I just watched your show and it was actually really hard to watch. My boyfriend is a Medium-light skinned black man, I am a white woman, and we are pregnant. I just feel like my child will also have a hard time in life because of the different stereotypes of inner-racism. My man went through it in highschool where he wasn't "black enough", but he didn't get treated any better because he was light. But my concern is what can I do to help my child cope with treatment from other dark or light skinned people. I really want to teach him/her that nobody is better than any other color, but they are going to go through things that are going to change his/her life where no matter what I teach them, other people can have more of a negative impact. I feel like I will be rediculed because I am white and not be taken seriously. But my concern is for my unborn child, who I want to just be as equal as any black or white person. But in this world will pobably not happen. I just want to try to make the best of it. I am also questioning whether we should tell him/her young there is racism in the world, and that he/she will get treated differently than others. But at the same time I don't want him/her to feel different. So basically this episode really put a perspective on my views as everyone is equal and screw everyone else.

Well umm i'm uhh 15 yearsold female and i'm like uh i guess brown lol i'm not that light but I wish i was..I wish i was white actually because white ppl have it so easy when it comes to jobs or guys..white chicks always get the black guys..the spanish guys..and the white guys..Idk i don'tlike being black..the only advantage it that the wite chick are scared of u so u can tak advantage of that lol but besides that i don't like my coulour...sucks i guess..and the answer the questions YES your treated differently according to you skin colour i don't care wat nobody says about the not racist or whatever because u consider black americans African-Americans and not just americans like the white ppl and Lationo or hispanis americans instead of just the word american so the cops can get a better ides of wat the guy that stole ur purse looks like...ayways i don't live in the U.S or nothing i live in the caribbean so yeah alot of black heads but when i do go in places that "white people" are more dominent i do feel weird even most of my class this school year is white but yeah anyways I think i got to go to bed so yeah Bye!!
P.S
OMG I love you TYRA!! I does watch wat ever sow u on lol America next top model's marathon every sunday on mtv lol i watch like the same cycle so much times and NEVER will get sick of it.. it ROCKS!! and i does watch ur showa EVERYDAY after school...when i turn 18 and i come to the U.S i will love to come on you show..caus ei don't think i can currently cause maybe i too young idk anyways he he when i finish highschool imma come to try out to be america's Next top model :-D *all do I not a U.S citizen lol* ok bye for real now :P

hey ty ty baby. well...regarding 2 ur show 2day i believe it is true that mostly lighter complection black women have it easier. for me being a darker skinned female it is alitle harder, as a kid i got brutaly made fun of for being a dark young lady. ppl called me dark vador and im not even that dark. it did hurt growing up being a pisces because i was very sensative. But regarding to the issue light skinned women get a bigger advantage over most things and im not shooting light skinnded women down cuz i have light and dark skinnded friends so there is no beef whats so ever. my sister is lighter then me but she always tells me im beautiful and i dont think its because im her sister. hopefully. lol. but i know that dark skinned women r just as beautiful as light skinned women. NOW.

I was watching today's show in regards to skin color and its ties to superiority in the black community. I would like to say bravo! As a dark skinned female, growing up in the Los Angeles area, I got many mixed messages about what it was to be beautiful. More often than not, the words expressing my beauty came from older black people who would say "you're such a pretty little chocolate girl." It wasn't until I turned about 12 or 13 that I realized that black people within my own age group thought the complete opposite. I've definitely endured the world famous "you're so pretty for a dark girl." The backhanded compliments were endless. While it made me feel great that my "beauty" was acknowledged, it always followed a comment about my skin color. There were also times that I would make it my mission in high school to only be friends with lighter skinned girls as this would get me a little more attention than if I were to befriend girls with features similar to mine. It makes me sick to my stomach to even admit it to this day. But in this day and age, most girls within the black community measure their worth by the attention they can garner from the oppsoite sex. Too many black guys are blinded by this superficial standard. I've had young guys from my own race tell me that I'm one of the ONLY dark girls that they would date, needless to say, those relationships were mere flashes in the pan. I dont know if there is an answer to why we are this way as a people, but I know that this European standard of beauty has much to do with it. There are so many things to say about this topic, but how many dark girls like to drudge up those old feelings? Just know that we are beautiful women. The more we believe it on the inside, the more our radiance will outshine any of our lighter skinned counterparts who ever made you feel less than! All shades of black are beautiful. If they weren't, half of LA tanning salons would be out of business!

I was watching your show today and I found it very interesting how within ones own race there are conflicts about skin color, but what surprised me more is that on ur web site you included all races why is that why not talk about all races not just one, and I just don’t understand why people who are from a certain race talk only about their own race instead of the human race as general. I am studying humanities and it came to my surprise that skin/race was not an issue during the early years of civilization somehow I feel that we are making it worst by diving ourselves to one or another race. I guess one must start from one place to get to the next right and yes i do believe that light skinned people have it more easier/are easily accepted by others(well for the majority of the time)

Bonjour!

