Hi Tyra,

I just watched your show on skin tones and I remembered an experience that I had when I was visiting Thailand.

Our guide in Bangkok, a light skinned Thai man, was telling us about how dark skinned Thais are looked down on and discriminated against, because of the class system that's still largely in place there. Although he was light skinned, he said that by summer (it was winter at the time) he would be very dark from working outside as he took varrious people on the tours.

If you have money in Thailand, you most likely work indoors and your skin remains fair and untanned. Darker skin tones depict a lower working class in Thai opinion.

I have sense wondered if modern racism is the leftover product of the slave trade that imerged out of a cast/class system rather than one of color.

Early in the slave trade, Europeans seemed more concerned with the cultural differences of how people lived and worshipped than the color of their skin. They justified themselves in the belief that they were "saving the souls" of those they persecuted by distroying their culture and religion, while converting them to Christianity.

We will openly talk about racism, both outside and within the black community; however, the cultural genocide that is still occuring worldwide remains largely unnoticed.

Hi Tyra,

I am a 22 year old white female, and let me just say that I genuinely think all black people are gorgeous how they are. If people want to judged them that's sad. I hate racial situations anyways, but to be biased about your own color is dispicable. Don't people realize that you can't change the way you look? God made you look the way he wanted you to look, so people should be proud. And for the light toned lady on the show that was bashing the others...let me just say people pay to have a butts and lips like they do!!! SO IF ANYTHING they are blessed! So ladies in the black race please stick together and don't let ANYONE tell you that you are gorgeous. There is only one pair of eyes that matter, and he doesn't judge. I love your show Tyra and I love what you stand for!

I am a light skined 20 year on woman and this show opened my eyes. I am so upset that some dark skined women dislike some light skined women based on our skin color. Skin color is something that we can not control i hope people wake up and stop HATING on everyone...just stop it. yesterday this dark skined girl told me that I thought that I was all of that just because i am light skined so thanks for the show. I hope she saw it.

I find it upsetting that the audience became enraged at the woman that did not like dark-skin women because of how they treated her and it's true. I'm a light-medium skin tone more like a carmel and growing up the other black girls did not like me for whatever reason and also would threaten to cut off or snatch off my hair because I didn't have to perm or straighten my hair. Not only that but I face their dislike everyday since they feel I don't dress or talk black enough for them. They yell down the streets 'act black' or 'dress black' whenever I go out. How can they get upset when someone says they don't like them when they do things like that? Is it not the same as them saying they don't like light-skin women because they think they are conceited?

I am sorry, but I feel this show was a disgrace to what America has been working towards. Wasn't Dr. Martin Luther King's Dream to create equality through all human races? How is that supposed to happen when people of the same race can't even treat eachother equally? Who cares about skin color! I think there are a lot bigger issues out there that should be addressed before this topic is addressed.

Hey Tyra.
Thank you so much for having this show. I am nineteen years old and live in Georgia. I am half hispanic and half white, I also have a twin brother. Well my twin brother is much darker than me and has always been treated different. When I first meet people they assume I am pacific islander and so "oh you are so pretty" then when I say I am hispanic the mood changes. Why? and my brother grew up being called names but I never once had someone call me a racial name. I am engaged to a white twenty one year old and I don't see why people do not agree with black and white marriages but our marriage would be the same.. I hope that by the time my little brother and sister grow up that people will change. This is america it's not only open to just white people. America is open to all kinds of people no matter what there skin color is. Thank you again for the show. I love your show and watch it everyday.

TYRA, I WATCHED YOUR SHOW TODAY AND WANTED TO ASK YOU WHAT'S UP WITH YOUR FARRAH FAWCETT HAIR DEW?? COME ON TYRA THAT HAIR STYLE IS FROM BACK IN THE 70'S 80'S GET IT UPDATED BECAUSE IT JUST DON'T FIT YOU!!!

