it made them feel sad and foolish, and some students even cried. They also described the brown eyed group as looking powerful and confident. I think this experiment shows that the group in power generally has a better experience than those who are not in power. The group in power is made to seem like they are better, and what was shown in Elliot's original experiment was that those children started to believe they actually were. However, the other group starts to believe they aren't good enough because they have been made out to seem that way. In conclusion, when there is racial difference, the group in power isn't really effected by it, but the other group suffers.
These videos are very entertaining. What does it mean to be black? Being a light skinned male I always get the question of are you mixed, are you Spanish? Well, I have asked my parents and they seem to not know. Although my mom has mentioned that somewhere in the generations I was a rape child meaning the slave owner had an affair with a slave. My mom is lighter then I am so there is always that constant question. I would like to do further research to possibly see if I have one drop of white in me or if I do not. In all reality there could be some people who are just light skinned and do not have to be mixed with anything.
I think colorism is very important for blacks. Colorism is when black people are not accepted or considered in their own race. It is mind boggling that people used curse words at India Arie when she was try to make her self "luminous" because the background and her outfit was gold so she was trying to be in that picture. People are quick to put other people in place in terms of who they fit in with.
I think this topic of discussion was a great one and interesting one. it personally makes me want to d more research about it
I think an interesting implication of all of this might be the idea that we are ALL mixed in some varying degree. Doesn't that complicate our understanding of our identity? The Black/White binary seems to perhaps oversimplify the true diversity that exists within each of us. With that said, we know that the simple binary has been used to divide people and inhibit them from first looking for commonalities they may share. I'm often left with the question: Why do we highlight difference as a society?
I agree with Gianna that colorism is a key component to Black Identity. Colorism is basically the discrimination of people based on the color of their skin. I think that determining whether or not someone is black or white is not a matter of race because skin color and race are two totally different things. People tend to ask me, "How do you determine whether or not you are black or white?" My answer: "Who cares?" Does it really matter what the color of your skin is? Why does being "white" give people more privileges? Also, why is it that people whose skin color is not "white" aren't treated with the same level of respect as "white" people? Why do people judge others simply by skin color? To me, I think that skin color isn't something that people should dwell on and overthink about. Being colored differently doesn't make you worse than anyone else. To me, I think you should just be happy with who you are and not worry about skin color. We live in a world of equality (as far as I know), so why do people still have to worry about what their skin color is and worry about how much fairness they will receive? I think that, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, we shouldn't judge based on color but instead judge based on character.
I think Colorism definitely impacts Black identity. As previously stated in other comments, colorism is the concept of light and dark skin prejudice. It is where people of color discriminate against each other within their own race. Typically, light skinned people will have more advantages, and are viewed as prettier, smarter, etc. than those who have dark skin. I think this impacts Black identity because it creates the question: What am I? Those who have lighter skin are viewed by their race as "not dark enough" and are not wanted because they did not have the same "black experiences" as others who have dark skin. They are alienated because they're "not black enough". However, they are not accepted by Whites either because of the One-Drop rule. This can create much confusion because they are viewed as black by the world, but not by their own community.
To be Black/White, I feel that, unfortunately, people do not get to make that decision themselves. It all depends on how the world and other people view you. For example, Becca, whose parents are Egyptian, identifies as a black woman. However, while filling out college applications, she picked white as her ethnicity. When she goes to the colleges for auditions/interviews, if she picked black as her ethnicity, the interviewers would not have expected her. The same goes for Nayo, she picked African-American while filling out college applications, because that is what people see when they look at her. Despite the fact that she doesn't identify as black because she's never had a "black experience" being raised by her white father. I think that whatever race, ethnicity, etc. that you identify with is entirely your choice. Unfortunately, this can't entirely be the case, we must keep in mind how the larger society is likely to see one, which is a real shame.
Colorism is an interesting concept when it comes to Black identity. Not only are black and brown people discriminated by whites for the color of their skin on a daily basis, but, in addition, they must also tolerate the hate and discrimination from people essentially of their own race. Like Gianna said, and as seen and discussed in the videos, there is an ingrained belief that people of lighter skin than the others in their race are deemed more intelligent, attractive, and overall have more worth than those who are of darker skin. Though colorism exists even in other races (my own, as well, is impacted by colorism), I think it's a lot more difficult, and tragic too, that this happens in the Black community because of the double amount of hate and discrimination they have to face everyday, both by the whites viewing them from the outside, as well as their own people in their own community.
I really loved Jane Elliot and her experiment. I think she was very effective in showing just how ugly things can be for people of color, who essentially face this kind of treatment nearly everyday. When that girl cried and left, I loved how she took no pity on her and told her to apologize, not for the fact racism existed, but for the fact that she left in the middle of this; she addressed that unlike her, the rest of these people cannot simply walk away and be done of all this whenever they feel like it, and I loved that. It also showed me, as well as the other "brown-eyed" students, just how sheltered and ignorant whites are of this kind of treatment. A quote from that video that really stood out to me is "to be white means to be ignorant of the issues of those around you". I think that can effectively define what it means to be white in America. Not every white outwardly discriminates against people of color, however by not being aware of it or doing anything against such discrimination, they are also part of the problem. So by educating these white students to look around them and to see the error in our society, Jane Elliot is helping to create a solution to this problem.
These ideas are strongly connected to Beneatha's identity struggle in Lorraine Hansburry's "A Raisin in the Sun". Like Beneatha, many people are not sure what they identify themselves as: black, American, African, female, male, etc.
Colorism is the practice of seeing a person of lighter skin as better than those of a darker skin tone. It is a remnant of slavery where masters would treat lighter black women more favorably than darker skinned women who were more often out in the fields while their sisters of lighter complexions worked at the master's house.
This impacts black identity today because I know light skinned people can feel as though they're between a rock and a hard place. Some are probably bombarded with a lot of questions like, "Are you black? Are you white?" and so on and so forth. And they are also ridiculed by blacks for being light and by whites for being black, so the big question is how should light skinned people feel about themselves?
In biological terms, it's not the best idea to separate people into the categories of white and black. Being dark does not mean that you are black and being pale can no longer be synonymous with being white; there's been too much mixing of the races and genetic mutations to think of things that way. In terms of social interactions, there are still very light black people who can exercise white privilege. There's also white people who are seen by other white people as less than or as an "other" and quite honestly, I don't think being a black person who has been discriminated against (whether based on skin color or otherwise) is enough to differentiate black people from white people. In the end, the differences between black culture and other cultures are present because of circumstance and chance and are only based on color because that is the message we receive from, and project onto, our environment.
The topic of Colorism and what it means to be a certain race ties into Beneatha's identity crisis because she's stuck in a sexist, racist society where she's either expected to be the pretty girl with nothing to say or the girl who connects to her African roots but leaves behind her American traditions.
