I'm light-skinned and I don't think think we have it easier but more aptly stated we have it a little differently. Our struggles and hardships come in a different form. It's not that one is better than the other because we are all equal in God's eyes. Jesus didn't did for just white people or black people. He died for ALL people.

Sin doesn't have a color line, it invades people of every ethnicity and every skin color and sometimes it rears its ugly head in the shape of racism and prejudice. But when good people stand up to it, like Tyra did on her show it's a step forward toward love and a step away from all that negative mess.

You can visit my blog at http://solshine7.blogspot.com

Hey Tyra,
I really appreciate your discussing the light skin dark skin issue. I am a dark skin woman and not to sound conceited but I am beautiful. Growing up I was told you are beautiful for a dark skin. It doesn't matter if you are light skin or dark skin we are all beautiful. STOP THE IGNORANCE!

Here is my question. Why do we let the tone of our skin run our lives. I am 19 years old and in my short life i've never understood why we act as if we're still on some mans plantation hoping we're light enough to work in the big house. why do we teach little girls that to be pretty you have to look a certain way. stop telling young girls that the only way to be beautiful is to be light skinny and have long hair. stop teaching our children that they aren't good enough becuase they're dark skinned. dark skinned women are beautiful. light skinned women are beautiful. women are beautiful. don't let the majority teach you any different because the majority doesn't know what it means to be a minority. be you learn to love yourself because you will be you no matter how long the weave how light the skin. honey you wont miraculously wake up white so just be wonderfully you. and to all my lovely chocolate women you've been blessed. some "fair" women spend hundreds a year in a tanning bed to look like you and you were blessed with it for free!!

After watching the show today I could not wait until it went off so I could blog. I was distraught at the comments and how people still look at eachother that way. Me personally I am a dark complexion and I love myself. I did experience the put downs of course but I just ignored it. I did not allow other's ignorance to ignite hatred in me. Now I live in Memphis, TN and white people I've come encounter with have the perception that all blacks are country and ghetto. I was always taught by mother how to annunciate my words, so I am offended when a white person ask me rhetorical questions like, "you're not from here", "Why do you talk like that" or "you must be from another country." I get the same reaction from my people as well. Also I have two sons and one is light complexion with hazel eyes and the other is dark. Both have the same father but my sons been referred to as salt and pepper, and from my dark associates they say my light child will be a wh*** because he's light and my dark son will be a gentleman. From my light associates they say my dark son might be gay because he doesn't favor my light son, and that my light son will get the ladies. I believe that is the most stupid bull I have heard in my life. Of course they say it to me like I won't react but believe me I do. I am glad you did this episode Tyra but its sad to say how people look at you from the outside instead of getting to know an individual from within. Again THANK YOU TYRA.

Hi Tyra,
The show was awesome and it's topic is long overdue for discussion. It's crazy that no one spoke of wanting to be darker. I am a light skinned black woman; my mother is chocolate and my father is lighter than I am but he's not mixed. Growing up I viewed dark women as being more beautiful than me and I wished that I were darker. My mom was the most beautiful woman in the world to me and I wanted her skin tone. Growing up, I hated being mistaken for puerto rican or mexican. Guys would speak to me in spanish or say "hey mami" and it drove me crazy. I accept compliments of being beautiful and I know that I am because my parents raised me to love myself, but I don't let compliments go to my head nor do I credit them to my skin tone. I don't feel that I'm better than dark skinned women and I have yet to experience the benefits of being light skinned. I have been treated the same as any other black woman in society. I too have experienced the pain of other black women putting me down and hating on me because of the way I look but I choose not to hate them in return. Instead I just show them love and kindness and eventually they start to see me for who I really am on the inside.