Hello Tyra,

WOW! what a subject! I am a 36 year old dark skinned black woman and I am engaged to a man who is who is a light skinned hispanic (people see him as white?) Our son and daughter are are light skinned and white, hispanic, and black people always ask me-are those your children or I could be holding my daughter people still ask are you baby sitting. When I was pregnant my fiances mother said she would not accept my daughter if she was dark like me. I was angry, but I forgave her, because I know it is just ignorance that makes people hate-I am from a family of 13 brothers and sisters, half of us are dark like me and the others are light skinned. My father was dark (deceased) my mother is light skinned. My father abused all of us and molested me and my sisters-this is why I date outside my race. I am dealing with it. Sad, but true-love your show TYRA
-bc

Thank You, Tyra for talking about the light skin and dark skin issue.I have had personal experences in elementary school,I remember tring out for the cheerleader team, and I could flip and dance at that time. The cheerleader coach gave me the brown paper bag at the end of the try outs.I hate to say that the teacher was a black light skin sister.I still love her.

Dear Tyra
Right now I am half way through your show and it fills me with rage that a mother is teaching her child not to like "light" skined women. I am half native american and half italian, i dont look anything like my races. I am white, blonde hair blue eyes. and my daughter is white and she is part mexican. I wouldnt care if she brought home the darkest man in america, or the whitest man in america. as long as he makes her happy. Thats that. Honestly i dont look at color because,that is the way i was brought up. We have bigger problems in life than worry about someones elses skin color. its sad that still today its such a big issue. And a question to the mother of that boy: How would you feel if you son married a "light" skin women but he really didnt love, he was just looking for your approval? Or what if he had a dark skin child? Would you still feel the same?

Good Afternoon Tyra,
I really enjoyed watching today’s show on the Light-Skinned issue. I personally am Biracial and I have never had any type of personal issue with my skin tone. I have always been very proud of who and what I am. But I have dealt with a lot of Black girls light skinned and dark in school that had a problem with me because I am both black and white. I do feel that Black women have a lot of issues with this. And I do feel that Black women believe because some are lighter that they do have it easier. Personally I feel that everyone’s individual experiences help form their opinions on this matter. It takes a different kind of person who can decide they are not going to let something as petty as race determine there lives. I feel that a lot of Black women have problems with their race because of family members who made it such a huge deal out of it from the beginning of their childhood. If race is something a child hears throughout their lives like it is a deciding factor on how their lives will turn out then that is what they will believe. There aren't enough Black people who raise young black children telling their children that the color of their skin is irrelevant and further more the race of other people or skin tones is just not what you look at when determining how you feel about someone. Being a biracial woman I have come in contact with many different kinds of people and let me tell you it doesn’t matter what color someone is good and bad doesn’t have a color it could careless. Growing up as biracial child I have overcome many negative obstacles. My father was one of those fathers who always had a lot to say about being a black man in America and how things are and even now he talks about race a lot. My mother didn’t harp about race so much it just didn’t matter to her and not because she is white women, but just because it really didn’t matter. My views on what black people really think about white people came from listening to my father. Both of my parents always told me to stand up in what I believe and always be proud of whom I am and I have lived my life that way. I love my race and if I could I wouldn’t change it for the world. Children learn what we as parents teach them. So if a black child constantly hears family members making a big issue out to the different shades black people come in then some are going to repeat the same thing. After all we are in some ways a product of the environment we are raised in good or bad.
I don’t feel skin tone play as much a role in other races as it clearly does in the black race. I personally feel very frustrated every time a race issue is brought up, because you would think eventually grown people weather they are black, white, Latin whatever could just move past all these skin color issue. I don’t feel color light or dark has it easier than the other. I feel that your life can be as hard as you make or as easy and lets face it life itself just isn’t easy. No matter the color of your skin or how rich or poor you are, life just isn’t easy all the time. Everyone has problems and skin color shouldn’t be something people make part of that. Children/people have it hard enough today without the added extra pressure of skin color. There are many black people dark and light skinned alike in this country that become successful in life and both can probably say they had a tough road getting to where they are. People make there lives as hard or easy they chose to. I am light skinned in color by your shows description and I have never had it easier because of my skin. In fact it is has been the opposite and it has nothing to do with my skin color. I come from a good family my parents wanted my sisters and me to have a good life and moved us into a better neighborhood than most white and black people I knew. But my life was not and has not been easier because I was lighter in skin tone or because I lived in a better neighborhood. In fact I have always had to work for anything I have ever gotten. No one has ever handed things to me because I was lighter in skin. To me skin color seems so absurd to be worrying over, especially when the average person is spending $60 at the pump just to fill up their gas tank. Skin color is a trivial issues compared to all the world issues and our own countries economy mess.
Again I greatly enjoyed today’s show it is always interesting to learn about other peoples views on these type topics.

