Team Dark skin vs. Team Light Skin

You know, I just can’t wrap my mind around that fact that its 2014 and African-Americans still feel as if it is okay to classify themselves as “Team Dark Skin” or “Team Light Skin”. Why can’t they just simply say “I’m African-American”? It doesn’t matter if you’re light-skinned or dark- skinned; you’re still BLACK!

People who classify themselves as #TeamDarkSkin or #TeamLightSkin on social sites are simply ignorant and are clearly unaware of THEIR history! Well, I’m here to give you all a quick history lesson. After all, one of main goals is to give insight to the Black community.

Now, as early as the 1600s, the enslavement of Africans began here in the United States. Our people had no rights at all and were treated like animals. They were chained and beaten for petty and minute offenses. They were even killed. Our people were auctioned off and sold as property to white Americans. Once sold, these white Americans became white slave owners or slave masters.

There may have been a point in time where a slave would be sold to a relatively “nice” slave owner. But for the most part, slave masters treated their slaves horribly to say the least! Black women were raped and impregnated by their slave masters. Now, when a white American and a Black American reproduce, their child will most likely be a lighter color than a child who has two Black parents.

 These lighter colored slaves soon became known as the House Slaves and the darker colored slaves became known as the field slaves. House slaves were able to stay in the master’s house. They cooked, cleaned and received better treatment than the field slaves. Field slaves had to work outside and pick cotton. They were given the bare minumum.  Don’t you see? #TeamDarkSkin and #TeamLightSkin are just modernized categorizations of the House Slave and the Field Slave.

I’m tired of seeing people claim one shade of blackness over the other. Why are we dividing our race based of off color? We’re segregating ourselves within our own race! It’s senseless! We all need to stand together! It doesn’t matter if you’re light-skinned or dark-skinned. We don’t need to classify ourselves as light or dark skinned. So, please stop with the #TeamDarkSkin and #TeamLightSkin! We shouldn’t have to compete with ourselves. All Black is beautiful!