I was watching your show earlier this evening and I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the end. There was no clear purpose to the show, and nothing was resolved by the end of the hour.

I must agree that your attack on "Tamara" was quite offensive. Your argument was loosely based on the notion that "Tamara" must have a "self-esteem" issue because she was putting down other women. Correct me if I am mistaken, but then would you not suffer from the same self-esteem disorder? Your comment about how she was a "White slave master's dream" is indicative of your own insecurities and lack of education regarding racial issues.

I also felt it was unfortunate that you appeased the "Dark skinned" members of the audience, and fuelled inflamatory comments that were one sided and baseless.

Perhaps it is the quality of colour on my Canadian television, but you are quite fair in complexion, which you have evidently used to furhter your career with ease. It makes me question why you were so supportive of your darker audience, and so inequitable towards the lighter audience members. Are you so insecure yourself that you need to seek validation from the "Sistah's?" Or is it that you know that outdated, mindless verbal diarrhea appeals to the brainless masses of ALL skin types?

Please do not use race as a platform to further plug your talkshow or your reality television program, by insulting the average viewer and tricking them into thinking that you care about promoting a new ideal of beauty. Your comments were disingenuous considering the reality that you don't embrace your natural hair, eye lashes or skin colour. Not to mention the fact that YOU overcompensate with language depending on the audience you are speaking to.

The people on your show were not at odds with one another because of a difference in skin colour. You simply allowed them to use that as an excuse to disguise some of the larger problems that exist within societies around the world. Race is a misguided, and misunderstood concept, and the material on your show was uninspiring.

As a teacher, (grade 7 and 8) I found the comments of the young ladies that wrote on your website to be heart breaking. If you read over their comments again, you would see that not only were they fueling the ridiculous race fire that you purposefully started, but that they are also unable to articulate their points, or spell. Perhaps we (as the adults) should spend more time teaching the next generation about respect, self-esteem, self-worth and values, than encouraging them to think that discussing the colour of their skin will somehow make them more superior or inferior in life.

I am looking forward to seeing more stimulating conversations from your talk shows in the future.

Amicalement,

Mar Neubauer

tyra

i am a white girl and i think it's terrible how you can assume that life is SOOOO much easier for light skinned people. life is hard for most people.

i grew up in a very diverse community and i grew up with other races as equals and we all went through the SAME struggles! i have a very diverse group of friends and none of us consider one of us as the "white girl" "brown girl" and such.

i think it's these kinds of shows that instigate racism. slavery and racism is a part of america's past and should stay there! we need to embrace our diversities and share them, we need to see ourselves as "people" not "white people" "black people" "red, purple, or yellow people" WHATEVER! we're just PEOPLE!!!

i don't think you should separate and label people as you often do on your shows. racism isn't just against the "colored" there's terrible names for ALL ethnicities! and it's all just IGNORANCE!!!

Tyra

Its awesome that you did this show today, cause you showed people what they do with even begin aware that they do it and that its wrong it was meaningful and i thank you for bring up these issue.Im a light dude and i really dont care what color shade of skin you or anyones else is and more people need to see every one as humans not race or skin color humans cause its your differences that make us human.

Hi Tyra,

I liked your show today. This not only happens to black people but it also happens in the South Asian community. All the moms want their sons to get married to slim/fair/tall girl. You could have talked about the other group of people who also go through the same issue on your show.

hi, my name is tillyen i am 15. i am a dark-skinned black female. and i think that this whole light-skinned/dark-skinned thing is ridicuolous on all levels. for anyone who thinks this is the way, that it is they are sadly mistaken.

everything that is compared to anything has to have a reference point. to say that a light-toned person is pretty then a darker one, whats the reference point? a white female. now if the reference point was a very dark female, i would be closer than any white female.

but because white is considered beauty 'i am suppose to be out of the mix?'. my life is less important than a whit female because i am black?

another sad thing is that i have been living in a white community for about a year now. and i have yet to hear, anyone say that i am ugly or anything of that nature.

but yet i turn on the television, and i see all these examples of people that despise other's of my tone. and yet these rude, self-hating people out numbers those proud to be that skin tone. the original skin tone.

and you act as if this is the way most black people think.

if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth.

as long as you allow stupid, self-hating, and plain racist people. to fill the television with hot air and ignorance. it is contributing to the stereotypes and ignorance in every community.

hey tyra! im 15, and i am very "white". there isnt any black about me. to be honest, i wish there was! i think that all black (dark or lighter) are beautiful. they have the most gorgous skin tones, such interesting features, that most white women dont have. i also think white women are beautiful too, but darker skinned women seem to be more unique than white women. i think it is truely unfair that women are degrated and put down for the skin color that they have. in my eyes, there really isnt a differece other than looks. it doesnt matter to me whether you are white, black, yellow, or even purple! i think everyone should be treated the same. i have never had a darker skinned person say anything about my look or thing i am "higher" or "better" than them. tyra, thank you for having this episode because now i can see how much of a problem this really is, and maybe someday, i can have a part in fixing the problem. i dont know how, but i'll try. thanks. love,ashley

Hi.

