Is light-skinned privilege still a thing? Thandie Newton was recently criticized for some comments she made about colorism in film and TV industry. We know the history of the house and field n-word, but what is colorism and does colorism still affect us in today's society? Listen to Shannon and Lisa's take on this topic on episode 3.

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I'm Shannon

and I'm Lisa and you're listening to Blacktivities, a

celebration of all things black,

black culture, black history,

black perspectives, and black panache

celebrating our blackness doesn't mean exclusion

everybody's invited, but you gotta come in and have a seat.

So let the Blacktivities begin.

Hey, my poddy people, and welcome to Blacktivities.

I'm Shannon.

And she is Lisa...

Mona Lisa, if you nasty

aye, aye, aye

Today, we're talking about light-skinned privilege.

Is it a thing or have we moved past it as a community?

So my personal opinion is that it does still exist, but I am light-skinned.

And I'm probably like oblivious to all the ways that I may have

benefited from my light skin.

So I asked a few people what they thought and here's what they said.

Yes.

I think light-skinned privilege still exists just depending on what part

of the black community we're looking.

Um, I think with the changes that's going on right now with the new Supreme

court justice with her skin complexion, as well as some others that probably

will help the playing field a little bit better, but I do believe there's still

some people that do the paper bag tests.

I would have to say no.

And I say that only because before personally speaking, I

would get mad seeing a lot of light skinned people everywhere.

Cause I felt like a lot of dark skins would not want to be seen,

like, especially on billboards and stuff you, you used to see

a lot of light, lighter people.

But I feel like now, especially what's been happening in the

last five years with blacks and whites or just anybody of color.

I felt like we've been sticking together a lot more, whereas before, whereas I

was more jealous now, I'm just like, I'm glad to see my people up there.

Light skin privilege does exist.

Uh, I don't think it's gonna go away anytime soon.

The reason why I think it will not, um, go away anytime soon.

Uh, it's so pervasive in what we are, um, bombarded with in images

on TV, especially like music videos, the stars that we usually see on TV.

Usually light skin or light brown, but I will say that there have been changes

where we see a more diverse group of people of color that are darker shades

or have, um, different textures of hair.

But.

At the same time, majority of the people who get notoriety are

light skinned with silky hair.

So a lot of women, especially they'll, they'll get weaves to emulate that.

Um, so I think it has gotten somewhat better, but I don't

think it's gonna go away.

So I also asked a couple people, their thoughts.

What I try to do is try to ask more people that are light-skinned

versus the dark skinned people.

Cause you know, generally anyone that is of darker complexion

gonna say, of course it exists.

And that's what I got.

Of course it exists.

But from people that are light skinned, it's like they were unsure

or they would say, yes, it is.

But when I say, Hey, okay, well, let's elaborate on it.

They really didn't know where to start, which I mean, it's expected.

So a majority of the people I asked, they say, yes, yes.

I even had one person and hopefully you can help me with this.

Well, he was light skinned.

He said, well, light skin privilege don't exist, but colorism does.

And I was thinking on the aspect that, that it was the same thing.

Yeah.

That's my understanding.

Yeah.

So I was just like, can you elaborate on that?

And then it was just like, he didn't know how to, so I got to looking it up and as

I was looking up and reading, I was okay, but like I thought it's the same thing.

So it's like, I couldn't get exactly like what he meant by that.

Um, I also tried to go in a different direction and instead of me asking

adults, I asked the kid, (Hmm).

I asked a 12 year old kid, their thoughts on light skin privilege.

She, she kind of put her head down for a minute and she thought, and

she said, yeah, like it does exist.

And I was like, well, can you share with me what you mean?

And she said, well, I'm I see other kids lighter than me get

to do things that I don't get to.

And I was like, okay, that that's fine.

She said, even at school, she said, even with people that I know, they basically

like treat maybe a family member, they treat them a little bit better.

Or so another thing that kind of drew my attention to her top or her reply was

with this whole light skin privilege.

, we should pay more attention to our children, cuz I know we try to protect

them from everything, but what about those people that's out there that are possibly,

you know, mistreating our children who are darker skin that we're not aware of it.

So, but I thought that was so fascinating to see like the

emotion from a 12 year old.

Say yes.

And this is my reason because, and to share different experiences

this 12 year old has experience because of light skin privilege.

