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

by Kathy Russell, Midge Wilson, Ronald Hall

A courageous, humane, and provocative examination  of how differences in color and features among  African Americans have played and continue to play a  role in their professional lives, friendships,  romances, and families.

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Politics, History, African American, Sociology, Cultural

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1992

Reviews

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really, really important for me, on a personal level, as a light-skinned Black person. Still, I was disappointed because I felt like the authors did a great job of portraying the struggles of dark-skinned Black people, and a horrible job of examining the complications of being light-skinned. It was at times painful to read this book, because I feel like the authors, in their effort to explore the hurt that being dark-skinned comes with in our culture, portrayed light-skinned Black people as the aggressors, when (while this is sometimes true) I feel like the real culprit is the system of white supremacy that influences all Black people to identify with whiteness -- whether that plays out in light-skinned Black people by feelings of superiority over dark-skinned members of our community, or in dark-skinned Black people by internalized self-hatred. When light-skinned Black people are hateful or hurtful towards dark-skinned Black people, the real harm is towards all Black people, regardless of skin color. The fact that this book glossed over this important fact made me kind of angry.

[Tayo · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there are some interesting concepts discussed, some parts are written with a heavy bias. Also some of the book's anecdotes are difficult to believe. I would have appreciated in-text references so one could review the original sources.

[Shannyn Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Media influences are so powerful they can, in the words of one Black woman, 'make you like your own features better on someone else' -- this comment made in reference to Angelina Jolie with her 'full, sexy lips,' and Kim Kardashian and Jenifer Lopez with their 'full, shapley' asses.'"

The authors do an effective job of explaining the history of intra-racial skin complexion hierarchies based upon perceived economic status, and how that prejudice was exacerbated by European colonization.

While the whole of the text sometimes felt repetitive and simplistic, the authors provided necessary insight on the pervasiveness of colorism. I especially appreciated the inclusion of personal interviews with men and women who've experienced colorism.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful, and I would recommend it to people of ANY race..loved it.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and frustrating to deeply examine how policies like the "one drop" rule continue to have unique lasting implications on life and racial identities in the US. The authors discuss global colorism as it compares to the US, and give examples of colorism in media, politics, relationships, etc.

[Stacie C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 stars

[Leib Mitchell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book Review
The Color Complex
1/5 stars
"Old hat; Painful detailing of a black psychological hang-up"
*******

Of the book:

-301 sources/166 pages=1.8/page; respectably sourced
-Light reading; about 4 hours of reading time

*******
This book is about something that is well known within the black community, but virtually unknown outside of it: intraracial color prejudice. (In the black vernacular: being "colorstruck.")

It starts off on the wrong foot with me--and never manages to get off it.

Big problem #1: There are three people involved in its writing-- and NONE of them are historians. (One social worker and two social psychologists.)

Big Problem #2: They go right in with the hackneyed myth of "the reason black people prefer light skin is because lighter skin slaves were used in the house and darker ones were used in the field." (pps. 18, 126) This shibboleth has been repeated so many times that you might almost be forgiven for not noticing that:

1. Not all blacks were slaves;
2. Most miscegenation was voluntary and a lot of it happened after slavery;
3. A lot of the mixed race offspring were manumitted AND made a living providing services to free people of color.

Big problem #3: They make the same mistake in this book as Joel Williamson did in his book ("New People") which is to ascribe mulatto ancestry to ANY black person with ANY degree of European ancestry, in which case 90% of black Americans would be "mulattos." They even (mis)ascribe mulatto status to some of the same people as Williamson.  (p.31): Sojourner Truth. Benjamin Banneker. A. Philip Randolph. Malcolm X. (There are pictures available of all of these people, and NO ONE would think that they were the same thing as Alicia Keys/Jennifer Beals / Benjamin Jealous.)

Big Problem #4: More banalities. Every time someone has a preference for a certain phenotype, then they are doing it based on some historical conflict. (p.113: "That the black man's desire is rooted in rage stemming from his unconscious desire to seek revenge for his slave past.")

It's like nobody can just like what they like.

a. What happens if it's a black guy that likes Asian women? No historical conflict there, just that Asian girls look good.

b. What happens if it's a white guy that has a stomach for black women? (I have one white coworker who has six kids with six different black women.) Is he trying to fulfill some secret desire to have a bedwench?

c. What happens if it's a guy that is interested in a brunette Italian/Jewish woman with a really thick bush (e.g.: liubimaja, noshavebabe, etc)? Is this guy REALLY making a defiant statement against having had razor bumps?