I like Jane Elliot's experiment because it gave people with blue eyes (who were most likely white people) the chance to understand what it meant to be the minority. In a society where white people have few advantages over each other (being male could be one), it can be difficult for them to get that race matters. It's not something we can all ignore because it's convenient, or because one's character should be more important. Being "colorblind" doesn't always solve the problem, and treating everyone the same is not enough because people of color have needs that many white people don't have. Things like affirmative action or black student unions or even Elliot's own experiments are not "gifts" or "consolation awards" to black people for experiencing 400+ years of slavery. No. They should be compared to an invalid's wheelchair or an old man's cane. They are needed to help black people keep up with other races that have had more opportunities to acquire even the bare essentials for a very long time.
Colorism is when people discriminate against people of their own race by a variation in shade. You see it often between light and dark in the African American Community and between the Irish and Italian Americans. In the Black community, this can cause a great rift between light and dark skinned colored people. While the dark might think that lighter people have it better, lighter colored people face the struggle of being black, and struggle even more with trying to find a place and identity in their own community. The question we've been dealing with in class is 'what does it mean to be black'. I think that this struggle and sense of community I mentioned before is the answer to that question.
I agree with Elizabeth. I think Colorism definitely affects Black identity. As other students stated in their comments, colorism is the concept of light and dark skin prejudice. It is where people of color discriminate against each other within their own race. An example would be a dark skinned girl, discriminated a light skinned girl even though they are both black. Normally, light skinned people will have more advantages. People with light skin are thought to be prettier and typically smarter, than those who with dark skin. I think this impacts Black identity because it creates the questions “What am I? Where do I belong?” Those who have lighter skin are viewed by their race as "not dark enough" and are not wanted because theydid not have to go through everything dark skinned people experienced. .Colorism drives a wedge between races and it is completely unnecessary. This can create much mayhem because blacks are viewed as “black” by the world, but not by their own race.
I thought Jane Elliot’s experiment was interesting. I think she did a good job in showing how hard things can be for blacks. In the video kids with brown eyes were looked highly upon, and those with blue eyes (usually white people) were discriminated against. Elliot made them divide into two separate groups (a brown eyed group, and a blue eyed group). They made the brown eyes group to be powerful and confident, and blue eyes group to be foolish. I think this experiment shows that the group in power generally has a better experience than those who are not in power. There was even a female student who cried and walked out. Elliot showed the girl no sympathy, and was told to apologize. I guess being blind to people’s color will not always work, however this is not something that should go unnoticed.
These ideas are strongly connected to Beneatha's identity struggle in Hansburry's "A Raisin in the Sun". Like Beneatha, many people are not sure what they identify themselves as. I also think this enabled the question: Who am I? Just like Beneatha these children are trying to discover who they are.
Colorism affects the way people think of their black identity. I can see how confusing it can make a person. For example the girl in the video who had a black mother but a white father. She felt as if she only understood white traditions and not black ones. On the other hand the lady who had a white mother and a black father felt more connected to the black side of her even though she mostly surrounds herself with whites. These are some examples of confusion in black identity. Colorism really brings in the choice and thought if you're black or white.I think it confuses, separates,and isolates people. For example the Egyptian girl considers herself black because she was born in the North part of Africa.
This identity confusion relates to Beneatha's struggle also because although she enjoys trying to be a classy american she also finds out that she enjoys embracing her African roots from her Nigerian suitor. He shows her that there is another side of her that she never really got to know.
I was really shocked when in the video the little girl said she did not want to be dark skin because people thought being light skin was prettier. Or when in the video the little boy in the classroom did not wan to be black because it was ugly.
In conclusions, colorism can have a deep impact on those that are still unsure of who they are.
Colorism affects the way people think of their black identity. I can see how confusing it can make a person. For example the girl in the video who had a black mother but a white father. She felt as if she only understood white traditions and not black ones. On the other hand the lady who had a white mother and a black father felt more connected to the black side of her even though she mostly surrounds herself with whites. These are some examples of confusion in black identity. Colorism really brings in the choice and thought if you're black or white.I think it confuses, separates,and isolates people. For example the Egyptian girl considers herself black because she was born in the North part of Africa.
This identity confusion relates to Beneatha's struggle also because although she enjoys trying to be a classy american she also finds out that she enjoys embracing her African roots from her Nigerian suitor. He shows her that there is another side of her that she never really got to know.
I was really shocked when in the video the little girl said she did not want to be dark skin because people thought being light skin was prettier. Or when in the video the little boy in the classroom did not wan to be black because it was ugly.
In conclusions, colorism can have a deep impact on those that are still unsure of who they are.
What does it mean to be White? What does it mean to be Black? I think they both mean to be able to be proud of your race. The video from Vice News entitled “The White Student Union” was about this group how white people preaching identitarism. Identitarismis is the belief in the preservation (protection) and development of ethnic and cultural identity. I think identitarism is important for any race or culture because nobody should feel ashamed.This leads into colorism; because many people struggle with colorism within their own race.
Colorism is the idea of a light skinned person being more favorable than a dark skinned person. “Who is Black in America” focused on colorism within the Black community because colorism divides the black community. One little girl said “I think my skin is ugly because I don’t want to be dark.” The reason she said this is because light skin is favored over dark skin and even though she was young she still learned it somewhere. I feel that colorism is a learned behavior because people aren't born favoring a certain skin tone over another, they see or hear certain things happening to make them feel the way they feel. Another girl in the video said “What people see you as is stronger than what you identify yourself as.” It’s sad this happens and hopefully will be overcome.
I think colorism affects Black identity. An example is in the video it talked about the difference between dark skinned girls and light skin girls. In explains how light skinned girls are prettier and smarter. But, if you're light skin or dark skin no matter what they're still black, just different shades. It doesn't mean anyone is better than anyone, it's just how they were made. Also in the video it explained how light-skinned girls aren't excepted because they didn't go through what dark-skinned girls had to go through or the experience, but I think everyone's equal no matter what shade you are.
To me being white means looking like you are of European descent. In America, every foreigner that comes here is grouped into a certain racial category based on how they look. People who look Caucasian, no matter where they are from, are grouped in with the whites. In essence their true race is stripped from them and replaced by a much vaguer one, white, in the eyes of others. Blacks have it a little differently as displayed by the Oprah piece and the video about what colorism. Blacks brand each other using sub-categories which are light skinned and dark skinned.
I have gathered from the videos we watched that light skinned blacks are seen as prettier, smarter, etcetera that darker toned blacks. This causes prejudice and stereotyping against blacks with a lighter skin tone. The reverse is also true because darker blacks are seen as less attractive, not as smart, etcetera. This impacts black identity so much because dark skinned blacks are branded with an identity that is considered unfavorable and ugly. This means the people who are most physically recognizable as black are looked at and vilified by others. For lighter skinned blacks it affects their identity because they seem to, especially when they are mixed race, not be welcomed by blacks or whatever other race they are. This means they have to figure out if how they want to identify themselves. This means that dark blacks must deal with being looked at as undesirable while lighter blacks have to battle with how they wish to identify themselves.