Well, let's talk about the facts.

We're gonna take it to SAC's Facts.

Ooh, let's get it.

Colorism goes all the way back to slavery.

When slaves with darker skin had to work in the fields and the lighter

skin slaves, oftentimes children that resulted from Massa raping his

slave, worked in the owner's home.

During the antebellum years, light skinned black people could be more

educated and own more property.

And.

Light skinned people, light skinned, black people actually formed exclusive

clubs called blue vein societies.

(Oh).

And to become a member, you had to be able to see the blue veins through your skin.

I think I would've passed that test.

I can see one.

There was also the paper bag test where being lighter than

a brown paper bag granted you entrance into certain facilities.

Um, and the test was also used to determine who would get certain jobs, who

would go to certain colleges who would have access to certain social events.

Wait a minute.

Ain't no way in the world you finna tell me what I am and what I ain't gonna do.

And you holding a brown paper bag.

I wish somebody would.

I wish they would.

You betta get that damn bag out my face.

Well, the test that I wouldn't pass is the comb test.

The comb test, they used to run a comb through your hair if it was too nappy

and they couldn't get it through, then, you know, you wouldn't have access to

certain stuff .During Jim Crow, some light skinned people passed for white

so that they could get the benefits of whiteness and lighter skin in society

that other black people were not afforded.

But I'm not gonna get too deep into that because that episode's coming.

So that's SAC's Facts.

You know what, I, I don't want to upset anyone.

I want everyone to feel like, you know, whatever they identify

as it's, whatever they identify as this is a general question.

Okay.

It has nothing to do with anything else, but you know, what, what if

we just all woke up one day and say, you know what we want, we identify

as being Caucasian, what would they.

Lose their minds.

I thought about doing that at work.

Cause I'm so petty.

I, I thought about that.

Say I identify as being Caucasian.

You think?

I think they'd get rid of me though.

Yeah, you might get canceled.

See, I can't do it by myself.

I need a whole bunch of people.

Cause they, they, they canceled, uh, homegirl, Rachel Dolezal,

when she says she identified as black.

So you probably can't identify as white either.

You gotta admit she pulled it off though.

She sure did.

I was on the verge of asking, who does her hair?

Who like, who did her hair?

Cause whoever did her hair did a good ass job.

So Lisa

mm-hmm.

Do you think colorism still exist?

Yes, I do.

I feel like there are many different situations where it does exist.

Um, most importantly, yes, our home life, but in the workplace, I feel

like because I am who I am and I'm not like dark, dark, but let see.

If I had to do my skin color, I would say it's kinda like a milk

chocolate with a little toffee in the middle, you know what I mean?

If I had to break it down, but I have seen it to where I'm not gonna

disclose where I work at, but we get majority of Hispanic customers.

um, when they come in, they want someone that is Hispanic to assist them.

If there's no available.

Most of the time, some choose to ask for someone Caucasian to assist

them, rather than having me to help.

Here it is.

I'm like, this is crazy.

I feel like, you know, we've battled the same thing.

So why is it that you turn and you look for them for, you know

what I'm saying the assistance?

Like I'm here too.

Like if, if don't nobody understand, I understand what's going on.

Let me help.

You know what I think that.

We are so conditioned from our history that we actually kind of do

like a paper bag test in our minds.

I think now it's not an actual thing.

It's like a subconscious thing.

Yes.

Cause I think people still look at who they think is smarter or

who they think is safer or whatever it is, and they do that paper bag test

in their head subconsciously, and they may not even be aware that they do it.

So I feel like African Americans do it to other black

people, you know, especially when it comes to them, making a decision.

Yeah.

So it, it, it is crazy how, how we go about things and

how we treat other people.

Um, but I think we should pay attention more again, how we are raising our.

And I don't wanna sit over here like I'm a hypocrite because, um,

I have three children and all of them look like they done been in the

house, their whole life, okay, when it comes to the color they skin.

But because of the experiences that I experienced, when I was little, I made

sure to still talk to them about color.

Talk to them like, yeah, just because you yellow don't mean you're not going

to experience racism because they did, but also be aware of, sometimes it may

be somebody that had to fight a little harder for, you know, what they did, but

don't let that take away from who you are.

It, it starts at home.