I am a dark skinned black person. I can recall hanging out with lighter skinned black people, including my own sisters and brother, and them getting more attention than myself. It never really affected how I felt toward my siblings and friends, nor did it lessen the confidence that I had in myself; nevertheless, I was very aware of the difference in treatment I received. However, when I did mention my observations, I was told that I was imagining it. Now that I have a child (my son is actually very light skinned - just like his daddy!!) I am going to endeavor to teach him that his interations and relationships with individuals should be solely based on the content of their character, and not on the color of their skin.

I am a French Creole of Louisiana.I am not to light but i am Light caramel.My girl and I are from what you would say the same Race but my culter is not hers.so can you do something on the Creole/Cajun culter.Becouse,I am still asked what I am.And people think when I say Creole they think I am saying not black.so please I am asking do that.Creoles and the African-American culters

Tyra,
Well I passed by the show today and unfortunately only caught the last half. When I was watching it I was shaking my head, especially at that woman who didn't want her son with dark skinned black women. I am a dark skinned woman myself and have had to deal with so much drama in connection with it. To make matters worse my parents are African and they could never understand what the problem was when I used to come home from school crying from the ridicule I recieved. What is so sad is that even up unti now, as a 23 year old woman, I feel subconscious about my skin color and my African features. In all honesty I am still uncomfortable around black people and find myself having a hard time even dating black man. What has been socialized in our ancestors to hate one another is still alive and destroying the self-esteem and worth of so many young beautiful black woman, no matter what skin tone. If there is one thing I wish would change amongst our people is the ignorance that we spew to each other over something as ridiculous as skin tone. Its plain genetics and has nothing to do with who that person is and what they represent and thier level of beauty.

As a blonde haired blue eyed "white girl" I just want all dark skinned women out there to know that I feel they are absolutely gorgeous! I have been jealous of many dark skinned black women and would never judge anyone based on their skin color because that's ridiculous and only ignorant, insecure people do that.

Hi Tyra,

I just finished watching your show and found that it gave me alot to reflect on. I'm from a very small community, where the stereotype, "all black people are related" almost applies. The only people that had any color in school were in fact my cousins, when I was younger. I'm quite light compared to most of my relatives, but in my community that didn't play a role since we are so small. I had racism from teachers who taught my mother (white father) and shes a very successful woman in the community. Other kids viewed me as "different", I didn't look like the barbie dolls, at least any you could purchase where I'm from. My mom sent me to a "Black Math Camp" over the summer so I could have more exposure to positive Black role models. None of our teachers, doctors, police.....were black, my mother was the first black-native-or woman to have her position at work as well, so obviously back then our little community was behind. You don't realize that growing up though. My experience there was devastating. Since everyone in my community that was Black had ties to me somehow I never experienced racism on that end before. At camp groups of different girls would say terrible things to me, one girl even tried ti rip my hair out. I tried to fit in, but because I was so light they zoned in on me. I never really thought of it in the terms that they viewed me as being selected and breeded to be dark, but I guess I can understand that point now. I was just horrified that I was getting it on both ends, I wasn't black enough, I wasn't white enough. My hair was too nice, my hair was to curly, my nose was too small, my lips were too big. It just blew my mind, lol. When I was a teenager I did the rest of my schooling in a different county. I started acting out as a way to get attention from peers in school. In my new school I found a little bit of balance one of the groups from the camp were there and made things tough for me, but there were other 'clicks'to that accepted me in. That really helped me get over the racism I had experienced. Anyways, your show really helped. Ty

no matter what light skin blacks are never going to be mistaken for white people, so just drop it. Skin color doesn't matter to the maggots when your 6 feet under.

tyra-
i am a very "white" girl (typical blonde hair blue eyes pale skin) and i hear people always say black people do this, white people do this, very stereotypical stuff.
however, i grew up in a very diverse community (generally half "white", half "brown") these are kids i spent time with since kindergarten and view them as equals.
i guess i can't understand why we can't be seen as "people" or just "women" (as is the case in today's show) i understand how things were in the past and how people felt back then. can't we all just get over the past? i understand how the "black" community would be upset about the past, but things have changed SOOOO much over the years! we deffinately do not have the same views as we did back then (i say "we" as people, not black or white, just to be clear lol)
i think we should EMBRACE our diversity, because there is SOOO much we can learn from each other! but not dwell on it thinking one is better (or lesser) than another. and definately not need pity for being one or the other...

