Intraracial Discrimination in the African American Community

Racial discrimination is a problem well known to the American society. Its continual presence is a barrier that has prevented the different races of this country from achieving harmony.

However, discrimination is not limited to those people of different backgrounds. Intraracial discrimination is, and always has been, a part of the American culture but no where is it more prevalent than in the black community.

Black Americans have always had trouble finding their own identity. This is due to the fact that they were brought over as slaves or indentured servants and incorporated into a dominant White society. A society that forced them to view themselves negatively while viewing their white counterparts positively. The result; a racial division between black people that is based on everything from skin color to physical features.

By far, the most divisive thing among black people is skin color. This is because of the power and privileges that are given to those who are lighter in complexion over those who are darker. In the days of slavery, light-skinned blacks were assigned to the house while dark-skinned blacks had to work the fields. Today's society still continues to think, to some degree, the same way. Those who are light-skinned have a better chance at succeeding in politics and business, achieving a higher education, and gaining more prominent social status than do those who are dark-skinned.

For example, take the following elected or appointed black leaders: Robert Weaver, the first black United States cabinet member; Edward Brooke, the first black Senator since Reconstruction; Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court Justice; Maynard Jackson, the first black Mayor of Atlanta; Andrew Young, the first black United States delegate to the United Nations; Patricia R. Harris, the first black woman cabinet member; Douglas Wilder, the first black Governor of Virginia; Colin Powell, the first black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The one thing that they all have in common is their light-skinned appearance and, in a country whose political structure is dominated by white people (mostly men), they have achieved considerable success. Although there are those dark-skinned blacks who have achieved the same level of success, such as Shirley Chisolm, the first black Congresswoman, and Harold Washington, the first black Mayor, the perception lingers that skin color does determine how wide the doors of opportunity will open for Black Americans.

Physical features are another factor that has divided the black race. The size of a black person's nose and lips, and their hair texture have contributed greatly to whether that person would achieve success in life. In the book THE COLOR COMPLEX: The politics of Skin Color Among African Americans it states that "In an unusual research project conducted in 1968, anthropoligist Melville Herkovits measured the lightness of skin and width of facial features in Blacks of two different socioeconomic groups.... The well-to-do men were found to have generally lighter skin color, and their noses were an average of 3.8 millimeters narrower than those of men in the poorer segment of the research group. Similarily, the average lip thickness in the well-to-do group was 1 millimeter less than the thickness found in the other group."

Another key factor is the type and texture of hair a black person has, especially if it is a woman. The politics of hair parallels the politics of skin color. Straight or "good" hair has long been associated with the light-skinned middle-class woman while curly or "kinky/bad" hair with black women who are less fortunate, economically speaking.

One black male's description of what he thinks is a beautiful black woman seems to be the consensus among many black men. In the book "Color Complex", he states that " 'If a Black woman is light-skinned with good hair and features, then she's the [best]. Even if she has short hair, but good features, she'll be all right. But a dark-skinned girl with short hair can forget it. And if she has a big nose, then she should just be a nun. But if she has long hair and good features, then her skin color can be overlooked. Long hair really helps out those black ugly girls' ".

It seems that light-skinned blacks not only benefit from their social contacts with other light-skinned blacks but also from looks that, in a predominately white society, are more mainstream. This "look" among black society influences how much they earn, how they date, and how they want to appear in public.

In a society whose ideal beauty is someone with blonde hair and blue eyes, it is not to hard to figure out why many black people, especially women, spend their lifetime denying their own physical characteristics and embracing the characteristics of white society. Embracing whiteness is a common practice among black women, and in some cases black men, although many will state that their purpose is not to look white but to become more beautiful. However, it is reported that in the United States countless black girls fantasize about being white. Maya Angelou in her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings talks about her own desire to be white when she states, " Wouldn't they be suprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream, and my real hair, which is long and blond, would take the place of the kinky mass that momma wouldn't let me straighten?... Because I was really white and because a cruel fairy stepmother, who was understandably jealous of my beauty, had turned me into a too-big Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet and a space between her teeth that would hold a number-two pencil."