My name is Amber, I am half Mexican and Half Native American but I am very light skinned. My family is all dark skinned, my parents, grandparents and my brothers and sister. There have been so many times when people thought I was white or Asian and then they see my parents and there like "are you adopted?" People have this persona of me that since I am the race I am I should be darker skinned. I have heard this my whole life and have been teased about it since I can remember. Some of my Caucasian friends make fun of me because there darker than me, and my family teases me and calls me Asian and says things like "We must of mixed you up at the hospital with some other baby" and I do feel bad that skin color plays such a huge role in the way people percieve eachother. The thing for me is that I have always wished I was darker than I am, I have gone tanning, got spray tans, sat in the sun for hours but once that tan fades away I am still very light skinned. Being so light skinned in the Mexican community I feel less respected than if I were darker skinned, I get left out alot by the darker skinned people. I know the subject was on dark skin and light skin black people, but I wanted to share my story about being a light skinned Mexican. In the Mexican community your more respected (it seems) when you "look" mexican, being darker skinned that is, so I do know how it feels to have skin tone play a big role in your life.

Your show made me sad. I understand even though I am not a woman of color. My heart goes out to these girls that are not happy in their own skin. I'm not happy in mine.

My best friend for many years was a woman of color. She asked me early in our relationship "Why do you like me? I'm black!" So I told her "honey, souls don't have a color and you have a good one... that's all that matters".

God doesn't care what color you are on the outside all that matters is what kind of person you are, good or evil and that comes in all colors.

Dear Tyra,
I am from Canada, which is very multicultural. And I have to say I think it is very sad how these women think of themselves and others. Skin colour (sorry spelt the Canadian way)is not something that defines beauty, I'm 18 years old so I realize I am a bit optimistic, but I had thought that by this point in history beauty would not have been so strictly defined.
I am blonde, blue eyes and have very white skin, almost a porcelain colour. And personally I am extremely jealous of women who have dark skin, because I often get teased due to how white I am. But I realized that there is nothing that can be done, and in order for me to be happy and feel beautiful I must accept what God gave me.
Beauty is so subjective, I really hope that one day everyone will find beauty in themselves as they are.

Hi Tyra I just finished watchin your show about the light skinned and dark skinned people and although I've never really had that problem i see it all the time! Majority of my family is light skinned but then theres my uncle and my niece. They get called the black sheep of the family. It really bothers me because my niece feels she has to act out to get noticed. Me personally I think black is beautiful and natural. When i was younger i used to be so color blind. I only had a thing for light skinned boys and only wanted to marry and have kids by a light skinned man but now I have me a sexy chocolate man and he is the father of my child! I never knew but they hit the nail on the head when they said the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice!

your show today was very, insperational, because it tells people of all colour not to be ashamed or embarrased of the colour of their skin we are all beautiful no matter how dark or light. i myself am white women who is in a relationship with a draker black man and we have a beautiful daughter together. i was raised to look at a person for who they are and not thier skin colour and i plan to install that in my childs life as she gets older. i notice that alot have a problem with me because i am in a biracial relationship and have a daughter with him. but i feel sorry for them because they dont look at us as an indvidual they look at the colour of our skin and i hope in the future that the misconceptions will change and that everyone will be treated with equal respect.and not by their race i do not want my daughter growing up being ashamed of her race i want her to embrace it and her cultures. i want her to be proud of where she comes from. so thank you for doing this show because im sure you opened a lot of peoples eyes

Today's topic totally hit home. I am a dark skinned African American woman and I have struggled with it but more because I've made it hard for myself based on other people's perceptions. Growing up, I attended private school from kindergarden to 8th grade where I considered "too black." In high school, I attended public school and there I was "too dark" to "act so white". So I always struggled with finding a balance.

In that, I turned to colored contacts and other things to hide behind in an attempt for people to think I was more attractive. The sad part was I never knew I was attractive all along. And it's still surprising to me now, when someone walks up to me and say, "Wow, you're absolutely beautiful for a dark skinned woman." But even still in that, there's a struggle because for me that let's me know there is a stigma on the beauty of a darker skinned woman. I'm either beautiful or I'm not. My beauty needs not be classified. Beyonce and Halle are beautiful black woman and people see them as that. They don't say they're beautiful light skinned woman.

There is an issue and is a stigma but in no way has my color hindered me; if anything, I hindered myself.

Tyra,

I totally agree. I am a very light skinned African American. I have 3 sisters and I am the lightest and the biggest. I've been called the whitest black girl, sprite, clear, light bright, house n***er, and it was so hurtful. I am older and now I now that people are self conscience and that most people have a self-image problem. Thank for doing the show, because I know little girls are experiencing the same thing. I was crying during your show, so thank you sooooo much.