>>>See how silly this gets?

(p.121: "Why should we deprive ourselves of each other because of the history that neither one of us had anything to do with?")
*******
Second order thoughts:

1. In a lot of ways, this book has passed its (limited) relevance. You could wake up on a particular Monday and decide to change your gender and it's just a simple trip to the courthouse. So, when they talk about people such as Susie Phipps that are 1/64th black and have to be declared that way..... That is so 1991.

2. A lot of this book is academic babbling. When you live in the real world among real people, you will see that:

a. Some of them just choose their associations in a matter of fact way and without much discussion. We all know black people that are not interested in being black / having black relatives; we all know white people that choose to marry and live around blacks.

b. All men all over the world choose women lighter than themselves, and it doesn't depend on the American context. As these authors have observed. But, a book that explores those issues would be an issue for anthropologists or maybe even molecular geneticists. It is not this book.

If you consider the other 98% of the world, there's no surprise that, GIVEN A CHOICE, most black men would not choose black women.

3. This story is not new. And for the record this story is the case where you have some people that are more wealthy / advanced/civilized connect with people that are not, (whatever the reason), and the people on the higher end become something to be imitated and the people on the lower end become stigmatized. (Because so many poor black people live in ghettos, then being black *becomes* synonymous with being ghetto / trashy / low class.)

a. We could talk about the Russian royalty speaking French. We could talk about City Arabs reveling in speaking good French/English/ Modern Standard Arabic instead of local languages. We could talk about Scotsmen blindly imitating English behavior a couple of centuries back. We could be talking about people who grew up speaking Cockney or Scouse affecting an Oxbridge accent.)

b. QUOTE: (p.72) "Every time I hear African-Americans speak horrid, broken English or I see a flash of gold teeth, public displays of Jheri curl caps, genital holding, or big, gold door knocker earrings, I cringe. The hairs literally stand up on the back of my neck."

c. This is *some* of the story with the Indian caste system.

*******
What is the most useful information from this book?

1. All black people know about the concept of being "colorstruck." Maybe they don't know about blue vein societies or paper bag tests, and this is a way to help remember.

2. Virtually no white/non black people know how deep these psychological Hang-Ups are. If said people want to know a little bit more than what they did before, this is a way.

3. There is a lot of interesting history about the roles that were open to Black performers a century ago. Night and day different to today..

Appalling quotes/definitions

1. Paper bag test

2. Blue vein societies

3. Eartha kitt's stepfather would not accept her and her mother eventually sent her out to relatives and placed her in a foster home and chose over her own child for some sorry a$$ nicka. (p.99)

4. Zena Oglelsby, of a black adoption agency, says that light skin babies go first and 40% of black couples wanting to adopt specifically request light-skinned children.

5.. As of 1987, 35 States prohibited adoption of black children by white families. (The Howard Metzenbaum Multi-Ethnic Placement Act seems to have reversed this in 1994.)

6. Walter White, president of the NAACP was 1/64th black. And his wife was white, producing children that were 1/128th black.

7. dinge queen

Verdict: Not recommended.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book some time ago, and so much of this is correct, even now. I come from a family that ranges from 'possible to pass' to the deepest hues of enbony, and all inbetween, and I myself fall in the middle spectrum. Still, I learned a lot in this book and it would serve well as a starting point for talking about this issue in our community. A good fiction counterpart is 'Causasia' and 'Symptomatic' by Danzy Senza.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book and it shows just how hurtful racism within the Black community can be. As a medium skinned Black woman, I never experienced the bullying and ostracism described the book. It was an eye opener. Everyone should read this.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So incredibly informative. It's a research book but reads like a novel because the subject matter is so interesting.

[Latasha]

Interesting read.

[Raya Fagg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dated but this is an excellent introduction to learn about the hidden history of color politics among African Americans.

[Beverlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

According to the authors of The Color Complex-"Traditionally, the color complex involved light-skinned Blacks' rejection of Blacks who were darker. Increasingly, however, the color complex shows up in the form of dark-skinned African Americans spurning their lighter-skinned brothers and sisters for not being Black enough. The complex even includes attitudes about hair texture, nose shape, and eye color"(2).
What I liked-I think the writers' explanation of how the color complex developed from when enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown to the Creole communities in New Orleans in Chapter 1 "Masters, Slaves, and Lovers" through Chapter 2 "The Color Gap in Power and Privilege", an analysis of how African American society formed from Reconstruction onward (dealing mainly with politics, churches, and higher education, Talented Tenth, DuBois/Washington) was thorough. Chapter 3 "Embracing Whiteness" & Chapter 4 "Black Identity: Shades of Beauty and Pride" delve into the middle class "bourgie" beliefs and various theories that try to explain why some African Americans equate having a lighter skin complexion with being higher class.
What I didn't like-The remaining chapters seem rushed. This book is fairly short (counting sources and index it's 200 pages). Chapter 5 is all about hair and while it's an important subtopic, I don't think it merits a chapter. The space allocated to this chapter could have been used to better discuss dating and marriage (chapter 7) or family and friendships divided (chapter 6). I would have deleted Chapter 8 "Color Harassment in the Workplace" because it reads as hearsay.
Now What-?? It's my hope that we can appreciate people for their character rather than physical appearance. If you choose to read The Color Complex, please take a moment to consider how you treat African Americans and how you view self compared to others.
Recommended additional reading-The Black Bourgeoisie by E. Franklin Frazier, Hair Story by Ayana Byrd and Lori Tharps

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spotted this book in an article and thought it would be a good pickup. I knew some of the basics of the book's premise (skin lightening is a huge industry in certain parts of the world, there's a difference in how light-skinned people (this focuses on Black people in the US but is also discussed on how this also happens elsewhere) are viewed, treated, seen, etc. vs. darker skinned people are, etc. Since it was available at the library, it sounded like a good read.

The authors takes us through the history of this in a US-focus, from the earliest days of slaves being brought over to the colonies and how rape played a huge role in this. This simply continued in different forms and in different ways, with how people can "pass," how it can affect how others view you, how one can be seen as not being black (or other) "enough" etc. It was definitely interesting.

But I'll hesitate a bit. Looking over the negative reviews tells me the book is not without its flaws. Such as that there is a bias (or numerous biases) or that there's no definition of light-skinned. That's not to say that the authors are wrong, but it is something to keep in mind and perhaps a good idea to supplement with other texts or resources.

I still thought it was interesting, if a bit tough to get through in terms of writing style. I'm glad it was available at the library and that's my recommendation.

[Danger Kayutak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written and well-researched but not overly ponderous book on the subject of racisms cousin, colorism. Highly recommend.

Well-researched but relatively easy read on the history of colorism and its current role in our society. Its amazing how deeply rooted these ideas are. After reading this book I recognize my own subconscious beliefs about light versus dark skin. And how these beliefs play out in my family, whose member's skin tones and features are all along the spectrum.
Highly recommend.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that my soul never knew it needed. It is a phenomenal text that everyone should read. It discusses the rise of global colorism in a context that anyone can relate to the population of people in the cities and countries in which they love before eventually zeroing in on the African American communities in the United States. Highly recommend.

[Barbara]

An interesting discussion of a situation that still happens today. A history of the way these politics affected and still affect the everyday life of people.

Sadly the only copy of this book in Norfolk Public library is kept at our storage location. But well worth having it called out of storage for a read. It checks out just like a normal book.

[Lex Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simply incredible and should be a required reading book for high schoolers/college first-years.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just...sad. Sad and informative - though I've been aware of most of it throughout my life. I don't know black people who haven't (though they exist, I'm sure - in space). Chapter 8 on politics and the workplace was an exception, which I found surprising and disturbing. The whole point about medium/brown toned folk not being directly impacted, though not free of brainwashing, was driven home. This really read as a tragedy the way "Without Sanctuary" was a horror story. I don't know why the true crime and history sections of bookstores are separated; they're one in the same. The qualitative, quantitative and anecdotal combination of evidence and reflection works well - except for when it doesn't. There are three authors and it's quite easy to tell. At least one of the authors is far too casual in his/her writing and it really underserves the severity of the subject matter or more than one occasion. Also, I blame the publisher for some editing issues. A misplaced comma won't kill me, but referring to Sidney Poitier as "light" in a chapter talking about the history of colorism and blacks in Hollywood is...stupid. Terms like "or whatever" didn't help either. The conclusion/ending felt extremely rushed, but the bottom line about colorism's continued presence was right on the money. There was a slew of this in general. Something would really bother me in the delivery, but the content was enough to keep me going. This was a good read, but not always great reading. Still, I can't imagine pulling all of this together some decades later after first releasing the title, but they did. Hate that they had to, but grateful that they knew it was necessary. Good read.

[Juan Pablo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a an informative book on the issue of colorism/shadism in the black community. It opened my eyes to another way white supremacy has had a damaging effect on black people. It also helped me understand the deeper roots of this conflict that go back to the actions of free mulattoes & light skin people before & after the civil war & reconstruction. Learning about how light skin people would exclude darker people in their social clubs & institutions was painful to learn about as it's hard for me personally to agree with that mindset, but that is the truth. Detail is given in how the conflict affected slaves & continued on into it's various manifestations today & how we tear each other down. An entire chapter is dedicated to how colorism has spread across the globe & how people have profited from it. Unilever is given much attention but I'm confident they are hardly the only company to benefit. The things people would do to themselves for the sake of having lighter skin are cringe worthy. The negative effects that this has on how people shape their identity & place in society is explored as well. How that identity extends to other issues such as job placement, dating & politics & the perceptions that complicate those things are each given their own chapters as well. The book closes with how the media further complicates the issue with it's depictions & projections in movies, music videos & modelling specifically. It was a good book to help flesh out one's understanding of the issue & it can be very painful to read at times but what one learns from it can not be ignored.

[Tiffany Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good introductory book for those who are unfamiliar with the history and issues of color discrimination within the black community. The pros are one, the quality of the history of color stratification in America and the black community and two, I learned about a few black historical figures I was unaware of previously. However, what troubles me about this book is one, the author(s) can't seem to properly define the color of many different black people including one of the authors. For instance, A. Philip Randolph was described as a light skinned man when he was not, Mary Mcleod Bethune was described as "blue black" when she was not, and one of the authors describes herself as a "fairly light" black women when her picture, included on the jacket of the book, clearly shows otherwise. This is just a small, yet troubling observation nonetheless. However, what prevents me from really embracing this book is how most dark skinned women in the book are depicted as being jealous of light-skinned women. Dark skinned women were almost universally portrayed as being angry and envious of their lighter skinned counterparts while the light skinned women were almost universally portrayed as victims of color prejudice and never perpetrators. Overall, these blanket generalizations only enforce stereotypes of women by color lines instead of freeing them from them.

[Imani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed more like a thesis than a book. I felt that the content was repetitive and played on emotion more so than fact.

Throughout the book, it seemed as though the main mission was to establish the fact that skin color in the African American community is a large issue, but even more so for those of darker complexions. Even with the amount of content about light skinned blacks, it always went back to their struggles not being greater than those who aren't.

Whatever happened to creating your own destiny? being all you can be? This obviously wasn't a factor here. Instead of wallowing in a state of self-loathing and pity, people need to get back on their own to feet and stop looking to others to signify their self-worth. If one's color is the main thing they or other people can identify with, then that's on them.

[Chevronda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I believe this book did an excellent job of bringing the intra-cultural color issue to the forefront, I believe that the exposure and treatment of this problem was imbalanced. Initially, I was excited about what I thought the book promised (a thorough, balanced view), but I felt let down at the end.

[Divamommy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a 3.5 star rating for me because the authors failed to state their guidelines for what was considered "light-skin" for purposes of the book. In my opinion, the term was applied quite broadly. I enjoyed the historical and cultural background given on colorism. Informative yet disturbing to realize this issue is still a problem.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read that really makes you think and understand where color prejudice began and how its progressed through time. As someone who has experienced this throughout my life i think its an important read for any and everyone so hopefully we can one day eliminate the one thing that keeps us apart.

[xVirgo · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books analyzing the legacy of racial stereotypes during slavery and how they are still present today. Topics, from relationships, looks, education, urban segregation and more. Awesome book!

[Antonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colorism is deeper than black and white. Its not racism its almost unnaturally natural. What the world rallies around is what everyone want. If it isn't colorism, it is another status symbol the world creates that the world will chase.

[Faith Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this non-fiction book and was amazed at how slavery and the slaveowner's traditions seeped into the lives of African Americans to the point that they began to be prejudice against each other. Very insightful reading.

[Lynielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you are interested in the some of the stereotypes and self-reflection in the black community, read this! I don't agree with everything, but a lot of it is spot on.

[Love To Bake Cakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to rate this one. Knew a lot of the information just from coming up in the culture myself.
Easy, fun read. Nothing that I did not already know.