Now, can it go both ways?

Cause we've talked about, you know, lighter skin people having privilege

(mm-hmm) but can it go the other way?

It can, but I don't think it's it's of an issue as the way it would be with

light skin privilege, because I mean, how many folks are you out here like I

prefer dark only, you know what I mean?

Like it's.

I don't think it's a, it is as of a big deal as it would be

for the light skin privilege.

That's just my opinion.

I guess it goes back to the history too.

Yeah.

Like, what situation would it be to where it's the, the, where the roles have

reversed and a light-skinned person was offended because they didn't get picked

for a role in a movie, or they the teacher didn't pick them to feed the class

pet because they were too light-skinned.

You know what I mean?

Like what it's it's not common.

It's not that.

That's what I was wondering.

Like I know some women prefer to date, darker skin men and vice versa, but

that's the only thing I can kind of see.

Let me tell you, I don't remember exactly what I was watching, but I heard

a man say I don't date black women, but if I did, she had to be real light skinned.

And I sat there and I was like, wait, what, what?

Oh yeah.

After my divorce, um, when I did, you know, finally start dating, I would

in a roundabout way talk about preference.

I feel like that's important to put all of that out there and.

In my opinion.

I thought they were a little bit more intriguing when they told me they

prefer a woman that is natural or, you know, black women like to hear

men say, man, I love black women.

I love black women.

And then to see how they treat them too.

Mm-hmm oh my God.

Put a ring on it.

Thighs open.

Let's go.

Did I push?

I pushed that envelope.

Okay.

My bad, but it's just something that's intriguing about that because it's

like, it takes away from that one black man who puts down his, you know,

the, the woman that put him in the world and say that he'd rather put,

you know, someone lighter or youknow.

Possibly a Caucasian woman.

That's that's the preference and don't get me wrong.

Your preference is your preference, but you can have your preference without

being disrespectful to someone else.

Agreed, but you do see it.

I think a lot in Hollywood.

Mm-hmm oh yeah.

It seems to have changed a little bit.

It has.

Over the past few years I was talking to my husband, like this is the

most black people I've ever seen on TV in commercials and everything.

No.

Let me tell you something.

It's like Hollywood HR department, they hired more people for

diversity and inclusion.

And they like, Nope, we gotta get with the times people we,

we gotta get with the times.

And the thing is though, it's just like, just like everything that black people

do, we're trending mm-hmm and, and that's the thing we're we're trending.

Yeah.

So if one person do this and they see if they make some money off of it,

especially they're like, well, shoot, we can throw some black people over here.

Oh, now that's facts.

Yeah.

We can let's throw some black people, even with places that you work.

they have a quarter that they gotta meet.

So to hush the people up, let's hire some people.

Mm-hmm we gonna say it's open to everybody, but let's see how many

black applicants we going to get.

You know what I'm saying?

Then go from there and that's not everybody, but just saying,

I just wanna say this real quick.

I just want my job to know.

I love y'all and that's it.

Just in case

Have you ever heard people say that they don't wanna go outside in the

sun cuz they don't wanna get darker?

You know what?

I got a funny story for that.

When we were little, my mama would put us outside.

She like go outside and play.

And everybody can relate, there ain't no running in and out mm-hmm and if you

thirsty, you drink from the hose outside.

Mm-hmm I didn't have to hear it as much, but as I had children, and this is

when we were living, uh, we were living in New York and I came home to visit.

And my grandmother was at my mom's house and I looked at my girls

cuz they just kept walking around, talking about they were bored and

I was like, well, y'all go outside.

We in Georgia.

It's kids out there.

Y'all go outside,

My granny came down that hallway.

She said, uh uh...

you betta not put them babies outside.

It's too hot!

And I'm sitting here looking like what the hell?

Like who she talking to?

She said, Uhuh, they too light skinned.

They gonna burn up out there and I'm like, wait, who, too light skin.

Like what you mean?

These kids can't go outside and they're right there.

Like I say, eternally colorism treat them children like you treated me

and my brother, when we were little.

Put their ass outside.

I bet she said it just like that too.

She did.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

She did.

She said they too light-skinned.

And then when I, when she seen, I wasn't letting up about them going

outside, she went and bought them like little mermaid ball caps, and then

they had a matching cup to go with it.

