The Color Complex

Rating:
Summary: Wow....
Review: This book was excellent and clearly showed just how absurd racism can make people. It was disturbing* as a black person myself* to read about how people used to negate each other that badly. It changed my perception of a lot of things. I recommend this book to EVERYONE. It pointed out so many things that I didn't twice about and I wish I could have found it sooner.

Rating:
Summary: Flawed, Flawed, Flawed, Flawed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is one of the most poorly constructed books I've ever read. It is a light read you can finish this book in under forty minutes. The Color Complex is supposed to talk about the politics of skin color among black Americans. Yet, the writers of this book compose of Kathy Russell who is light skinned Midge Wilson a white feminist and Ronald Hall. Both Kathy and Ronald admit that they never encountered any intraracial prejudices. Then why the heck are you writing the book! Are you telling me that they could not find a dark skinned black woman to contribute to this book? The book basically reinforces the negative stereotypes of dark skinned black women. Didn't all start with African woman being raped by their white masters. After slavery it was still the mammy or maid or their daughter (Strom Thurmond). It also down grades black woman in general. The following quote speaks for itself: "In all fairness black woman simply look better with their hair processed........"(page 91). What about black woman preferring light skinned black men with "good hair". This book totally misses the; black woman black man angle. Why didn't they show photos to black and white women showing pictures of various black men. Also the book seem to portray dark skinned black men as having it easier than light skinned black men. I find this amazing when you consider the fact that when ever their is a movie or TV show the leading man is hardly dark skinned. How many dark skinned male models can you name, pay attention to TV commercials, magazine ads etc.. Midge Wilson being the white feminist that she is could've pointed to the numerous feminist books and periodicals that portray black men, dark skinned black men in particular as mindless bucks, rapist, murderers etc. of white woman. Yet Midge dose not refute any of these feminist propaganda traits, nor do they ask a group of white woman. Maybe it's because she still believes them. Anyone with common sense can come to the conclusion that this book was about perpetuating the color bias myths. Also to the last reviewer who stated that Africans are mixed and that Somalis looked the way they do because of Italian colonization is wrong. The Italians controlled Somalia for ten years and they were less than one percent of the population. Use common sense one percent Italians means that more than ninety-nine percent of Somalis are black not part Italian. That's like saying most Indians are mixed with whites because of British colonization, which lasted far longer than Italian colonization in Somalia. When the British where also less than one percent of the population. The reason why Somalis look like that is because Africans have the most diverse phenotype, some have straight hair some have curly hair some have full lips some have thin lips some are dark skinned some are brown like the pygmies. You need to read up on your African history.