" Never stop Smiling"

Hi Tyra, I would like to commend you for selecting this topic to the world. It is a deep rooted problem and painful heartache that has destroyed many Blacks in our community.. It is so dishardening to know that the lady whom call herself a light skinned black female that hates other dark skinned woman is so far from being a light-skinned woman. She needs to check herself. She appears to me as a person of the darker race. No she may not be deep dark chocolate but she is chocolate.. She is certainly not near Halle-Berry's color. I am what our community would call, dark-skinned and my husband tells me how beautiful I am, but I don't see it.. In fact I tell him that He has to say that because he married me, but he chose a yellow woman 1st to be his wife and when she used and abused his love he then decided to come over to the dark side. I have two-beautiful sons. One that is medium brown and the other a shade lighter than I. My older son who is lighter doesn't care for darker skinned woman. Talk about hurt. His dad is a man probably about your color who never dated outside the lighter skinned race. His sister would tell me I know that Jeff most care for you because he doesne't like dark skinned women. She too herself has inflicked pain by calling me ugly- names other than the one that I was born with. Most Black men especially the ones in the public eyes choose if not white, light and It really hurts us darker skinned woman who feels do displace by our brothers.. I believe that coming from the South-Houston, Tx, you learn to adjust to the ways of the world stupidy. I have a Best-Friend who is very light-skinned and she is so beautiful to me-but I know that she to can be prejudice against dark-skinned women like me, sometimes she slips and says things that are hurtful.. Her husband is also a person who discriminates against people like me. He makes derrogotory remarks toward me.. Ex: Whats up my Black sister, or he has made the statement that black(dark-skinned women can't have long hair-when we were watching a movie where a pretty dark woman had long hair.. It really upsets me and hurts terribly because I feel that the remarks are being made toward me. Will it ever end Tyra-probably not because it is so deep rooted in our society especially in the South. One thing I do know is that when we are all gone to Heaven it will be know more hurt and pain. We will all be on one accord-SKIN-COLORLESS.. I LOVE YOU TYRA, I BELIEVE YOU ARE SO AMAZING AND GOD HAS PUT YOU EXACTLY WHERE YOU SHOULD BE. Josie C

Hi,

I just wanted to point that in the first 10 minutes of the show the represented dark females confessed to seeing light skinned females as conceded and treateing them differently. To justify this, it was said that they were hurt by the stereotype. Tamara(I believe that was the woman who did not like dark skinned women) simply claimed that she was treated bad by dark skinned females. She was shunned on the show for sharing her opinion, whether or not we agree. The point that should have been exaggerated is that both light skinned and dark skinned women discriminate. Tamara was bashed for her views on dark skinned women, yet the first woman who admitted to treating light skinned women differently was widely agreed with. I think the reason why I picked up on that was the fact that I am a white woman who has been discriminated against by black women. As if becasue i am white i couldn't possibly understand. I was born in raised in Toronto Canada...I understand! But black women must realize, not only within the black communtiy, but generally speaking, people believe they are justified in discrimintating against white people because of the way white people treated black people in the past. Well this is what I have to say, my great grandparents, my grandparents may be rascist and may be extreme but I am not. So why am i treated as one? This may seem like an ignorant question but i am most sincere...why do black people feel justified discrimintating against white people? Please respond and remember I know that not all black people are prejudice against white people but in my experience the ones who are justify it by saying the white people are racsist.

Hey Tyra!

I just finished your show and I think it is wonderful that you're putting these issues out in the open..

i feel like (after watching what some people had 2 say) martin luther king MUST be rolling around in his grave.. after everything that happened in history black people cant even come to terms with one another.. thats just DISGUSTING!! i mean like.. COME ON! what does it take for people like that to get their act together and realize that we are one in the same..

i am from a mixed background (ethiopian and middle eastern) and i have gotten comments made to me ALOT.. last time i checked ethiopia was in africa & ethiopians are black. so when people look at me, its hard for them to guess where i am from..and since i wear the religious hijab (i am a muslim).. its even harder.. but when i tell them i am ethiopian they be like "OH..really..but you can't be" and when i say why not the excuse is usually "cuz you're light".. SO WHAT.. im still black.. or people would say.. "iman.. i think that you should marry a light skinned for you to make a beautiful child".. (that got me MAD)..i dont care what color the guy is or where he is from..he just gotta know how 2 give respect, love me and cherish me for ME..