Tyra, I am a white, WHITE, young woman. The reason this particual show touched me so much is because, though I've never received negativity for my skin tone, I have a bi-racial son. He is currently only 2, he's very light and even has sandy blonde hair like his mama, though curly as can be. His hair is actually what we get the most compliments on along with his big blue eyes.: ) My son has no idea who his father is because he chooses not to be involved. His father is a very beautiful, very dark man. His family has speculated openly about my son belonging to him based solely on his skin tone. That is completely hurtful to me, but moreover it's tragic because I have no idea how to give my son a pride in his culture- half of who he is- when I've never been there, his father is not involved and the family that is involved is open about their doubts. It's hard. I want him to know who he is. All of who he is, but how do I do that when it just may cause him hurt. I'm tempted to just pass it off as unimportant.

I'm not a black woman but I have been in a similar situation with hispanic women as the black women have been. I'm a light skinned mexican and I grew up being hated by the dark skinned mexican women. Not just the women but the men also. I remember I had a crush on a dark skinned mexican and he told me that he doesn't date white girls. He had a crush on my sister. Her complexion is a beautiful olive color. I was always jealous of that because she could easily get a tan and me, I just burn. I have always been called white girl and I'm not a white girl. So not only black women go through racism but also hispanic women. I just wish this hate could just end.

Tyra, I never thought that I would ever write and comment on any talk show, but after looking at your show about light skinned black people it did touch a nerve in me. These are issues that we need to discuss, and clear up in our communities so we can heal, and stop our self hatred. Beacause of our hangups many of us cannot get together and embrace our differences and love our differences and grow from each other. Becasue of the way we feel about one another the white man did not have to keep us shackled, we have shackled ourselves with our thoughts of each other, which keeps us from growing as a people. I applaud you Tyra for stepping out of the box and making us face this issue that needs to stop. This comment is from what others may classify as a medium black
complexion woman with good hair. Whatever that means

Hi Tyra!
As I was watching the show today. Of course that has been going on for years. But as the word od God says Love your neighbor as yourself. I also now what it is like to be brown skinned. School mates would throw rocks and hit me on the side of my head. And people would want to fight me for no appearant reason. I use to hurt myself because of the way I was being treated. But having Christ your life makes all the differance Knowing that God made all of us and that we were wonderfully and skillfully made. Their is a reason why we are made the way we are. And God loves us all just the same. Pearlie

Dear Tyra,

I am as pale as one can get and I hate it!

I spent summer after summer, vacation after vacation working to get the darkest tan.

As far as black woman go, the darker their skin is the more beautiful it is. I would love to have that dark brown skin. If black women actually knew the amount of money spent by white woman to get their skin as dark as their skin--they would be shocked!

Dear Tyra,

I am a 40 year old black woman and I watched your show today to see if this issue has gotten better - well NO! Anyhow, I mentioned my age because I thought that we as a people were beginning to focus on more important issues. I GUESS NOT!