We didn't get that when we were little.

We had to drink out the hose.

But you know, that's grandkids too.

They always get special treatment.

Mama.

I ain't trying to say I ain't trying to pull your, you pull

your card about colorism.

Like it just, it just, it just threw me in that direction.

I just thought about it.

That's it.

They can still go outside though.

All right.

I got a game for you.

Okay, let's go.

All right.

So...

my game is called.

Who you with?

Who you wi aye who you with?

I'm gonna give you two names.

Okay.

And you gotta tell me who you with.

Okay.

All right.

So the first one is Michael Ealey.

Mm-hmm you know him mm-hmm or Morris Chestnut.

Mm, who you with?

Who am I with?

See, this is hard, cause yeah, I mean, light skinned, dark skinned.

But I look at more than that.

Like Morris Chestnut is sexy.

Michael Ealy, he's cute and all like with the eyes and stuff, but he got

a forehead like he head butt people.

Every time I see him in movies, it's like he finna head butt somebody.

Morris Chestnut.

He is very, he's a very attractive man, but he got big old teeth.

Like he can bite people.

Like he can bite people.

Yeah.

So I'm trying to figure out if shit go down, do I wanna get head butt or bit.

Okay.

I'll take Morris Chestnut.

Okay.

Morris Chestnut for 200 Alex.

Okay.

Coco Jones or Yara Shahidi?

Ah, that's not fair.

She, she graduated from Harvard.

Coco fire though.

She was in Bel Aire, right?

Yeah.

That's yeah.

I tried to make it hard.

Yeah, you sure did.

You did a good job.

Um, but you see, Yara her mama.

You see how she's a splitting image of her mom?

I don't think I've seen her mama.

Have you seen her mom?

If you have not seen it go look at her mom, like she looks exactly like her mom.

Same smile , nose like the way it, it is amazing.

Both.

I like both.

I'm gonna go with Yardi because I don't know.

It's like...

both are stunning young ladies.

Yes they are.

Yes they are.

But Yardi her mom.

Has is the same skin complexion as Coco.

I don't know if you know that.

Yeah.

Beautiful.

Yeah.

So, and see, this is hard.

I can't go off for that.

Like I'm, I'm thinking about their work and like.

Yeah.

That's what you supposed to do.

Yeah.

Right.

Like what other movies and stuff has said?

I ain't seen Coco and some,

um, some kind of Disney something.

See, I ain't seen that.

But that girl dressed her butt off and she can act.

I'm gonna go with Yardi already on this one final answer.

Okay.

Meg thee stallion or Doja Cat.

Mm.

It's hard.

Cuz I don't like listen to their music like that.

Like my kids being so say yeah, y'all whatever Megan, me doing.

They listen to Doja Cat too.

This is hard.

Why are you doing me like this, B?

It's who you with.

I'm gonna go with Meg Thee Stallion because I'm hood.

I can, well, okay.

I'm not all a hundred percent hood I gotta remember.

Um, I'm I'm some of the stuff she be saying, like, it'd be a confident

boost, even though I don't do the stuff she'd be saying in her lyrics,

but it's like, when I'm getting dressed, like I don't see myself

getting dressed, getting ready to go.

Listening to Doja cat compared to like Meg Thee Stallion.

So I'm gonna go with Meg, but I don't even listen to her stuff a whole lot though.

But go ahead.

I'm gonna go with Meg final answer.

Okay.

H.E.R.

or SZA?

See this ain't fair.

This one.

Ain't fair.

I'm not answering cuz they're both amazing.

they're both amazing.

I purchased H.E.R.'S like the actual record, the album, like when I went

over like a serious breakup, I listened to like the first, her first album,

like over and over, like it was on repeat like six months to where I went

and bought it on a record player to find a different way to listen to it.

I don't think this is fair because I'm, I'm, I'm

H.E.R.

Can play all those instruments and stuff too, though.

Yes.

Yes.

SZA's fire though.

Her music, her voice,

um, Chris brown or Usher?

All right.

See, this is tough.

Cause Usher's from the home team.

He from Chat, right.

And he done came out with some fire mm-hmm okay.

Some straight fire.

He the OG.

He the OG.

If a dude came to me talking about some, he wanna be my superstar Usher song.

He play that.