Tyra, I have never done anything like this before. I found your show rather profound and interesting. I have a sister who is way lighter than I am and had to live through it as a child. I feel dark-skinned women are beautiful and should not let anyone define them. We need to teach our children not to be fixated on looks(light vs dark-skinned) and develop themselves to achieve their God-given potential. Great show, thank you.

Hi, Tyra I was watching the show today and I love it. Some years ago God told me to write a movie concerning this situation and I finally finish the movie on Sunday( April 19) and now is now watching your show today. I know that i am on the right track. It touches a lot about with a some of the women were talking about, so if interested email me or call me. The Script is good. It will make you cry.

Hi Tyra,

I just finished watching your show and found that it gave me alot to reflect on. I'm from a very small community, where the stereotype, "all black people are related" almost applies. The only people that had any color in school were in fact my cousins, when I was younger. I'm quite light compared to most of my relatives, but in my community that didn't play a role since we are so small. I had racism from teachers who taught my mother (white father) and shes a very successful woman in the community. Other kids viewed me as "different", I didn't look like the barbie dolls, at least any you could purchase where I'm from. My mom sent me to a "Black Math Camp" over the summer so I could have more exposure to positive Black role models. None of our teachers, doctors, police.....were black, my mother was the first black-native-or woman to have her position at work as well, so obviously back then our little community was behind. You don't realize that growing up though. My experience there was devastating. Since everyone in my community that was Black had ties to me somehow I never experienced racism on that end before. At camp groups of different girls would say terrible things to me, one girl even tried ti rip my hair out. I tried to fit in, but because I was so light they zoned in on me. I never really thought of it in the terms that they viewed me as being selected and breeded to be dark, but I guess I can understand that point now. I was just horrified that I was getting it on both ends, I wasn't black enough, I wasn't white enough. My hair was too nice, my hair was to curly, my nose was too small, my lips were too big. It just blew my mind, lol. When I was a teenager I did the rest of my schooling in a different county. I started acting out as a way to get attention from peers in school. In my new school I found a little bit of balance one of the groups from the camp were there and made things tough for me, but there were other 'clicks'to that accepted me in.

Hey Trya,

I was watching ur segment on do light-skinned people have it easier then dark-skinned women.I feel that is hard for all races of the black community, nothin is really easy. Iam a 17 year old light-skinned female and i have a dark-skinned sister. i think its equally hard for both of us. But people ask me and my sister if we have the sam dad or diffrent saneros like that. people say that i dont belong in my family because iam so light and have blonde hair and blue eyes. and a majority of my friends i hang out with are light-skinned and sometimes i do feel like know more then ever more men are starting to like the light-skinned women other then the dark- skinned women.but black women together , have come along way and i feel that no skin color is better than another. we all beautiful black women

Hi my name is Tinisha and I live in California and I am on the darker side. First of all, there are dark skinned sista's in Ca. Second of all, I am really glad u did this show because the issue needs to be talked about. Being a dark skinned woman has been an uphill battle for me. When I was younger I was ridiculed all the time because of my skin tone. On a daily basis I was called names like blacktop, midnight, tar baby. What I did not understand was why were people of my own race calling me these names. I was confused and hurt to the point where I disassociated myself with my own race. I began to hang out and become friends with white girls and date white boys because they accepted me for what I who I was and to them I was exotic and they appreciated it. I was known as the "black white girl" Black on the outside but white on the inside. I would tell myself when I have children I want to have one by a white man so that my child would not have to go through the torment that I went through on a daily basis. Funny thing I did end up having a child by a white man and it was my son who helped me become proud of my darkness.
Its funny even as an adult I still get comments but they are disgused as jokes. One day at work I was talking about tinting my car windows and a co worker said to me I shouldn't do that because I'm so dark that you wouldn't be able to see me driving in the car.
Of course now I'm chocolate and I have a beautiful skin tone for being so dark. There is always that qualifier as if I'm pretty in spite of my darkness. The discussion needs to continue becuase its this type of seperation among the African American race that keeps our race divided.

Tyra, I have never done anything like this before. I found your show rather profound and interesting. I have a sister who is way lighter than I am and had to live through it as a child. I feel dark-skinned women are beautiful and should not let anyone define them. We need to teach our children not to be fixated on looks(light vs dark-skinned) and develop themselves to achieve their Gpd-given potential. Great show, thank you.

I agree Tyra is a Racial Instigator!...You always think your race has it harder, without thinking about the other races! You are so rude and judemental of your guests. Your show is a waste of my time. You are so fake.

Rebecca