Color Struck
Color Struck: When an African American is attracted to a lighter complected African American exclusively. In spite of their own complexion.
The term color struck is nothing new in the south. In fact, I'm almost positive the south was it's birthplace. It goes pretty far back in our history. You've all heard in documentary after documentary about how blacks were taught that their dark skin and "nappy" hair was unappealing and undesirable,during the times of slavery. Minstrel shows exaggerating "blackness" as comic relief in the 1800s didn't exactly make things better. Early literature refers to those with dark skin as being cursed. And even today hip-hop contributes to the wanting of women of lighter complexions.
Dating in the south has always been hit or miss. Is the divide caused by self hatred? Both sexes do it. I've seen it. It's like everyone is giving each other the "Paper Bag" test.
The Paper Bag Test: 20th-century African-American social events at which only individuals with complexion at least as light as the color of a brown paper bag are accepted.
The thing is, for some, that paper bag may have been too dark.
Guys say things like, "Man, darker girls look mean!"...and in the same breath, "Man, them light skinned girls look stuck up!"(Both of these observations sound as if they came from an intimidated little boy.) I've heard women say,"Dark skinned guys scare me!", or are under the assumption that "Light skinned guys are 'nicer'!" I have had a woman that was darker than the space between my refrigerator and the kitchen wall say that I was too dark and that she only liked men of a lighter complexion. I didn't have a problem with it. I understand that I am not everyone's type. I wasn't running around looking to tear down J.Cole and Drake posters or curse Al B. Sure's or El Debarge's name.
Targeting people of lighter skin with inner rage because of their level of "acceptance" or amount of attention they receive because the media has deemed them beautiful is no way to behave. Looking down on a person because you feel that they may lack appeal is also unacceptable. Some of the worst things I've heard is a woman attempting to compliment another woman by saying,"Oh she's pretty for a dark girl!". There are probably more women with color issues than there are women with daddy issues(Just my opinion).
On the other side of the spectrum I was preferred by a lighter complected women out of hopes that(if we were to have a future together) their children would have a little pigment. Some darker women would not like their children to face potential ridicule so they tend to go for the lighter gentlemen. Hey, to each his own.
Don't get me wrong, I am no exception to the rule. I would like to believe that I posses an indiscriminate taste when it comes to women(I just appreciate the beauty of a woman...period!),but looking over the years the majority of them have been of a lighter complexion. It's not that they are all I pursue, but rather the ones that reciprocated interest. When it comes to dating, I think it is all about preference. Think about it this way, you can prefer Italian men or women with all of your heart, but if they are not into you, you're still at square one. It seems that everyone gets so caught up in what the media tells us is hot and not. True sight is lost and the audience gets led astray by some great puppeteer controlling their every desire; leaving true beauty ignored and denied equal attention.
The term color struck is nothing new in the south. In fact, I'm almost positive the south was it's birthplace. It goes pretty far back in our history. You've all heard in documentary after documentary about how blacks were taught that their dark skin and "nappy" hair was unappealing and undesirable,during the times of slavery. Minstrel shows exaggerating "blackness" as comic relief in the 1800s didn't exactly make things better. Early literature refers to those with dark skin as being cursed. And even today hip-hop contributes to the wanting of women of lighter complexions.
Dating in the south has always been hit or miss. Is the divide caused by self hatred? Both sexes do it. I've seen it. It's like everyone is giving each other the "Paper Bag" test.
The Paper Bag Test: 20th-century African-American social events at which only individuals with complexion at least as light as the color of a brown paper bag are accepted.
The thing is, for some, that paper bag may have been too dark.
Guys say things like, "Man, darker girls look mean!"...and in the same breath, "Man, them light skinned girls look stuck up!"(Both of these observations sound as if they came from an intimidated little boy.) I've heard women say,"Dark skinned guys scare me!", or are under the assumption that "Light skinned guys are 'nicer'!" I have had a woman that was darker than the space between my refrigerator and the kitchen wall say that I was too dark and that she only liked men of a lighter complexion. I didn't have a problem with it. I understand that I am not everyone's type. I wasn't running around looking to tear down J.Cole and Drake posters or curse Al B. Sure's or El Debarge's name.
Targeting people of lighter skin with inner rage because of their level of "acceptance" or amount of attention they receive because the media has deemed them beautiful is no way to behave. Looking down on a person because you feel that they may lack appeal is also unacceptable. Some of the worst things I've heard is a woman attempting to compliment another woman by saying,"Oh she's pretty for a dark girl!". There are probably more women with color issues than there are women with daddy issues(Just my opinion).
On the other side of the spectrum I was preferred by a lighter complected women out of hopes that(if we were to have a future together) their children would have a little pigment. Some darker women would not like their children to face potential ridicule so they tend to go for the lighter gentlemen. Hey, to each his own.
Don't get me wrong, I am no exception to the rule. I would like to believe that I posses an indiscriminate taste when it comes to women(I just appreciate the beauty of a woman...period!),but looking over the years the majority of them have been of a lighter complexion. It's not that they are all I pursue, but rather the ones that reciprocated interest. When it comes to dating, I think it is all about preference. Think about it this way, you can prefer Italian men or women with all of your heart, but if they are not into you, you're still at square one. It seems that everyone gets so caught up in what the media tells us is hot and not. True sight is lost and the audience gets led astray by some great puppeteer controlling their every desire; leaving true beauty ignored and denied equal attention.
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