Why Are Only Fair-Skinned Blacks Invited to the Party?
Compiled by the DiversityInc staff
October 19, 2007
Why Are Only Fair-Skinned Blacks Invited to the Party?
A Detroit club promotion was canceled last week because fair- or light-skinned blacks were offered all-night free admission, while dark-skinned blacks had to pay, reports The Boston Globe. For many black women, the tone of their skin color and how they do their hair is a sign of status and identity that affects their self-perception and interactions with each other. "I'm perceived to be aggressive, assertive, attitude-having ... a lot of things, because my complexion is darker," 24-year-old Yasmine Toney, who was furious about the party, told the Globe. Toney thinks light-skinned black women have it easier than their dark-skinned counterparts. "They are assumed to be passive and nice and sweet. I feel I have to do a little bit more," she told the Globe.
Ulysses Barnes (a.k.a. "DJ Lish") canceled the "Light-Skinned Women & All LIBRA's" event after he was flooded with complaints from across the country, and he preemptively nixed upcoming promotions "Sexy Chocolate" and "Sexy Caramel" to avoid future problems.
(See also: Is Natural Black Hair a Glamour 'Don't'? and Dark-Skinned Blacks at Hiring Disadvantage, New Data Reveals)
Critics Lay Off Cosby
Bill Cosby has been criticized for his "pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps" approach to black/white disparities since his incendiary 2004 NAACP speech, but now some civil-rights leaders and academics appear to be warming to his message, reports The Washington Times. Renowned Harvard Law Prof. Charles Ogletree, who was one of the most outspoken Cosby critics a few years ago, commended Cosby's latest book, coauthored by Harvard's Alvin Pouissant, because it "clarified and focused their message," Ogletree told the Times. Many believe the book will promote dialogue about the balance between personal responsibility and government accountability, but some black leaders such as Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, aren't convinced the playing field is level enough for "personal responsibility" to make the kind of difference Cosby promises.
(See also: Was Bill Cosby Right? and Why Does Bill Cosby Strike Such a Nerve?)
La. Considers Son of Indian Immigrants for Governor
The state of Louisiana is considering an "unusual suspect" for governor in light of Democrats' disappointment with the rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina on current Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's watch and the much-publicized scandal implicating New Orleans Rep. William Jefferson in bribery and racketeering, reports The New York Times. Rep. Bobby Jindal, the son of Indian immigrants, would be the nation's first Asian Indian-American governor if analysts are right in that he may get more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary and then go uncontested in the race. Louisiana hasn't elected a nonwhite governor since Reconstruction. It's the nation's poorest state by per capita income. It has the lowest education levels and the highest infant morality rate—and it's still trying to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. Is Jindal the one to turn it around?
Clinton's Healthcare Plan Won't Cover Undocumented
Sen. Hillary Clinton's universal healthcare plan will not cover undocumented immigrants, reports USA Today. Although Clinton is an advocate of comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for undocumented workers, she says the daunting task of implementing universal healthcare coverage in the nation's current health-insurance crisis makes it unrealistic to cover the 12 million to 20 million undocumented people living in this country. "People who are here legally deserve some better treatment and acceptance in the law than people who are not here legally," she said, according to USA Today. "These are hard choices."
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