I think Jane Elliot's experiment really brought out what it meant to be white in America. Simply put, it means that you have the ability to escape persecution. In the experiment she brought up the fact that the girl who walked out could walk out and escape everything that was being done to her. She also pointed out that that the blacks did not have this luxury and could not escape that kind of treatment no matter where they went.
Colorism definitely relates to black identity. Colorism is where people of color categorize others inside their own race. People see dissimilarity in a light colored and dark colored person. Some people feel that light colored people are prettier, smarter, and somehow have it easier. Together the dark and the light are both experiencing alike events at dissimilar ends of the spectrums. Light colored people are said to be not “black enough”. In one of the videos a girl says she was teased for being light colored. She got called many mean names. She wasn’t sure what to call herself. Some said they described themselves as what others would see them as. Many feel that their race is their identity. It is a real shame but one of the first things people see when they look at someone is the color of their skin. In our classroom activity we wrote the first three things that popped in our head when we describe ourselves. The majority of us mentioned if we were white or black in those three things. The other two descriptions that came up mostly were ethnicity and height.
I believe this adds to Beneatha's identity problem in Raisin in the Sun for the reason that she too had people telling her dissimilar things about herself. She had to choose what type of person she could be. She could either be just the pretty girl or study and work hard to become a doctor. Beneatha was judged for embracing her Africans roots fashion by her family but that didn’t bring her down. Beneatha in the end chose to be happy with a man who supporting her in every way and to become a doctor.
I would most definitely say that colorism is a concept that has a strong impact on Black identity. When people of color discriminate against there own race, as Gianna said, it is colorism. The video “Who Is Black In America” discusses how people identify themselves racially, and it also brings up the discrimination that light skinned blacks and dark skinned blacks have for each other. Small children in the video spoke about how light skin is pretty and that dark skin is ugly. I agree with the point Gianna made about light skinned Blacks facing discrimination from both sides of the spectrum, both dark skinned Blacks and Whites. Both the Oprah video and “Who Is Black In America” bring up the concept of light skinned Blacks or biracial people having difficulty identifying themselves. Being told different things by the people around you about your identity can increase the sometimes already difficult journey to find out what you believe to be your identity and consequentially, it affects how people will see themselves.
Black and White are simply labels placed on a person by society based on the color of their skin and other traits. People will constantly try to use that as a label to identify you, but their opinion is irrelevant because you are identified by how you see yourself. That’s how it should be. If you let others identify you, you’re giving in, and that’s not good. Sometimes, it can’t be that way because people let others define their life. You identify yourself, and that is that. Whether, like Becca, you let people’s identification of you scare you into living how they want, but believe in you own identification for yourself, or, like Nayo, you let others define you, that is your choice. You define yourself. Beneatha, from A Raisin In The Sun, also had to choose how to define herself, by others’ definitions or her own, and I think that reflects reality.
I think “I Am Light” also reflects identifying yourself. Specifically in the lines, “I am not the color of my eyes. I am not the skin on the outside. I am not my age. I am not my race, my soul inside.” That, I believe, expresses identity. You are what you see in yourself, not what everybody else sees on your outside.
These videos are very eye opening to me and its very nice to see different peoples views on these racial issues.The conclusion that I found in everyone is that they all seemed to feel "different".What does it mean to be black? In our society today that is a very hard question to sum up in a few sentences. Being a brown-skinned African-american and Chinese female I have had many people try to deny me my Asian heritage but then I thought to myself what does it matter that im part Chinese? does it make me any better if im not all black? I think to be black isn't always portrayed as the better or best thing which is why people tend to look down on blacks. Colorism is definitely apart of black identity because if we look down on each other within our own race what do we expect other races to do.This relates to Beneatha even though she was being criticized for the opposite of most blacks criticize each other for today. Asagai criticized her for Americanizing herself to much and straying away from her roots. Whether he was wrong or right this was still colorism. I think to be black simply means to be african american. Whether that is fully or partially I think anyone who has any partial african american race is looked at as black.
I thought the Jane Elliot experiment was very interesting to watch. I thought It was very interesting to see the tables turned for once. Even though making somone cry and being really harsh to the students ma y not have been the best way to handle this experiment I thin it was essential to get the point across. I think to be white means to be privledged. I think in our society it is very clear that whites had and still have the most power. But I think to be privledged does not mean being better than anyone else it means that others must work harder to achieve an equal goal. I think a very good example that mr jobs showed us was the equity vs equality picture. I think the equality side kinda shows a depiction of classes/races in america. There was a tall guy that could see the game in a very clear view, a medium guy that could barely see the game and a really short guy who couldn't see the game at all.The tall guy represents whites who are "privledged" and naturally have an advantage and dont have to work as hard for the goal as others do . I thought the medium guy represented not so much a specific race but a middle class. Where they have to work for their goal a little bit but they have a worse foundation than whites but a better foundation then the lower class. I thought the smallest guy represented blacks/poor people they have to work the hardest to achieve their goal which in reality may never actually happen.
Just like Gianna and Matt said, colorism is important to Black identity. Colorsism is when people are discriminated against and labeled based on their skin color. Many people of the same race do it to each other. For blacks there is always light skin vs dark skin. For me colorism is a disgrace and people shouldn’t be labeling each other at all especially by a skin color. This impacts the black identity because when people are of a darker skin color, mixed race, African American etc. they are always labeled as black. Some of these people do not want to have the label as black because either many people don’t see themselves as a color or they want to be known as white. I also think this takes affect for some white identity. There are darker skinned Italians who want to be known as white but they may be labeled as black due to their skin color. I also think this impacts the black identity because if others are labeling you then either you start to believe it or you, yourself doesn’t know your own identity. That could be pretty scaring and upsetting walking around and not knowing what people may label you as today. I know that many people don’t realize this but I don’t like to be called white because it’s not who I truly am. I am Italian and I have other identities. It doesn’t make sense to label someone based on the tone of their skin it should how they want to be known in the world or by a race. It also is really sad that today in society people are categorized in only two groups, white or black. Some others will look at people and try to say a race based on a skin tone. Black and white to me only means a color and nothing more than that especially not an identity. In society white and black is and identity. If you’re white you automatically are assumed to have all of the privileges and authority over anyone else. If you are black you assumed to be lower, but in my opinion that is not true at all actually and its sad to see the world judging people like that.
Jane Elliot’s experiment was a good one. I think she showed a great example of power and authority to many people who felt like they don’t have it and discrimination against people who feel like they are higher than others. In her experiment she separated he class between people with brown eyes and people with blue eyes. The people with blue eyes were mainly white. One girl ran out of the class crying and there was no sympathy for her. She had to get a taste of the feeling of discrimination that others are put though each and every day. I think it was an excellent example to show power through an actual experience.