I'm gonna just faint.

But it's something about Chris Brown.

He's very creative.

He dance, he you know do his Michael Jackson stuff, but that

song he had got called "Poppin'".

If you a Chris Brown fan, you know, the song "Poppin'."

That used to be my favorite Chris Brown song.

Really girl, I listened to it on the way to work this morning.

That is so funny.

But yes, I'm gonna go with Usher.

He, from the home team, he always put out like, I mean, they both are

amazing, but I'm gonna go with Usher..

All right.

Drake or future?

So when Drake came out "Best I Ever Had" was like on repeat.

But he done turned into like this certified lover boy right now.

When future first came out, future had this miss mix tape.

This is when I came home.

I came to Georgia, and it was a dude in Atlanta.

This was many years ago.

This dude in Atlanta was standing outside a gas station and he had bootleg mix

tapes that he had bootleged on CDs.

So he was like, Hey, you wanna buy this?

I got, you know, the new Future.

This came out.

I was like, who hell is Future?

Like, whatever.

So we wind up buying it and this mix tape was amazing and he had

this one song called unconditional Love, and it is totally different

from the stuff he's putting out now.

And I highly re recommend y'all to go check it out.

I think it's called Unconditional Love with Future.

Man.

This is the, this feel like the same as the, H.E.R.

and SZA thing.

This ain't fair.

I'm gonna go with Drake.

Okay.

I'm not a huge Future fan.

I just like some of his songs.

All right.

So let's take it to young black actors.

Jabari Banks, the new Fresh Prince or Damson Idris.

You watch Snowfall?

Yes.

Damson Idris.

Sorry.

I, I , let's go.

Have you heard him talk?

Yes.

That is amazing.

When they can cover up.

I watched the whole first season of Snowfall before I

even realized he had an accent.

The same with, um, um, um, Idris Elba.

I didn't know he had an accent.

And the dude off of, um, all American.

What's his name?

I forgot his name.

He has an accent too?

Yeah.

Wow.

I'm I'm blown away.

All right.

Here's the last one.

Okay.

LeBron or Steph?

I have to go with LeBron.

And the reason why I'm doing that is because, I mean, I see

him out here a little bit more like, yes, Steph's cool family.

Cool.

Whatever.

But I have to go with LeBron.

I look at the overall picture.

I know somebody probably dispute that.

I gotta go with LeBron.

Okay.

All right.

Well, Lisa, are you ready for your piece?

Lisa's pieces?

Lisa's pieces.

Yes.

This one is titled, It Starts at Home.

And I tell you, open your eyes a little wider.

Acknowledge the pride of light skin privilege, special pedestal taught

to be provided a brown skin, baby, not understanding why mama's titty

feeding Winston, Theodore them.

Why at an early age were taught mathematical theories.

Like please, excuse my dare Aunt Shaneika.

As she yank and pull your 4c hair and you get rewarded with a pop on a arm, just

for the expression of your discomfort.

A tear, roll down your coffee colored skin, and you become

enraged fueled by your confusion.

Confusion of a cousin whose daddy, they dare not speak of gets praised because

her hair blows in the wind, extra kisses, extra hugs, and pretty sure she isn't

sure what being popped feels like.

All she knows is she's accepted by all because her skin number one, screams safe.

Number two, it screams second because we all know who goes first.

Number three, it yells better opportunity.

When we refer to her back to number one, safe with all the madness in the world,

we must open our eyes a little wider.

It starts at home.

How do we address the spectrum of colorism?

The gray, bright Ray of internal racism.

Some feel darkest skin work harder.

Some feel the house Negro no longer exists, but are actively martyrs

open your eyes a little wider.

It starts at home.

Now think about it.

Okay.

Okay.

I do wanna stress that our Blacktivity today was not to

put dark skin versus light skin.

It's to show how dope we all are as black people.

We can't fit everything into 30 minutes, and this is a deep topic.

So we hope to hear your thoughts when you follow us on IG @blacktivitiespod.

Now Lisa will roast you if you come on there talking crazy.

So...

I won't go too hard.

Be respectful now.

I'm roasting that ass.

On the next episode, we're gonna talk about black business.

Like what are the benefits and the drawbacks of supporting them?

Hmm.

But until then, Kings and Queens keep doing.

Big.

Things.