“Lighter is better.”
Not everyone is aware that among blacks there is sometimes discrimination by lighter-skinned blacks against darker-skinned blacks. And vice versa. This hearkens back the days when there were the so-called “house-negroes” and outside slaves such as field workers. The slaves who worked inside were considered privileged by those outside. They had more comforts and advantages. The women were also more likely to end up with children from the white men.
A very high percentage of blacks who are descendants of slaves today are also descendants of slave owners. Conversely, many whites today do not have ancestry that owned slaves and may even have ancestry that included white slaves, such as the Irish who were bought and sold in the US along with blacks.
Because the subject matter is so loaded with emotions, assumptions, and dogmas, it is often difficult to have a productive conversation about it.
Was talking with a wise black woman the other day who agreed black people don’t always understand what a lot of white (or Asian) people have gone through. Horrible injustices, violence from the state, etc. Between the two of us, once her family was treated as possessions. Fairly valuable possessions. But only 2 generations ago my family were treated as cockroaches and exterminated by their government (Germany). It’s not about the skin.