This all can tie in to the character Benetha from “The Raisin In the Sun”. Throughout the whole book Benetha was trying to find who she really was and there was a constant struggle to find her own identity. This is because people would always judge her and label her because she was “black.” Everyone thought she couldn’t live out her dream of being a doctor simply because she was black and there was no way a black women could be smart enough to hold the authority as a doctor. That is a perfect example of colorism and how it affects the black identity.
I agree with what Maura said, that colorism is when people discriminate against people of their own race. It is the idea of light skin and dark skin. In the Oprah video, they said that the lighter skin people are prettier and the darker skin people are ugly. When we watch Jane Elliot's experiment, I think it was very brave of her. Doing that thing to educate people. She doesn't care what people say she just want to stand for what she think is right. Her method of educate was very harsh, just like Gianna said. But I think its the only way they are going to understand what other people are going through.
Taking a standardized test and having to look for your racial identity is weird. Being from a small middle eastern country makes it hard for me to relate to other people. Their is not many people who are Lebanese and my age. So to answer that test question, "What is your ethnic background?" I'm forced to pick "Other". Shading in the other box makes me feel abnormal. I'm placed in this role that I am the last of my kind. In Jane Elliot's video she switches race with eye color. she segregates based on eye color and cracks people down. she know how to harvest ones true feelings on race and abuse. She pushes someone so far to the edge she gets up and leaves. Seeing black people being Racially profiled by one another being called light skinned and not white just based on appearance. When one of the girls was reciting her poems she had mentioned that her bones were black even if she wasn't. White wasn't the only judgmental color so was black. They coexist creating morals that contradict just like yin and yang. i would love to learn more about identity and how it leads into true civil rights.
Colorism is a practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin are treated more pleasantly than those with darker skin. Colorism mainly occurs amongst African Americans however this can happen in any race. Like it said in the video, anything that is closer to the white image would be superior and is considered as pure and anything darker is considered as evil and misery. In conventional slavery times the light-skin slaves were usually insides and the darkskin slaves were outdoors. Colorism been going on for centuries even in slavery times. The lightskin slaves were usually the children of the master and more favorably because of so. Due to the one drop test mixed with white blood blacks would have to be considered black due to having some black blood which still made it hard for both lightskin and darkskin blacks because they were still considered as blacks no matter what. This shapes black identity think this impacts Black identity because it confuses blacks who are lighter skinned or look different who they really are and considered not to be black because of the way they look. Many lightskin blacks are told they are white and sometimes these issues can cause disagreements with other blacks due to a sense of not wanting to be who he or she really is and as imposing as another race. I really enjoyed Jane Elliot's simulation and how she put those with blue eyes in the position of African American's and the struggles that we had to face and still have to face in today's world. I was curious why many of the participants were emotional due to a very minimum treatment on what African Americans had to go through. Jane Elliot did not touch the participants she just used words to put them in position which were not even that harsh. In the novel " Raisen in the sun" Benetha changed the way she dressed and cut her hair, he didn't think it was “natural” when it fact, was her own cultural identity.
What does it mean to be black? What does it mean to white? What is colorism? I have gone through a lot of these same questions throughout my and closeyly relate to the kids from the Who is black in America? video. I know that in my family I have a drop of white, irish, and hispanic in my blood. The fact that I do not act my skin complexion had me question what my identity was, but tbh it made laugh that people thought I should act a certain way based on my skin complexion and race. Races are not the determining factors of a person’s character. Race does not determine how a person should act, look, or live. The question should be "What does it mean to be human in America?," if only the world was such a place.
I never knew that colorism existed until my 9th grade year. Colorism impacts black identity because people of a certain color are going against each other because of simple differences. If someone is half black and half white they aren't really black and aren't considered white either. If you are of African decent, and "light skin" you are more superior and beautiful compared to those who are "dark skinned". I thought if you had a certain hair texture and skin color than that defined your race (without getting black and Spanish backgrounds mixed up because I could usually tell the difference.) To be black in this life, means to have African decent or at least this is what I have picked up from the last video we have watched. People who were mixed didn't feel white however were also knocked out of being Black. I have also learned, that just because someone's skin tone is darker doesn't signify that they are black. Dominicans and Cubans are often dark whoever they may not obtain African Decent. The discrimination between being light skinned or dark skinned is absurd. If you obtain any African Decent that means you have black roots. Black and white identity are based on the way you are viewed. Being white means that you have light skin and a certain hair texture. I understand what it means to be Black more than I understand what it means to be white. I'm white and I was born in America. There are people who are Asian ,light skinned, born in America. I don't understand what it means to be white because with whites and other races and people there are so many more ethnicities behind their skin color. As a society we highlight the difference in race because we feel intimidated or interested. We notice the difference in physical features in order to become inferior or to except them. If I were walking down the street I notice the different people around me and just look at how different they are than me. Not only their race, or physical features but their behavior. We point out how a couple people from one race act and make assumptions that that is how the entire race behaves. I don't think it's fair to create stereotypes like this because these actions and judgments practice the act of racism. Teaching students about being a certain skin color is very affective because you are prepping children for the real world. Discrimination is among us which is also brings up Colorism. I won't be able to understand why one race would go against itself because we are supposed to stick together. If I was a dark-skinned black girl I wouldn't be able to grasp the reasoning for light-skinned being more beautiful when we both have African decent which should be the only important aspect of us.
Colorism absolutely affects Black identity, and it really is a sad concept when you think about it. It's bad enough that blacks are discriminated by other races, but, as previously stated by other students, they start to discriminate against themselves. It was a pitiful thing when the little dark-skinned girl thought her skin was ugly in the "Who is Black in America" video. Colorism makes the dark-skinned feel ugly and inferior to the light-skinned, and the light-skinned are often discriminated against out of jealousy. Some say that light-skinned do not go through the "black experience," as if a person is less black because they are lighter. To be honest, I was not aware that colorism was such a big issue until recently. It's just wrong. You know it's wrong when a little girl hates her skin color.
As for who is black or white in America, I don't think that you get to choose. What a great society it would be if a person could identify as whatever they wanted. If you tell me that you're black, or white, or whatever, I won't disagree with you. But that isn't the attitude of the majority. Identity is thrust upon individuals by society, no matter if the person agrees with the label or not. This isn't right, but is there a way to change it? Is standing up and rejecting your label the first step?
I don't think there will be much of a change anytime soon, unfortunately.
According to colorism, light skin is more appealing then dark skin. I strongly disagree with this. It was heart breaking to hear a little girl say she wasn't beautiful because her skin was dark. Society's image of perfection is unrealistic and silly. Beauty is not just whats on the outside, but more importantly what is on the inside. Someones outer appearance does not affect who they are on the inside. Jane Elliot's experiment was very eye opening to me. she taught her students how it felt to be belittled by others simply because they were different. She made students very aggravated and emotional during the process. I felt really bad for the student who broke down and started crying. No individual should have to feel like that because of a physical feature that makes them different. Benetha from a Raisin In The Sun constantly struggled to find her identity. Her dream was to become a nurse, but because she was black people doubted her. I see people beaten down, hurt, sad, and emotional on a daily basis because of colorism. It is just mind blowing to me how color could have so much control over the world and peoples identities.