Even psychiatrists William Grier and Price Cobbs, authors of Black Rage, state that every black girl experiences some degree of shame about her appearance. This is in part due to painful hair-combing rituals that try to make them look, if not more "white", then at least more presentable. And as they grow older, they begin to use special products designed to straighten and manage kinky, unruly hair and to use bleach to lighten their dark skin.

Not only does hair texture identify a person as being black, but so does eye color and the shape of the nose. To offset this, black people have turned to contact lenses and cosmetic surgery to give them the appearance they want. Since the invention of tinted contact lenses, there have been whites as well as blacks, and men as well as women, who have opted to lighten their eye color. In the black community, most print and television ads do not talk about correcting the wearer's vision but instead they promise to improve eye color. The message that comes across to black people is simple; brown eyes are unacceptable and blue and green eyes are better.

To alter the shape of the nose, all a black person needs to do is have money. For a few thousand dollars, an undesireable nose can be surgically reshaped into a narrower one which has just the right upward tilt. However, because surgery is expensive, many black women choose to use makeup techniques that hope to concieve a broad nose. The application of darker shades along the bottom and sides of the nose and lighter tones along the top are supposed to "do the trick." Unfortunately, if it is overdone the person may be in for some ridicule and criticism. Some black women have even gone to the extreme by sleeping with a clothespin clipped over their nose. Needless to say, the only thing that resulted in that was a sore nose. Hair texture, eye color, nose size, and skin color are all features that black people can modify if they want to and are able to pay. The book "Color Complex" states:
 

Throughout American history degrees of skin coloring and kinkiness of hair have had the power to shape the quality of Black people's lives. Thus it is no suprise that a heightened sensitivity has developed around issues of appearance. On the surface Whites and Blacks might each seem to imitate the other's looks, but the political dimensions of their actions - based on the gap in power between the two groups - are very different. When a thin-lipped White actress gets a collagen injection to give her a more sensual Negroid-looking mouth, or when a White rock musician wears dreadlocks for a more "streetwise" appearance , it is simply not the same as when a Black woman straightens her hair or goes to great lengths to avoid prolonged sunlight. Whites can dabble in practices that make them appear more Black, but for many [Black] Americans embracing whiteness is a matter of economic, social, or political survival.

When it comea to dating, the intraracial division between black people is aggravated even more. Whether black men like to admit it or not, a large part of them prefer their women to be "light, bright, and sometimes white." While the patterns of black women are not as clearcut as black men, they also have their preferences. Just as many black women reject black men for being too light as they do for them being too dark. Dating and mating in the black community is not just a matter of personal preference, it is also political.

A black man who goes out exclusively with light-skinned women may be accused of having a color complex, but if he dates only dark-skinned women he risks the accusation that, for whatever reasons, he cannot do any better. Also, a black man is aware that the way others judge him often depends on the attractiveness of the woman he is with. A dark-skinned black man having a beautiful light-skinned woman at his side instantly communicates to others in and outside of the race that he has "made it".

Another area of sensitivity involves black people dating white people. Although it is done to some extent by black women, dating outside of the race is primarily done by black men. Before the sixties, few black men risked dating outside of the race but with the emergence of the Civil Rights Movement many liberal northern white women went south to participate. This eventually led to interracial romances.

There are many reasons that try to explain the attraction between black males and white females. One of the reasons may be that black males feel a sense of dominance when dating white females because they have captured the "ultimate prize" of white society. Another reason may be the old opposites attract scenario. And, other reasons may be that since white women were off limits to black men for so long that when they did become available some black men took full advantage of it or that black men felt it was owed to them for the many years that white men had taken advantage of black women. Whatever the reasons are, and there probably are many, it has caused a severe rift among the black male and female population.