It really hurts my heart when this type of show is done or an article is written about it because when we put other topics into perspective this issue is so petty. We have homelessness, hunger, lack of education, joblessness, etc., which are much more important areas. For me personally, there is not enough room or concern for this...unfortunately we have to face it when the opportunity presents itself. Case in point, my complextion is similar to yours and the lady you singled out in the audience that was told she should be in the lighter-skinned section. [What difference does it make?!] I have had and at times still do, to deal with this craziness because my son is lighter than I and I've had people to say, "oh, is he mixed?"

Anyhow, I just love the Lord because one day all of this will be coming to an end and light or dark WILL NOT be a factor.

Tyra!!!! I want to start by saying "thank you" for bringing up this topic and facing it head on! Skin color has been an issue since the beginning of time! I am of a lighter complexion and growing up I was called "mut" alot. THIS HURT ME BADLY, but the older I got and the wiser I became the more I started to see that those comments came from a people whom were lost and hurt! A people who obviously don't see how beautiful we ALL are! IGNORANCE EFFECTS US ALL AND IT IS INDEED CONTAGIOUS!! First off, lets abolish the whole "BLACK" thing! NONE OF US ARE BLACK!!! We are all in different shades of BROWN!!! I am sooo sick and tired of fighting, especially with my own people, over color! We have so many other, more important topics we could be focusing on in this day and time! We have become our very own KKK! And its SAD! Watching your show today,I noticed the obvious separation in the crowd. The darker women cheering when something great was said about darker "BLACK" women and silently boooing nice comments towards women of a lighter complexion. IT WAS DISGUSTING!!! I wish I would've been on the show!!! I would've made the light, medium and dark beautiful sisters hold hand, hug and embrace each other! Turn to one another and say "I am your sister and I love you, because by loving you, I love myself!" We are ALL BEAUTIFUL NO MATTER WHAT SHADE! DAMNIT THERE ARE CHILDREN DYING AND WE'RE FIGHTING ABOUT OUR DIFFERENT SHADES OF BROWN!!!! WE'RE NOT BLACK!! WE'RE NOT YELLOW NOR RED!!! By using these terms, we encourage this separation! We encourage the IGNORANCE!!
LET ME BE THE FIRST TO SAY TO ALL MY SISTERS OUT THERE, THAT "I LOVE YOU ALL AND WE ARE ALL WE HAVE. THE FUTURE WILL BE BORN THROUGH US!! LETS COME TOGETHER AND GET IT TOGETHER!" What happen to us?

Wow!!! I could not believe how people viewed themselves. I thought all of the women on the show were beautiful. The woman in the lime green shirt who you said wrote an article in Ebony - She was gorgeous!!! I am "white" and I have NEVER thought of myself as looking better than anyone. I never knew that some women felt "less than" just because their skin was very dark. I had thought not everyone wanted to be the "exact" same color. Just because someone has very dark skin doesn't make them any less beautiful than a lighter skinned person. For the two sisters - one went to college and did modeling. The darker skinned sister felt poorly because her sister was "more beautiful" because she was "lighter skinned". That just broke my heart. The "darker skinned" sister was stunningly beautiful. I want her to know that she is a little "knock out"! Funny how whites are always tanning to get darker and the darker SOME people are, they want to be lighter. A lot of us are never happy with what we have. And as for the comments about dark skinned women saying how they felt about those little white girls who think they're "all that". I think a lot of us white people feel that way about some of those white girls too. Also, I have always admired how women of color are always so strong. Women of color always seem so confident. I love that and I think more of us women need to be that way. I am rambling but just want to state again no matter your color, you are beautiful and if anyone tells you different, they need to get their eyes checked. All the women on the show today were beautiful.

Thanks!