Like Gianna said, colorism is when people of color discriminate against those of their own race. For example, "#teamlightskin" and "#teamdarkskin". I think colorism plays a huge role in Black identity because their could be lots of confusion. Something that really stuck out to me in the video was when a woman took a bottle of water, dropped a drop of black paint in it, and shook it up. Once she had shook it up, you could see that the water had turned grey. Once she did that, she said that the water was contaminated and her choice of words really took me by surprise. Her choice of the word "contaminated", really made me uncomfortable because I felt as if that's what she compared herself to. Something that really got to me also was when the little girl said that she was ugly. It was just really disappointing to see that this is where society has gotten us to. As a child, I feel like that's when you should be most comfortable in your own skin and not worry what others think about you. It was really sad to hear her say that the color of her skin was ugly and that she felt ugly. I agree with Savannah when she said that to be black or white means to be proud of your skin color.
I think colorism absolutely affects black identity. I definitely think other students agree with me, because I read their comments and I agree with Elizabeth and Maura . Colorism affects black identity and colorism is the concept of light and dark skin prejudice. Colorism is when people discriminate against other people within their own races. This is horrible. An example of this would be a light skinned African American making fun of a dark skinned African American even though they're both of African descent. People think that light skinned people usually have an advantage because they're "prettier" because they have light skin. That shouldn't be one said and two people shouldn't act upon that. Everyone is beautiful light skinned or dark skinned. People that have light skin are thought to also be smarter than people with dark skin and I personally don't think it's true, it honestly depends on each an every individual person. I think that this defiantly affects black identify because it makes people think of bizarre questions that they shouldn't have to think about themselves; questions such as "what am I" "where do I belong". Another thing is people who are lighter skinned sometimes are considered to be black or dark enough to be African American which isn't true at all. Sometimes light skinned people are not even wanted because they don't go through everything that darker skinned people go through.
Colorism drives a wedge between races and that to me is completely unnecessary and I can't believe that that's even happening. It makes people of they're own race hate each other and that's not fair at all. Colorism is often seen mostly between light skinned African Americans an dark skinned African Americans. In the black community it makes the light skinned people struggle to find their own identity and it makes the darker skinned people not feel as important and make them feel as if they are less than the light skinned people. The question that we are working on in class is "what does it mean to be black" and I think that the answer is to struggle to find out who you are an where you belong. Because in this world no ones perfect and nothing is ever gonna be fair and equal and it's sad to say but it's true.
I think that this topic relates to beneathas identity issue in the raisin in the sun. People told her dissimilar things about herself that I think made her question herself and make her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. She had to chose what type of person she could be and she could either be that pretty girl or study and work extremely hard to accomplish her dreams and become a doctor. She was judged for wanting to embrace her African roots by her very own family.
Colorism is a serious topic when it comes to black identity. Colorism is when people of color discriminate against those of their own race. In the Opera video there was a talk about dark skin vs light skin. The video talked about how light skins were looked at how they were much prettier, smarter and how they were just much better than dark skinned. This makes it hard for blacks because finding their identity is a struggle. I hate how this is an argument because I believe that is not true. Everyone is pretty in any way, it does not matter what your skin type is. To be smart, it depends on your GRADES not your SKIN COLOR. Light skinned individuals are also bombed with questions asking if they are white or black. That makes it especially difficult to find their identity. This topic relates to Beneatha's struggle in Raisin in the Sun by the way that one man told her she didn't need knowledge, her beauty just matters. Another man told her that her intelligence is what he likes the best, not the way her hair looked. It was hard to find her identity with all these different opinions thrown out to her.
My idea on Jane Elliot’s experiment was very interesting. I think she did a great job in showing how hard things can be for blacks. The kids with blue eyes felt very minor. The blue eyed kids felt foolish, while the brown eyed kids felt confident. As an individual with blue eyes, this would make me feel horrible. I feel even sick after understanding that feeling and knowing it is happening all over the world. I also felt astonished at how the little girl claimed she did not want to be dark skinned. This is not how children should be grown to be raised! This needs to change. Everyone needs to be equal or feel the equity! I also am in love with the I am Light song. The lyrics are so inspirational. I love how it talks about that you are not your age, race, or soul. That is true identity not being what people see you as but instead who you are on the inside. I also liked the discussion we did in class, when you asked us to think of the top three things we think of ourselves. Then you asked what we think others think of us. It had me thinking more.
I think Colorism impacts Black identity with no doubt. Like most other people said in other comments, colorism is the concept of light and dark skin prejudice. It is when people of the same race discriminate against each other. I think this impacts Black identity because it creates the question: What am I? Those who have lighter skin are viewed by their race as "not dark enough" and are not wanted because they did not have the same "black experiences" as others who have dark skin. They are separated because they're "not black enough". However, they are not accepted by Whites either because of the One-Drop rule. This can create much confusion because they are viewed as black by the world, but not by their own community.I think everyone has trouble talking about this topic is because it makes no sense to anyone
Colorism is the concept of light and dark skin prejudice and the discrimination of color used against people of their own race. I agree as others said before that colorism is definitely a key component of skin color and race to Black Identity. Many of us do not realize, but must take in as an important note, that skin color and race are two totally different things. Although, in today’s society, both of the previous concepts are used to determine whether an individual is white or black. But yet, do we know for sure what it means to be called out as WHITE or BLACK. As small as both of those words are, they have a lot of meaning and the way they are used towards others today have a huge effect on our society. Why does being "white" give people more privileges? Why are people who have skin color other than “white” not treated with the same level of respect as "white" people? Why do people judge others simply by skin color? No matter what your skin color shows on the outside, you will always be the same individual on the inside. Color should not matter in my opinion, because God created us to all be equal but also as each and every individual to be different and unique in their OWN way. You should be proud of your race and of the individual of who you have become. I did not know how bad racism was even in our society that we are living in today until we watched the video in class of the students who were identifying themselves from their own view and how others would categorize them. It is heartbreaking to see and hear of people who beaten up inside because they feel as though they are not good enough for someone or do not fit in because of the color of their skin. Be yourself. You should not worry about what the world have to say or think. You were created in your image.
What does it mean to be White? What does it mean to be Black? I think it means that you are who you are and you should be proud. The video from Vice New “The White Student Union” was about this group how white people speaking about identitarism. which is belief of protection and development of ethnic and cultural identity. To me this is very important because people are all different cultures all over the world and they should be proud of what they are. People deal with colorism all the time also. I think colorism affects Black identity. The video talked about the different skin tones like light skinned and light skinned girls, saying light skinned girls are smarter and prettier which doesnt make sense you are still black.It doesn't mean anyone is better than anyone, Also in the video it explained how light-skinned girls aren't excepted because they didn't go through what dark-skinned girls had to experience which I also dont agree with because everyone experiences different things. I think everyone should be considered equal and treated the same.
