I think more mixed 'race' and light skinned people should question what that means in today's society. As a dark skinned African female, I find my struggle reduced when light skinned Africans/blacks speak for all of us. ''as I’ve said before, mixed race folks have issues... racial constructions may now appear to be fact, but that’s because people of similar melanin count share similar social experiences.
And it is in this light, not in the ‘one-drop-rule’ light, that I am black. That is to say, people with my particular skin tone and genetic make up share the same ancestral history with those with two African or diaspora parents. We share the history of slavery, oppression and colonization. This history is a shared legacy of the black experience.''
http://www.msafropolitan.com/2011/01/what-being-mixed-race-has-taught-me.htmlAs much as we might share history, we do not necessarily carry the burdens similarly. Internalized white supremacy further divides us, creating privilege and more struggles for some 'black' people. The following article discusses an expression of white supremacy, colorism. There have been many great articles on this issue on this form, and this one adds a vital fact,that '' the people who are most hurt and victimised by colorism and/or have the temerity to identify it for what it is and call it out, are the ones most likely to be blamed for "creating" a problem or instilling disunity and so forth through the mere act of identifying colorism and its negative effects. If anything, they are seen as the creators of colorism and unnecessary divisiveness. This operates in much the same way that people who identify acts of racism or racist patterns or tendencies ARE the true 'racists' and are the actual source of or perpetrators of racism, seeking to fabricate the very thing that they are opposing...''
http://nykinora.livejournal.com/9284.html
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