This comment is for "Linda the East African". You are keeping this feud going. All the Black American kids @ your school are not goofing off and you can't convince ME that they are. Plenty of us take advantage of our opportunities, and NEVER blame whites.
Maybe you should focus more on your studies and NOT what WE are doing, who knows...maybe you could take some of your education back TO YOUR country. The reason im a bit disturbed by your entry is b/c ive noticed a trend with Africans. you come to the U.S. and critique Americans when you just left a country that is in complete shambles. All im trying to say is Africans: NO YOU R NOT BETTER THAN AMERICAN BLACKS!!! no matter how you try to lie and convince yourselves. We are ALL BLACK we should come together. and besides if you(Africans) were so much better Afica wouldbe a better place its not. Thats why you are in the U.S. AND TYRA DON'T DO A SHOW ABOUT THIS DUMB TOPIC. AFRICANS CONTINUE TO TRY AND DIVIDE US.

I am white with mixed Jamaican relatives, from which i get my sexy curves and beautiful curly hair covered in wild frizz. I love how you have the courage to speak out about race, but i feel like you could expose more. I used to be cynical about racial injustice, but over the years i've learned better. The continuing economic and social affects of oppression are still widely present, and although things like affirmative action exist to right the wrongs, it doesn't address the source of the educational inequality between races. Schools are the answer. More distraction free learning environments with adequate funding as in wealthier neighborhoods with 'good' schools. Equal chance at education gives them an equal chance to succeed. I know Tyra knows about these issues and cares deeply, the challenge is finding a socially acceptable mode of presentation.

Tyra,
I'm watching your show on light skinned and dark skinned women, whew all the hurt is unbearable. I am a light skinned African American woman, who can relate to some of the women. Growing up I wanted to be dark skinned, for the simple fact that I was teased by my siblings and was told by them that I didn't belong to them, because my father was white (not true). I get a- long with everybody, but I mostly gravitate to dark skinned women, I think they are beautiful. I really believe that people just really need to mature past this point, because life delivers enough trouble and obstacles within itself, and it is terrible when we add to an already existing problem. That Tamarra chick need an attitude check.
sabrina

I caught the last part of the show and would like to say "Thank you." It's hard when my so called "friends" are always calling me charcoal or saying how dark i am. It really does hurt me. They are always comparing me to some other black person saying "wow salima... your even darker than he is." It's even harder when black men are not even intrested in black women, or shall I say "chocolate women". Maybe it has to do with what side of the country you live on, I don't know. But out here n Colorado, black men love light sknned girls. I don't descriminate on race when it comes to dating, but it's hard on black women. Your family would like it if you date someone of your same race but it's hard enough when your race has a different prefrence. Personally, I don't see very many white guys or guys of any other race dating chocolate women. I don't know what it is but times have changed and it seems like darker skinned women are being left behind.

Dear Tyra,

I watched you show this morning about this topic and I have several things to say. I think you were more sympathetic with the dark complected members and their plight over the fairer complected ones. It seemed like you were hard on the one women who was treated cruel by "darker" friends and she wanted to distance herself from that and that kind of treatment. I think it was unfair of you to try and get her to see their side and not take the abuse she got into consideration. I feel like you wanted her to listen to you and accept your stand and forget what she went through. My next point in you are no different in the way you treat the races. When there are shows on eating disorders you fill the panels with whites with an occasional Asian in there but when you have shows about fat people, you have black women. There are many blacks that suffer from eating disorders and you need to point that out. I heard an interview on NPR with a black women who suffered from anorexia. How you don't have people of color represented? See may say you try to be diverse and you don't follow that rule all the time. I think you do it on ATM for ratings.

I come from a family of 12 kids total. Five of them are adopted and seven biological. We are all different looking some lighter some darker. Four of them are adopted from Haiti. But they are all different values of skin tone as well. I have never had a problem with the skin colors. i think all my brothers and sisters are beautiful. I have two sisters that look like china dolls, one is dark skin and one is light skin. I had not known women from a darker skin tone to have problems, but women with white skin to have problems. Always wanting to get tanner or comenting on the colors. Thanks for opening up that its not just one race but all. Something that we need to conquer. We are all beautiful.