After watching these video it made me think of what color-ism is and what IS black identity. So when I think of black identity, color-ism is a major part of it because nowadays in modern society people are discriminating against each other over different shades of skin which I find redundant.Also it no just discrimination from black to black,mix people are being placed in a position where the have to choose a fully invest themselves in only one part of who they are instead of being accepted for their entire mixed race. Also I agree with Matt Anderson when he says "who cares..."and"does it really matter..." because those traits shouldn't be the only things that define someone and shouldn't change the way you there them no matter what skin color they are because we should all be treated as equals.
Like others have said, colorism is something that always comes up when dealing with black identity. Colorism is essentially discriminate of colored people by colored people by using differences of the shades of skin colors. In it, there is the idea of light skinned colored people vs. dark skin people. Associated with the lighter skinned colored people is the idea that they are better than darker colored people. Colorism impacts black identity by further confusing what it means to be a black person because it creates a division of those in the black community. Colorism makes it so that lighter skinned blacks will have a different experience than darker skinned blacks because of how they treat each other and how people treat them. The difference may cause some to believe that they are not truly black, as they have not experienced the "black experience" as many of the darker skinned blacks have. If these lighter skinned blacks cannot call themselves black anymore, and they definitely cannot be white due to either the idea of the One-Drop rule or because they simply aren't white, then it is only logical for them to be confused about what they are. "Black" is no longer one identity due to colorism, and it is instead split apart, making it harder to understand black identity. It also starts to impact those of other cultures, as their skin color may cause people to assume they are black, even if they are not.
I defiantly think that colorism has an effect on black identity. A colorist is someone who is prejudice because of someones skin color being light or dark. This is still a concept of racism, however it differs because this is when people of the same race discriminate against each other. I think that it is really sad that people have to question themselves and ask "who am I." I can only imagine the feeling of someone ELSE telling me who I AM, and trying to act like they know the experiences that I have been through (because people were saying that "light skins" are not dark enough to be black because they have not had the same "black experiences") It's really a shame that still to this day people, teens my age, have to feel uncomfortable with themselves because they are not excepted by certain groups of people and have no where to turn. I think that this "one drop rule" is so stupid I cannot even begin to fathom what goes through peoples mind. We are all human and we should all be excepted. I will never understand what people get from calling someone a light skin or dark skin. It makes no sense to me at all.
As mentioned in one of the videos above, colorism lives in the Black community and divides the Black community. Colorism is the battle of light skin verses dark skin; prejudice without one’s own race. It is the idea that a person with a lighter skin color is viewed as being better than a person with a darker skin color. Stemming from slavery, the lighter skin tone was indicative of being closer to being white. During the time of slavery, slave women were bred and had children. Children became lighter and lighter. The mother was usually left in the field and the lighter were taken in the house. This concept still has a genetic impact to this day.
This entire idea continues to impact society today. Part of this is because whites and others play into it. Individuals are constantly faced with the question of identity. For example, they are forced to deal with the idea of being “not Black enough” or “not light enough.” As mentioned in a video, people (whether they are dark or light-skinned) are experiencing things and opinions from both ends of the spectrum (the Black community and White community). This makes it extremely difficult because it brings about the idea that neither is good enough. Identity is difficult to address when nothing seems to be good enough. This is what makes identity such a sensitive topic. I completely agree with Nicolette Retallick when she states, “Colorism drives a wedge between races and it is completely unnecessary.” Skin color matters today which makes things very difficult with certain topics including identity.
Being white is just another race in my opinion. Although, throughout society there are many instances of white privilege. In the video we watched about the black lady getting stopped when the white looking lady wasn’t stopped it was an example. Since the lady appeared to be white, she got white privilege and was able to go without getting stopped, but the black lady was stopped because she was a different race she got stopped. In the Jane Elliot video she showed what it felt like to be Black back during the reconstruction era of the civil war. The black kids in the white schools were discriminated by their teachers. They were segregated away from the whites, and were ridiculed. In the video Jane Elliot was able to make several people cry and she only used her words. The black students were treated like dogs, with no respect or intention of trying to educate. The only education trying to be made was that whites were superior and that they didn’t belong in the white school. Finally, the idea of colorism is a sad matter. The fact that discrimination between race has been going on and been dying down and then now there is discrimination between their own race is ridiculous. I hope the people adding to the lightskin/darkskin issue don’t have a problem with racism if they are the ones having a problem with their on race.
I see a lot of comments about colorism having to affect black identity... But to me colorism affects most to almost all identity's. Colorism is also tied in with stereotypical concepts. For example in Black identity to be light-skin, people automatically assume you are stuck up and you are too good for certain people, and I've also felt that intimidates people from approaching the light-skinned person. I am Puerto Rican and am sometimes classified as light-skinned. I sometimes walk past a group of guys and if some try to talk to me and I ignore them they claim it is because I am light-skinned and I'm too good for them. A black stereo-type for the dark-skinned girl is automatically that you are more loud or more thick or more angry and mean. And that is definitely way far off from the truth. And if I must be classified as light-skinned my best friend is classified as dark-skinned and I am loud and angry and sometimes mean. well more than her. And I think it's unfair to even classify HER as dark-skinned because that is not how she identify's herself. She identifies herself as brown-skinned. Colorism even exists within the hispanic community. Compared to my mother I have very pale skin and sometimes I get made fun of it with-in my house hold for being white or (gringa) but both my mother and my father are Puerto Rican. That made me wish I was of a darker complexion. I do not identify myself with any ethnicity, culture, or anything like that. But depending on who I am with and who I am trying to be or how comfortable I feel, I honestly do sometimes claim my identity as Puerto Rican or even light-skinned. I think that colorism is so unfair. I feel like this blog is not enough to express what we think or what we've learned so far about identity... We should do soooo much more with this... but back to this... I also thought about the 1 drop of black paint into a clear bottle was just so, crazy... One drop changed the bottle entirely. One drop of color can change "who you are" entirely. Identity is who you feel you are inside. Not your color not your hair not your accent. But you.
The idea of colorism is very interesting. It definetly plays an impacting role in black identity, but in today's society as well. Colorism is the discrimination within a race, most commonly we see either being light-skinned and dark skinned blacks. IN my opinion it impact the idea of black identity, as it often raises the question who am I? or what am I? It really comlicates the idea of the simple black and white, but in doing so it causes more discrimination. The fact that that happens over something like how dark you are, or how light you are is uneccesary. I agree with Mr. Jobs in that we are all mixed in some way, but it shouldn't be used to overcomplicate the understanding ourselves. Colorism I also don't think is only relatable for different mixes of black people but the same concept could be applied to different types of white people. There are all kinds of different European races and mixes of them that result in being white, so it comes down to colorism just seems like another reason to try and claim power, and discriminate. Colorism brings more division in communities of races like the black community and instead of bringing diversity brings discrimination, and prejudice, just in this case within a race not against others.