Black on black, or intraracial, discrimination has had a profound effect on the identity of black people. In "Color Complex" it states that "Black identity is a multifaceted and in some ways [an indistinct] concept. Being black affects the way a person walks and talks, his or her values, culture, and history, how that person relates to others and how they relate to him or her. It is governed by one's early social experience, history and politics, conscious input and labeling, and the genetic accident that dictates external appearance. Skin color appears to affect identity, but in complex and seemingly unpredictable ways."

Black children early in life are aware that they are different from other children, and in a society dominated by white people, they are exposed more to the beauty of that culture than of their own. From dolls to magazines, the perfect image they see most of the time is a white one. Studies by Kenneth and Mamie Clark showed just how much of an influence white society has had on black children. The Clark's gave black children as young as three a choice of playing with a white doll or a black doll. The result was that nearly all the black children selected white dolls and when they were asked why they did, most said, " 'The white doll seems nicer and prettier, with better coloring.' " As black children grow older, they eventually turn towards their own culture but usually with a certain amount of confusion.

Light-skinned black people also have an identity crisis. Because of their color, black boys are often teased about not being black enough. To prove others wrong, they often exaggerate their masculinity by acting tougher and more streetwise than they actually are. Light-skinned girls do not have it any easier. They are often called "Black American Princess" and accused of thinking they are better than everyone else. They too have to act tough to get accepted by darker-skinned girls.

Black identity can also involve the naming of a child. Distinctly black first names can interact with skin color to convey certain social impressions. Names like Laura, Robert or Susan are more likely to be associated with light-skinned blacks while names such as Letichia, Malcolm, and Nikaya are more likely to be associated with dark-skinned blacks. The names also seem to carry over into society. While white people may not "flinch" when they hear certain names, they usually take notice when they hear the more unusual African names, and they also may associate it with a certain type of black person.

It is a small wonder that black people have trouble finding their own identity, when they cannot even find a way to describe themselves. Over the years, Black people have been referred to as Negroes, Colored People, Colored Americans, Black Anglo Saxons, Afro-Americans, Afra-Americans, Black Americans, and African Americans. In a 1991 survey of 759 Black Americans, seventy-two percent said that they preferred to be called Black while only fifteen percent said they wanted to be called African Americans. The other Thirteen percent was either undecided or preferred Negro or Afro-American.

However, it is interesting to note, that many black people who do not wish to be called African Americans only do so because it brings about other problems. One problem is that many people who have migrated from Africa consider themselves the "true" African Americans and are offended by American born blacks who claim that they are African Americans. Many black people who call themselves African Americans feel that they have to, or should act like and dress the way they do in Africa, because doing otherwise would be doing an injustice to black heritage. Some Black Americans do not necessarily agree with this notion, so instead of facing ridicule or harassment, they simply forfeit being called an African American.

In my opinion, intraracial discrimination among black people is likely to get worse before it gets better. It is true that they can come together for a common cause, as the Civil Rights Movement demonstrated, but the division is still there. And, with more black people marrying outside of their race, the problem will simply grow. The "one drop rule" which states that any person with even a drop of black blood is considered black, almost ensures that there will always be a color variance among blacks.

Ironically, the only way black people may be able to find their identity and achieve racial harmony is to forget all about the color differences among them. Skin color is but one part of a person's or group's identity and should not be viewed as anything else. Being black is an experience. An experience that has been cultivated by the values, ideals, and lifestyle of a people. Therein lies black identity.

The Black History Site shows the integral connection between Black (or African American) History and American History. It is a site dedicated to promoting a better relationship between people of different backgrounds and cultures by showing that despite the diverse qualities each race has to offer, many of the times, their ideas and philosophies are similar. The Black History Site is for people who are willing to cross racial barriers in an attempt to understand others and work towards making their own life better with the hope that the knowledge gained can benefit all. So for those of you who are interested in a journey in self-improvement, test out the site and see how you like it.

an article by roger smith - reprinted from black history site