The Color Complex: The Politics of Skin Color Among African Americans

Rating:
Summary: Color Complex
Review: EXCELLENT! This is a book that one cannot put down. The issue of color discrimmination is rampant within the communities of color be it black, hispanic, etc. Although I cannot say if I have suffered intraracial color bias, I know it exists. When I look at Ebony Magazine, Jet, etc. I feel that these publications have a fetish for light skinned people! I know of light skinned blacks that absolutley will not marry or get involved with anyone dark skinned or one that does not have "european" features. i have worked with African Americans that only allowed their daughters to date white boys! For fear of having children with dark skin and "bad" hair. This book tells the truth about the role of skin tone ,hair texture and self hatred in the black community.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: I knew that there was discrimination between blacks. I'm a dark-skinned black man and having grown up mostly around medium to dark skinned blacks I've seen light-skinned blacks teased and made to feel inferior by us because of their white heritage on a regular basis. People would be friends with them but people's hatred of them because of them being mixed always lingered in the back of someone's mind. One thing I found interesting was how in the book they told of how in the early 1900's up until the 50's, light-skinned blacks formed their own organizations and excluded dark-skinned blacks. I've never experienced discrimination from light-skinned blacks so I never knew that they'd done those things. One thing that I didn't like about the book though was how they presently applied the one-drop rule to determine if someone was black. If someone is light enough to pass for white then they are basically white. These aren't the slave days where the one-drop rule will divide up property. I agree with one of the people they interviewed in the book who said that if someone is genetically more white than black then they should be considered passing for black and not passing for white. Growing up the way that I did I don't consider half-white people completely black and especially someone who has only one black grandparent but who's parents and other grandparent are white. No matter how much they want to be black and deny their white heritage as I have often seen, they will never be considered black by many of us. Overall the book was very good because they did a lot of research and were able to cite different instances of color discrimination between blacks. I would recommend this book for anyone who thinks that discrimination is nonexistant especially within the black community.

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.