Colorism is a practice of discrimination in which those with lighter colored skin are much more favored than those who are darker. It impacts identity in general because of the way colorism is present in society. Although discrimination is illegal, there are still unwritten rules that practice it. For instance, a black person may use the "n" word as much as they please however when a person of white decent says it, it is viewed as incredibly insulting.
Within the black community, identity is also a touchy subject (as seen on the "Who is Black in America" video). Identity, to many, correlates with how light or dark their "blackness" is. This can also affect an individual's self esteem. Like mentioned in the Oprah video, many associate lighter skin with beauty while those with darker skin are supposedly perceived as unattractive. Even children who have not been exposed to enough of the world quickly grasp the idea that beauty is equal to light and ugliness is equal to dark. This says many things about the type of environment that came to be due to the years of practice of discrimination.
"What does it mean to be Black?" is not a simple question. Due to the interracial relationships that were bound to happen at any point in time, not one person is guaranteed to be purely of one ethnic background. This can cause some confusion as to how one might determine if they are black or not. There were also arguments about "the black experience." Because people do not have the same views, what one may describe as a "black experience" varies. This also adds on to the confusion and argument about "who is black."
I personally do not understand why we need to put so much emphasis on race in this modern day and age. Why is it important to have a label? It's perfectly understandable to want to embrace a person's background and culture but I find it pointless to have to consider what race a person is before fully seeing them as a whole person.
In my opinion, Colorism affects Black identity a major portion. As many other people say throughout there blogs, Colorism is the concept of being both light and dark skin race. It is basically when people of the same race discriminate against one another. Those who have lighter skin are viewed by their race as "not dark enough" and are not wanted, just because some did not have the same experiences as the “darker race”. They are separated simply because they're "not black enough"-which sounds horrible in my opinion. They also are not accepted by whites either because of the “One-Drop” rule. This can create much confusion because they are viewed as black by the outside world around them, but somehow not in their own community. In class, we have been discussing exactly what it means to be a black citizen and learning a lot about what they have been going through all throughout time. I do not think we should base each other on color or the complexion of each others skin but rather be judged based on character.
Colorism is discrimination based on skin color. Colorism is used to say that light skinned people are better than darker skinned people in a black community. This plays a huge role in Black Identity because it can be very harmful in how we view ourselves and others. Colorism can distort your version of yourself and your worth. It leaves lighter skinned people being faced with discrimination and darker skinned people feeling insecure about how they look. I believe your identity is completely yours to mold. You are who you say you are, and only you get to decide who or what that is, because you know yourself better than anyone else on this earth does.
In one of the videos Mr. Jobs showed to us, there was a difficult question that certain people struggled with: am I really black if I am mixed? Am I really black if I only have 2% of african american genes? Am I really white if I am mixed? It was a very complicated and frustrating question for certain people to deal with. I believe that if you are mixed but you feel fully black inside, you are black. If you feel white inside, you are white. It all depends on how you feel inside. The color of your skin does not necessarily have to determine who you are. YOU decide.
Something else brought up in the same video was: in American, you are only black if people see you as black. You are only white if the second people see you, they see a white man/woman. You are who you look like; your identity is your skin color. I could not disagree more strongly with this statement. Skin color has nothing to do with your identity or your worth, unless you want it too. You, as an individual, decides what it means to be white and what it means to be black by searching inside of you for who you are. Everyone needs to find themselves and tell people who they are instead of them telling you, regardless of what they think, and regardless of what they see. Just because someone sees you as something does not mean that is what you are.
rawsuldI think Colorism is a affect on identity on Black people. Colorism is when people of color discriminate against those of their own race. How in the video it tell how you can be lightskin and you are smart and prettier, and if you darkskin you are ugly and dum. Dark or Lightskin should be equal , because either way you are black and it should be one united. They are criticised by the black community and distcrimated upon by whites too. i don't know if i was a rape somewhere in my generation, but we are still equal to eachother. but i also agree what gianna was saying
I think what it means to be white or black is to be profiled before your actions but rather profiled first and sometimes only because of your skin color. I think that this idea explains what it means to be white or black because people tend to judge who you are as a person based on your skin color. For example, some people look at whites and will consider them racist without having ever talked to them or getting to know them. Another example is that some whites look at blacks that they never met in their life and consider them uneducated. This is mostly because of racial profiling and the effects of Colorism that some still judge people based on skin color.
Colorism is important to black identity because the concept of colorism, which is when colored people judge and discriminate their own race, broadened the concept of being black. For example, in the video we watched in class the woman had a paper bag and the kids, who were around 5 and 7 years old, who's skin was lighter than the bag could sit up front but darker skined kids sat in the back. The reactions by the kids were things like, i'm ugly because im dark, or I want to be light I dont wanna be dark. Little children exposed to this treatment grow up to think that they are ugly and grow to hate themselves because they were born darker. I think that this gives the idea that in black society, darker skin blacks would have a harder time in life than lighter skin blacks and that to be black you must be dark but to be black is to have a black experience. A black experience, which was explained in the video is a part in someones life where they realized they were black be it a good or bad realization.
Colorism has a huge impact on Black identity in America. Colorism is when people of the same race discriminate each other based on their color (lighter or darker). It is common in the Black community for lighter skinned individuals to have more opportunities, to be thought of as more beautiful and even smarter than darker skinned individuals. To me this is very harmful to Black identity in America as well as harmful to the Black community itself. This has a harmful affect on Black identity because it creates tension in the entire black community. Lighter skinned blacks get discriminated against on both the black side and the white side. Darker skinned blacks sometimes discriminate against lighter skinned blacks because they believe that they get more opportunities than they do and because, in their opinion, they have not had the “black experience”. Lighter skinned blacks are also getting prejudice from whites for being black. As an African American myself, my opinion is that if people of other races can blacks as blacks and not as light skinned blacks and dark skinned blacks, then the Black community should not have this problem. I believe that this is harmful to the black community because it divides us and with all of the discrimination that we face from the outside, division amongst ourselves is the last thing we need.
What does it mean to be White? White is basically a really stupid way to classify a group of people who came from Europe. If you are called white you definitely have a better chance of getting by in this country and the world. If you are called “white” than you are considered normal. White people made up this system called the one drop rule, which meant that if you have one drop of African blood from your ancestors than you’re considered black to the rest of the society.
Being white means that you only have European inheritance and no African ancestors.
What does it mean to be Black? White people made up this system called the one drop rule, which meant that if you have one drop of African blood from your ancestors than you’re considered black to the rest of the society. The idea of having to say that you’re black if you have one drop of black blood in you is something that had helped slaveholders to determine if you were a good candidate for slavery or not, or someone who had been captured. This technique was a way for slave owners to keep the white race pure and to prevent Africans from having kids with the white race. Being black can also make you feel the world in a much harder and darker way. The reason for this is because if you know that you are someone that’s not wanted it makes you feel segregated. People can show you that not in words but in actions.
