TYRA,

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER RESPONDED TO OR COMMENTED ON ANY TOPIC ON ANY SHOW ABOUT ANYTHING EVER; BUT THIS TOPIC HAD ME SOMEWHAT UPSET AND A BIT TOO DISTURB NOT TO.

I AM AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MOTHER OF TWO DAUGHTERS, 1 WHO IS LIGHT-SKINNED AND THE OTHER WHO IS DARK SKINNED. I HAVE NEVER OR WOULD I EVER SHOW FAVORITISM OVER MY BABIES, WELL NOT BABIES, ONE 23 AND THE OTHER 16. I WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED FIRST OF ALL, BY THE SO-CALLED WOMAN WHO CLAIM TO BE A MOTHER AND SHE IS RAISING HER SON TO BE A RACIST. SHE NEVER ONCE SAID,
'SHE WANTED A HEALTHY GRAND-CHILD, SHE JUST SAID, "SHE WANTED LIGHT-SKINNED GRANDCHILDREN". (SHAME ON HER). SHE SHOULD GO HOME AND LOOK AT HOW IGNORANT SHE REALLY LOOKED & SOUNDED. SECONDLY, I AM GLAD YOU DID THIS SHOW BECAUSE WE AS AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE SOMETIMES OUR OWN WORST ENEMY BECAUSE IF WHITE AMERICAN (WHICH SOME DO) WOULD HAVE MADE THE COMMENTS THAT THEY MADE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER; WE WOULD HAVE THE NAACP,AL SHARPTON OR ANY OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE SCREAMING RACISM; I FELT SO EMBARASSED TO BE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AFTER THAT SHOW BECAUSE IT REALLY SHOWED ME HOW SOME OF OUR PEOPLE HAVE REALLY FELL INTO THAT MEDIA TRAP AND HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT AND WHO WE ARE. "WE ARE" FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP. LASTLY, I AM FROM THE SOUTH (KNOWN FOR RACISM) AND THE ONE INTERRACIAL TEEN FROM TOP MODEL SAID IT ALL IN A NUT-SHELL..LIGHT, MED, OR DARK-SKINNED IF YOU GOT BLACK IN YOU AT ALL; YOU ARE A "N"(WORD).(TO SOME WHITES THAT THE WAY IT WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE). IT'S SAD WE HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS TO DEAL WITH FROM OUTSIDE OUR RACE & NOW THIS. THEY MAY NEED TO RENT SPIKE LEE'S MOVIE, "SCHOOL DAYS".

I HOPE YOU DO A FOLLOW-UP SHOW ON THIS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT LONG ENOUGH. GET SOMEONE ONE ON THEIR WHO CAN HELP OUR PEOPLE GET PAST THIS..SHADE PROBLEM. IT WOULD ALMOST BE FUNNY IF IT WAS NOT SO SAD.

Dear Tyra,
I have watched your show on skin color. I am Native American (Indian). I am 3/4 and 1/2 I have no clue. Not only in the black community does skin color become a problem. I think withhin all culturals we all have the similar problems. I have 2 older brothers 1 biological and 1 half brother. With my brother that is my biological brother I am light skin and he is dark skin. Growing up was really tough for me. Not only was I called a white girl, they called me a wanna be indian, and a albino girl. I never was one to blend in with the "in" crowd. I learned how to take it in and turn it into confidence for myself. Like the women on your show have said it is a confidence issue. I mean if you are not happy with the way you look on the outside there is no way that the inside is going to be good. I remember at times where I wish I was a darker brown. So I could belnd in with my classmates. But when I was in elementary school, I was moved ahead a grade. Now not only did I have to mature faster but I also had to learn that people are not always going to take you in for who you really are. My mom is the women that always told me not to listen to what people are saying to me. My brothers told me if I was to be like them then they would not have anyone to make fun of. So they will have to find flaws within someone else to make themselves feel good. Growing older now I am very happy with my skin color but also who I am inside and out. I am a proud Indian women. And no matter what people will say to me I will always know who I am and where I have come from. Skin color can change either light to dark but that should never make a judge who they are on the inside. For we all have come from different paths of life. None of us will know what has happened unless we all become color blind and start listening to people and not the skin color. Thanks! Love ya!

OMG!! I have read through all the comments from yesterday as well I posted one myself already and after reading all the new ones, I have picked out a few that I find to be quite interesting, so I thought I would share them with everyone!
>You may ask "All of them and if so why?" No, not all of them but the ones that I have encountered and encounter. The reason is because the shyt is still going on. They smile in my face everyday but I know what goes through their head. I don't know if I am a racist because I have a handful of white friends but I dislike most white people because of this. I wish I could overcome this obsticle but I am so freakin stubborn. However, when I have children, I will try my best to make their views the completely opposite of mines.
Posted by: Aminah | April 24, 2008 3:33 PM

>why is it that most white women get or want a tan.. because they are "to white" but are so judge mental towards a black women...?
Posted by: Minthie | April 24, 2008 3:23 PM

>I was wondering why some black people call themselver the n word and think its ok but if a white person was to do that they would be called rasist?
Posted by: laura | April 24, 2008 3:17 PM

>Oh, grow up people! everyday that I wake up a Black (yes, skin tone too)American descendant of slaves I have to ask God "Is this the day that White people are going to drive all Black people insane? All these phony Negroes who go on these shows get on thier knees every night thanking the Lord that they are "prettier" than thier darker counterparts and bragging about how they get treated better. Thanks a lot "MASSA"
Posted by: naomi | April 24, 2008 2:23 PM

>White people succeded in seperating us and making us weak.
Posted by: Anyii | April 24, 2008 2:21 PM

>I'm attempting to go natural. His comments was you to get over that lily white perspective of beauty. Thank you for airing this issue. It was a healing for me!
Best Regards
Angela
Posted by: Angela | April 24, 2008 2:10 PM

>There are much bigger issues in the world that matter more then our skin completion. Like the 3 police officers getting acquitted of all the charges in the Sean Bale case. He was a light skinned brother that was murder by who we call New York’s Finest. It’s makes me ask myself Do We Even Matter? Have We Ever Matter? When a man with no weapons is killed and no one is charged for his murder. When there were 50 – 60 eyewitnesses that testified and every single guy was found innocent! This is the country we live in and we are suppose to be Proud Americans?” Where is the justice? Then there is the questions of why we do not obey the police, why we don’t respected them and follow their rules and the laws of this country that we call home. I thought Home was a place where we are suppose to feel safe and free. I don’t feel either! I’m scared for my life and the life of my brothers. They can’t even go out and have a night of fun without being shot by the POLICE! Why is there so much crime in our inner cities? Why are so many of our people in Prison, poor, on the streets and not educated. Because there is no JUSTICE! My question is why should we respect them, obey them and follow the laws of the land when they’re just going to kill us anyway! Right! Because obliviously our lives mean no more than a roach crawling on the ground in Time Square during the rush hour traffic!…So instead of fighting over who’s better because of their complexion. We need to stop being a lazy and spoiled generation and pick up where our forefathers like: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and all the other civil rights leaders, left off and continue to fight for our equality and our Justice! The battle for justice isn’t over as we can see. It’s looks to me that it's getting worst and if we don’t make a change it’s going to be FATAL!
Posted by: Dominique | April 25, 2008 8:08 AM

>The way I see it. All this haten on dark skin-light skin people has only to do with all the white colonialism that is planted all over the world. All four corners of the planet. It doesn't matter whether you people see this or not, but it is. The White people who migrated all over the world is the reason why all this hate against people of color. It seem like every body that's black, brown, yellow,or whatever wants to be white. And why? because white people put ONLY their image on tv, magazines, movies you name it-represented as beautiful. And thier not. If Amerikkka was so equal, then why can't we see beautiful images of black, brown, yellow,etc in the media? Everything is all whitewashed. and they gonna keep it that way. If white media would just keep every thing equal in this so called great country. Then I don't think it would be any need to hate/dislike someone for the color of their skin.
Posted by: Coco | April 25, 2008 7:24 AM

**Now I have found these to be some of the MOST RACIST IGNORANT comments that I have yet to see on this blog!
I think the people that created the comments listed above and the people that feel the same, learned NOTHING from the Tyra show yesterday! Not that Tyra did all that wonderful of a job of getting the point completely across, so I guess I could see how some of you blooming freakin idiots couldn't catch it! The whole damn point of that show was to get people out of hating based on the color of their skin! Honestly it doesn't matter WHAT COLOR YOU ARE, YOU SHOULDN'T HATE BASED ON SKIN COLOR!!
It is sad that it has come down to people who can not speak proper english and instead speak in what has become "ebonics" or "Black Talk"! You can not blame lack of education on white people when you teach millions of generations to speak this way, because it not only becomes the way they speak, but the way they write & learn! Who dat is?! IS NOT a proper question OR sentence!! And there are so many more that could be listed but really who has the freakin time, especially when most of you know all the rest of them anyways! The fact of the matter is, is that "whitie" held you back many many years ago, and in todays day an age, you only do it to yourselves and therefore you have no one to blame except for yourselves! You can't flunk out of school because you didn't go, you didn't make good grades, or you began having children at a young age, and then expect that you should get a $50k a yr paying job, and then when you don't, turn around and say you didn't get it because you're freakin black..thats just BS! Stay in school, make good grades, go to freakin college and EARN the right to get that $50k a yr paying jobs JUST LIKE THE REST OF US!! And yeah, PEOPLE DO NOT GET SHOT BECAUSE OF THEIR COLOR!! Police shoot when they feel their life is threatend! Out of all those wittiness, HOW MANY WERE BLACK??? MY POINT EXACTLY!! Then theres the whole Rodney King beating that I always hear black people referring to and have you EVER SEEN THE ENTIRE TAPE OF THAT INCIDENT?? NO I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ONLY WHAT THEY SHOWED YOU ON THE NEWS, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE DAMN TAPE!! I HAVE AND I SEEN THE THINGS THAT MAN DID BEFORE HE GOT BEATEN DOWN, AND I CAN TELL YOU WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER COLOR, HE STILL WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE SAME TREATMENT!!
AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE ALREADY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE MORE RACIST TOWARDS WHITES THAN WHITES ARE TOWARDS BLACKS, AFTER READING THROUGH THESE POSTINGS, I AM MORE THAN SURE OF THAT NOW!!
GROW THE HELL UP PEOPLE, NO MATTER WHAT COLOR YOU ARE!
I MEAN IF YOU WERE TO GO OUT AND BUY YOUR CHILD A BOX OF CRAYONS, ARE YOU GOING TO ONLY LET YOUR CHILD USE THE BLACK AND BOWN TONE CRAYONS, BECAUSE YOU ARE BLACK? AND FOR THE WHITE PEOPLE, ARE YOU GOING TO ONLY LET YOUR CHILDREN USE THE PEACH, LITE YELLOWS, AND THE WHITE CRAYONS? OR ARE YOU ALL GOING TO LET THEM HAVE THE ENTIRE BOX FULL??? YEAH THATS WHAT I THOUGHT, EVERYONE THATS READING THIS IS THINKING OR SAYING OUT LOUD, "WELL OF COURSE I WOULD LET THEM USE EVERY COLOR IN THE BOX"! MY POINT WITH THE CRAYONS IS THAT THE WORLD, LIKE A BOX OF CRAYONS IS FULL OF COLOR! SO WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIETY, WHY ON EARTH WOULD WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO ASSOCIATE WITH CERTAIN COLORS INSTEAD OF ALL OF THEM??
WE CAN GET THROUGH THE HATING BASED COLOR PEOPLE; ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS COME TOGETHER AS A WHOLE AND NOT IN SECTIONS OF COLOR! WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT LIKE A BOX OF CRAYONS WE'RE ALL THE SAME AND SERVE THE SAME PURPOSE, WE'RE ALL JUST COMPOSED OF DIFFERENT COLORS!!!

Hi Tyra,

I wanted to commend you for being fearless in addressing yesterday's topic on race issues WITHIN the race. There is so much prejudice outside of our community, which makes it important to promote discussions on the things that may divide us from within.

I am a light-skinned woman whose family stems from Barbados and other such Carribean islands. One of the things I have always loved is that our family reunions display the full spectrum of black beauty-- differing shades may make us look different at a casual glance, but if you really LOOK, you can see that we share high cheekbones or laughing eyes or any other number of distinct, but common, features. The point is that we have the same heritage, so what's the point in qualifying?

by the way...i love you! im a big fan! you need to come back to LA...

hello tyra,
first of all i wanted to say im not black but you did say anyone can comment on this subject so here i am. I do feel that light skinned have it better off than darker skin complexion people... it is absolutely not fair, but unfortunately thats the case. Also, when that guest that took her son mentioned that light skinned were better and that she had created that opinion because of the way she used to get treated by darker skinned because she was lighter, you tried to justify their actions because of what they have suffered in the past and how they were seperate by color, but i do not agree with you! If they have been treated bad, they dont have to treat bad because they have anger in their hearts and thats how they got treated and in many cases still do. That should be a reason NOT to treat people the way the got treated because they shouldn't want other people to feel the way they felt. I dont believe its a fair reason. And im not talking as I haven't been discriminated, of course I have and fortunately this world would change for the better as the bible states.

hello tyra,
first of all i wanted to say im not black but you did say anyone can comment on this subject so here i am. I do feel that light skinned have it better off than darker skin complexion people... it is absolutely not fair, but unfortunately thats the case. Also, when that guest mentioned that light skinned were better and that she had created that opinion because of the way she used to get treated by darker skinned because she was lighter, you tried to justify their actions because of what they have suffered in the past and how they have been discriminated before, but i do not agree with you. If they have been treated bad, they dont have to treat bad because they have anger in their hearts. That should be a reason not to treat people the way the got treated because they shouldnt want other people to feel the way they felt.

Hi Tyra...I watched the episode on whether light skinned blacks have it better and I'm not really sure what to think of that or how to answer it. Being a light-skinned female growing up I never knew where I fit in. I was constantly getting made fun of and picked on. In middle school, I can't even tell you how many fights I almost got into over some dark skinned girls wanting to beat me up because I was light-skinned with long hair. They would actually say to me and a friend of mind who was mixed, "I hate light-skinned girls with long hair" as if we had a choice in what we looked like when we came out the womb. I wanted to be darker when I was younger but I've since grown up and learned to love myself the way I am although I do still get the occasional "Are both your parents black?" or "Are you mixed with Asian?" "What are you???" and that's because not only am I light, but I have freckles and small eyes. Those questions still bother me to no end because I'm tired of having to explain to people, "Yes my parents are black and so were my grandparents" just to feel like I fit in with other black people. Its almost like, if for some reason my parents weren't black or something, that people would look at me differently or I'd get treated different and that really bothers me. I'm glad that you did the show though to try to help people find what the real root of their problems are and to stop hating on the black people that are lighter or darker than them just based on skin tone...its ridiculous. But...like I said before, I'm confortable with myself now, I just really wish people would stop asking me these dumb questions as if the answers will make me a different person. My personality makes me, not my skin tone.

Hi Tyra,
been a fan of your show from the beginning and the show you've recently done on dark/light skin was great. The problem with The world is that white people are the generic race, everything that is white is ok, and everything else that isn't is considered wrong/different. I've been working at a spa for almost 4 yrs and all the magazines ive seen for the clients to read are either intouch,instyle etc..all which focus on mostly white people. Not one for other races. From young that's all we see, white white white, so we grow up with this assomption that, that is how your should look. I remember when I was 8 and my mom had brought me a present for my birthday, which was a barbie. Throughout my whole childhood when she would by my sister and I barbies they were usually white-because they were never any black ones! So that year on my birthday she purchased a black barbie (my first), when she arrived at home and gave it to me, i started to cry "This is not Barbie, shes black". I didn't like my barbie because she wasnt white, throughout all my childhood theyre was never a black barbie, so to me it wasn't real. And it's wrong. Society and the Media is wrong because all they show is white people. if you aren't raised by your parents from young that they are other races other than white, and you ARE NOT supposed to look that way, all in your mind is that your UGLY. Then people go on throughout their entire lives trying to live up to that which is impossible. Thats why black people seem to think that light skin people are better off because they are closer in complexion to white people. THAT IS WRONG TOO, we should not compare BLACK PEOPLE(ONE RACE) TO WHITE PEOPLE (ANOTHER RACE), because they're is not comparism. ITS IMPOSSIBLE. BLACK PEOPLE NEED TO GET OVER IT. IT SHOULDNT BE A TOPIC OF SKIN COLOR, ITS ACTUALLY SAD.WE JUDGE EACH OTHER ON SKIN COLOR! WHY? BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO BE ACCEPTED AND TO BE ON THE SAME LEVEL AS WHITE PEOPLE. IT SHOULD NOT BE A TOPIC-WE R BLACK!!!

THANKS TYRA

Hey Tyra!
First I just want to let you know that I am a huge fan! First off I want to say that I am a young white female in high school and this show mad me sad in a way, but more aware. I think all women are beautiful and should be accpeted as who they are. I have many black friends with different tones of skin and they are all beautiful in their own way. I think that this show opened the eyes of people of all different ethnicities and races. I think that what you do is amazing and how you try to unite people. I think that everyone can be as strong, driven, and gorgeous as TYRA BANKS!

Hey Tyra!
First I want to say that I'm a huge fan of yours! First off, I want to say that I am a young white femlae in high school and the show made me kind of sad but more aware. I think all women are beautiful and to see people put other people down in their own race is disappointing. It shouldn't matter what color or skin tone that you are to be accpeted. I have many black friends with all different skin tones and they are all beautiful in their on way. I think that all people need to learn to accept everyone for who they are. I'm glad that you did this show because I think that it opened the eyes of people of all races. I think that any women can be as strong, gorgeous, and driven as TYRA BANKS!
Love,
Katie

Hey Tyra, I am so glad I caught your show yesterday about the issue with skin colors in the black community. I was shocked from when that woman was talking about not letting her son date dark skin girls, she's basically manipulating to making his choice of life, luckily he doesn't agree with his mom. I'm "light brown skin" since I'm mixed with african-american & puerto rican. I feel I've encountered the same problem almost everyday because whenever I'm outside in public and everytime I walk pass a dark-skin person, they would give me that look like "You ain't all that cute because you're lighter" or some similaries to that. