Teachers, police officers, judges, movie producers, and even modeling agencies seem to prefer a lighter skinned woman/man. Colorism is real and has created a huge division in the black community. So often we find ourselves in a war of complexion. As far back as slavery we can remember the discrimination displayed from lighter skinned black people in comparison to darker skinned black people. Darker toned individuals are profiled as being aggressive, angry and not very approachable. While the lighter toned individuals are looked at as being nicer, more approachable and more appealing to the eye. We have to learn to love every shade of melanin and not judge an individual by the complexion of their skin. We are all beautiful and should never let a shade of black be a deciding factor in our treatment.

These are the conversations we need to have now if we are going to see real change in both the culture and the community. No more hiding, posturing or trying to stay "politically correct".