Couloruism in American in 1800´s: The Paper Bag test

1634 Words4 Pages

Colourism
Preview
Back in the early 1800’s, the color of one’s skin mattered amongst African Americans and Caucasian people. There was infidelity between the Caucasian slave owners and the African American slaves. Of course, the outcome of that produced a fairer toned child. In most cases the child could pass as white. The mixed toned kids got to be inside doing housework, while the dark Negroes worked in the fields, under extraneous work conditions,”their dark-toned peers toiled in the fields”(Maxwell). From the early 1800’s to modern day, there is controversy that light or bi-racial African Americans are better than dark colored African Americans. African Americans had to go through tests to see if they were able to receive priviledges that white people received,”light-skinned African Amerians receive special priviledges based off of their skin shade”(Maxwell). If an African American did not receive the priviledges similar to white people then they would try to change themselves to fit in,”African Americans are using bleaching creams so that they can make their skin lighter , just to achieve the standard beauty”(Brooke). As much as one will not one to discuss this topic, statistics shows how people are more lenient towards light and fair skin tones.Light oor fair coloredAmericans that poseess Caucasian features are prefiebly preffered.
Background (Treatment)
Slavery started in the early 1600’s and lasted until 1865.l Back in t eday, African Americans was treated like hairrible animaLS. They were not only derived of their freedom, but they were menally,pbysically, ans emotionally abused.”They were not considered human, let alone beautiful”(Zadeah). The African Ameican slaves were beaten, sexually assaulted, and killed by their s...

... middle of paper ...

...Americans heads that beauty is to have loight colored skin,”whites expressed ideas that they were the inferioir to blacks and managed to instill in blacks’ minds that the light skin complexion they had, the more they possesd”(Maxwell). As of modern day, nothing has changed. Things even got worse. Society has made it to where that a light colored skin complexion is the way to be. African Americans gave colorism another meaning.They constantly discriminate their own race for not bearing light colored skin and nice straight hair. African Americans have segregated their own race into light colored skin and dark colored skin. Dark colored African Americans are doubloed discriminated by the caucasians and half of their own race. Addittionlly, light and fair colored skin toned Americans receive “special” priviledges and opportunitiesz because of their phyical appearance.

Open Document