Black is a word describing someone who has African ancestry. Many slaves were raped by slave owners with European ancestry. It’s the description of anybody who has any African descent. People who get this title are people from Ethiopia, Nigeria, and of course South Africa. It’s sad because white people have many nationalities of their skin color but when people think of Blacks they don’t use their nationalities.
How does Colorism impact Black identity? Colorism is the idea that if you are light-skinned you are better off than being dark-skinned in the black world. I think this is something black people need to think about because what it does is it starts competitiveness with themselves. If a person who has both white and black origins will make black people angry because they don’t value their dark skin, so when they see someone of mixed race who is more valued in the white world they get angry.
People use the terms “black” and “white” to say what you are and what you’re not. If you have ancestry from Europe or North Africa then you are considered white. If you have ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa then you are considered black.
It makes me wonder what would happen if black people ruled the world instead of white people. What would you think would happen? What would happen is that white people would be slaves to black people’s will. White people have to see how as a race they feel superior to other races because of skin color and ego. I feel that if white people still think in those terms then it would make them more shameful. White people would be discriminated against.
Can we draw any connections between these ideas and Benetha's identity struggle in Raisin in the Sun? Benetha’s struggle is that she wants to active success in her life. The problem is that she can’t because of how the society of the time has characterized her and her brother is jealous because he has lost hope in life also he knows that he can’t go any higher. Because she’s black she has to go through all of this trouble.
In To Kill A Mockingbird there is this coloristic idea that the white people had put on blacks and that is that many of them commit crimes that are serious. Also the ones who commit the crimes are the ones who have darker skin. Finally, the white people think that colorism is a good way to think.
I agree with Maura when she explain about colorism. She said "Colorism is when people discriminate against people of their own race by a variation in shade." In the video, it exposed the truth of how society is with colorism with light skin vs. dark sink people. This only happens within the the african american community because of this past. No other race has to deal with colorism.
Jane Elliot's experiment was a good idea to show people that weren't dealing with this daily what they have to go through. It opened a lot of peoples eyes.
I agree with many people in saying that colorism is an important concept when talking about Black identity. Colorism is when colored people begin to discriminate against one another. A common form of this in society is the light skin versus dark skin comparison. Somehow it has been determined that light skinned people are more beautiful or appealing than dark skinned people. This is not true at all. Society and media have been used as a way to say that lighter is better. This has many effects on many people. In some cases, it can make dark skinned people feel bad about who they are and they begin to wish that they were lighter. This is sad because this belief seems to be spreading at an infectious rate. There are multiple arguments and debates as to how this started, but the effects of it can be seen everywhere. Even children seem to fall victim to this constant comparison. This shows that colorism effects people of all ages. Honestly, I don't think anyone should feel bad because of how society views them. People shouldn't constantly argue in order to be proclaimed "light sknned" as if this makes them any better. Colorism is an interesting topic because it has become so common that no one pays it any attention. I think this is a part of the reason why it continues to spread.
Social Studies has been an informal class for me where we mostly focused on Identity. Identity is who you are, and what symbolizes you. Identity is your culture, religion, traditions, etc. The ‘Identity’ Short Film helped me understand that people might not be understanding of others who are different. Also, people try to change who they are to be with other people.
I have expected the teacher to be mean, since for me, one year I have an awesome teacher, the next year the teacher is the worst ever. But I got lucky and I have a pretty cool teacher! We have talked about who makes a hero and my heros are Martin Luther King Jr., and Lionel Messi.
In social studies we have learned many different skill skill sets. The first lesson we took was about ourselves. We talked about who we were identity wise. We were asked these three questions: Who Am I?, Where Am I?, Why Am I?.We learned about ourselves so that when we receive the people we are suppose to write about it we will be more comfortable.
The second thing we learned in s.s. were main idea, and the properties of an essay.This is also has to help us with that class and it will prepare us. This has also helped me with other classes and this paper right here.
When we worked on our thoughts of yourself it has help me as a person. Giving me a better understanding of what I need to do myself. The three responses I gave were: I Sekou melek seria alcide roland , the second response was: i here show leadership and bring new things, I am where i want to be.
Steppingstone Summer has been an amazing experience for me. Especially my social studies class. We learned about our identity. Identity is what makes you special. For example, your culture. That can be the clothes you wear,the music you listen to , or the food that you eat. It’s all apart of it. We also watched a video about a girl who was wearing a mask that had to do with identity. Every one in the school was wearing a mask depending on the type of person that they were and or the “cliques” that they were in. The girl was then at the end of the video the first to take of their mask of the whole school. When people saw it they looked at her as if she was completely different, when she wasn’t. She was just the only one brave enough to show her true identity. I also learned about my own identity. When I first started, i didn't know anything about my culture. Although now I do. I am proudly African American, according to my ancestors.
Identity wasn't all of what I learned. We also learned about what makes a hero and as well as what are some of our heroes. Everyone and anyone can be a hero, and it’s completely up to them. A hero is a person who makes sacrifices for the greater good of others. “I’d argue it’s the willingness to make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others” , said Dr. Lickerman. There are multiple everyday heroes all around us, whether we realize it or not. Dr. Lickerman also said,”Single mothers who deny themselves vacations, clothes, and even food to send their children to college”. In my personal opinion ,that really shows how many heroes there are out there. All of these quotes came from an article that my class read. We were taught how to read articles and pull out the main ideas, followed up by supporting details, or evidence as well. We still have much more to learn!
Steppingstone Summer has been an amazing experience for me. Especially my social studies class. We learned about our identity. Identity is what makes you special. For example, your culture. That can be the clothes you wear,the music you listen to , or the food that you eat. It’s all apart of it. We also watched a video about a girl who was wearing a mask that had to do with identity. Every one in the school was wearing a mask depending on the type of person that they were and or the “cliques” that they were in. The girl was then at the end of the video the first to take of their mask of the whole school. When people saw it they looked at her as if she was completely different, when she wasn’t. She was just the only one brave enough to show her true identity. I also learned about my own identity. When I first started, i didn't know anything about my culture. Although now I do. I am proudly African American, according to my ancestors.
Identity wasn't all of what I learned. We also learned about what makes a hero and as well as what are some of our heroes. Everyone and anyone can be a hero, and it’s completely up to them. A hero is a person who makes sacrifices for the greater good of others. “I’d argue it’s the willingness to make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others” , said Dr. Lickerman. There are multiple everyday heroes all around us, whether we realize it or not. Dr. Lickerman also said,”Single mothers who deny themselves vacations, clothes, and even food to send their children to college”. In my personal opinion ,that really shows how many heroes there are out there. All of these quotes came from an article that my class read. We were taught how to read articles and pull out the main ideas, followed up by supporting details, or evidence as well. We still have much more to learn!
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