THE LIGHT AND DARK OF IT: THE SKIN WE ARE IN!

What’s your definition of beautiful? Is it associated with skin tone?  These are just a few of the questions that came to mind when this topic was brought to my attention. Type in the phrase "light skin vs. dark skin" into Google's search engine, and you will be rewarded with more than 20 million results to sift through. This is because in 2011, the issue of skin color is still a heavy-hitter within the black race. If you're unfamiliar with the history behind this INTRARACIAL struggle, you have probably been living under a rock. The roots of this kind of prejudice run quite deep all throughout the country. And just when the media does something to allude to universal acceptance, the light skinned vs. dark skinned debate rears its head. The idea that lighter complexioned black people are somehow smarter, more desirable, or attractive is something that seems to permeate the black community, and still manages to strike many nerves. But sometimes it is confusing to determine whether reality is continuing to influence the media or the other way around. In fact, this line of thought appears to be so ingrained that many people don't even realize when they're subconsciously making the distinction. It appears that this topic will forever be a sore spot. Many would say that the dark-skinned will continue to feel neglected as long as the lighter-skinned are subconsciously celebrated; the lighter-skinned will continue to feel persecuted by their darker siblings merely for being so. Perhaps documentaries like Chris Rock's "Good Hair" will shock viewers into looking at their own behavior. The media has an amazing amount of power. If the line between reality and art is as blurry as has been claimed, there is the chance that universal opinion could be swayed. MONDAY @10PM CST JUNE13th be there for the provoking issue!