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. i think that God made everyone beautiful and that it doesn't matter what color we are or where we are from..

I have been threatened because of what i look like..i have been called the N word just as much as the next person so i get where black people are coming from, but i have nop resentment 2 light skinned people or even dark skinned people.. because i have witnessed darker people taunting lighter people..i makes no difference who is taunting who because these people are just adding to the mess we have in this world..

I think it's GREAT what you did on the show and keep it up..

(and about that lady who said that she basically does not like black people..she's crazyyy!!! ane i give props 2 her son because he is one smart 12 year old!!)

take care*

Hello Tyra!

I just wanted to write and say that I really appreciated this show, and I'm a WHITE CHICK! I know there was some concern about airing the "dirty laundry" of the black community, but I agree that this is an important topic that needs to be talked about in the open. The idea of "whiteness", believe it or not, is prevalent in the white community too. It seems to be tied into not only skin colour but also ethnicity and what your last name is. I have had many instances with friends where they'll get me to pronounce my last name for them like it's a party game, when it's not. I have also seen other girls of southern european/spanish descent treated as the "black girl" in the room in one instance and then as the "white girl" in another. I have heard of this happening in the east asian/ asian community as well- I've seen it with family and friends. THis obsession with lightness is everywhere! I want it discussed for me, for my family and friends, for whatever colour we all are.

WOWWWWWW!!! Todays show got me trippn!! I pray that this starts a movement in the world for "all sistas to take care of each other." I made it personal when i was young to speak to EVERY black women that i made eye contact with.As a little girl i disliked to see black women fight. It sent chills up my spine.I have avoided confrontation with anyone by just beening "NICE" to EVERYONE!! We need to get over the whole hair thing anymore to, why?? Cause we can buy any kind or texure of hair that our heart can desire! Walk in Love its not as hard as you think! ALL WOMEN SHOULD STICK TOGETHER! And take care of each other! Name another race of women in this WORLD that is Blessed with this many Beautiful Shades to describe one color "BLACK" Peace God is Love

Hi Tyra,

Im a white girl from a small town in Ontario, Canada. I just watched your show and I cannot believe these types of arguments can still exist. I think all women are beutiful. Skin colour is just a tiny piece of what makes up a person. Why are there people in the world who insist on being racist? A persons a person no matter what colour, relgion or race. I long for a day when everyone can except each other as humans. Thank you for reaching out and showing people that everyone is the same no matter what colour they are. If the opinion of one person is changed than you made an incredible differece.

Thank you,

Emily.

Hi Tyra,
I feel that people are people and skin tone, lips, hips, noses all vary for a reason. I think we women were all created different because men all like different things. I even feel that all theses models having "perfect" faces and bodies sets and unrealistic opinion of what true beauty is. I think little girls grow up saturated with images they will never live up to and feel bad about themselves. So no, skin color makes not a difference, to each his own and there is nothing wrong with a person's personal preference. Though I do tend to think that bi-racial children DO have it harder, just from bi-racials I have known-- it seems that darker skinned blacks reject them because they are white and white skinned people reject them because they are black,sadly like misfits. I also think the world is changing, and that is good. So I say, who cares about skin color LET'S REDEFINE BEAUTY ALL TOGETHER AND GET REAL WOMEN MODELING PROVING TO OUR YOUNG GIRLS THAT WE ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL AND BEING FEMALE IS A SPECIAL GIFT! I think you are wonderful and doing a wonderful job as a role model and I wish all models were like you!

I feel that lighter, darker, and all inbetween all of your guest were awesome. I would prefer to to date a dark skined woman as a personal prefference and nothing more. I feel that black women are stronger in spirit,drive and arent affraid of working hard to make a relationship work.I love the show.

Hi Tyra,

I just wanted to comment on your show today about light and dark skinned women. I was so shocked to see that the shade of skin mattered so much. I am about as white as someone can be (of Swedish decent) and I've always envied dark skinned women because of how gorgeous their skin is! I was really surprised to hear that skin colour mattered even within the same race.

I'm really glad you did a show on this because it brought up a really serious issue that needs to be addressed. Personally I just look at people as people and I don't see skin colour as something that makes the person different than me or anyone else. I don't understand why people have to put all these different labels on everyone due to their appearance. Women have enough to deal with from the media and how their bodies should look, we don't need to incorporate skin tones into the debate as well.

I love your show and thank you for bringing this issue to light!

Ivy

Hi Tyra,
Let me first tell you that I'm a huge fan of America's Next Top Model and also of The Tyra Show. You made a comment on your show today that the reason you have women of all different shades of color on your show ANTM is to show little girls that beauty comes in all different shapes, size and color. That being said why do you come down on your contestants during the judging panel on ANTM? On cycle 8, one contestant was constantly told she was awkward and i believe even told she looked like Frankenstein. On another cycle there was contestant that you constantly came down on because of her speech. You plus size models are constantly being told that they are plus size. I understand your your goal to prove to young girls that one can be beautiful no matter skin color, shape,size, etc...so what message are you trying to get out to these young girls when you come down on your contestants on national television by telling them they look like frankenstein or that they need to learn to talk?

I am a 50 year old white woman with a little native american thrown in to make things more interesting. I wish, after all this time that women would simply treat each other as "sisters" no matter what the color of our skin. It seems to me that women have so much to overcome as it is, we really need to work together as "one" to promote our own beautiful selves. One thing I would like all young women (girls) to learn is their own self worth. I would like to see all women of all ages to celebrate their uniqueness, not matter what color, size, age ect. When we can love OURSELVES completely, and can treat each other with respect due as daughters of the Earth, than the world will truely be a better place. BTW, when I was young (19) I lost a job becuase of my native american heritage. I was asked where I got my beautiful red hair and I answered what I had been told all my life,'Mixed blood". I said it proudly as that was how I had always been taught. I loved my hair, green eyes and high cheekbones and I was taught to respect and celebrate my roots. Next day I was told not to come back. I know what it is to deal with racism and it hurts not to have people look at your heart only. This is why I so badly want women to see each others hearts and get over the superficiality of skin tone.

First, I would like to say I am so happy I was at home this morning to see your show Tyra. Secondly, I find it extremely sad that this colorism continues to happen between a group of beautiful people.

I am a light skinned young woman and I would like to say that we do not have it as easy as people think. It is a task to be light-skinned. Some guys like making the assumption that we are all "stuck up" and impossible to approach. I think that a woman's response depends on the approach that man may use. Just because I don't go running to you when you say "Yo, light-skinned!" does not mean that I have my nose in the air. It means I have standards. You will find women of all colors with these same standards.

Next, just because I'm light-skinned does not mean I did not get tease as a child or even as an adult. In elementary school I was the lightest in my class and children did not hesitate to call me "little white girl", "light-skinned ho" or "high yellow b*tch." These names continued until my mother (a dark-skinned woman) came to the school to show them there was no possible way I was a white girl and that they needed to cease with the name calling.

I think all skin colors are beautiful and that there should not be a preference shown to one more than another. When a person says statements such as, "Oh she's pretty for a dark-skinned girl" or "She's a cute light-skinned girl" they are putting limitations on that person's beauty. Why can't she just be a beautiful woman?

It is extremely ignorant that we as a people continue to use this "Willie Lynch" mentality towards one another. By feeling that a person with lighter skin is prettier or better justifies the years of racism and prejudice our people suffered. I just wish I could have been on your panel to express these feelings.

Keep up the great work Tyra!

I am a 100% white girl. Blonde, green eyes... I've been raised in Quebec City, Canada, where there are very few black-skinned girls.. light or dark.
I just wanted to say that black girls should be proud to be..! You are beautiful, with your particular attributes: lips, hair, nose, curves...
Golden or chocolate skin is the best. I'm kind of jealous!! ♥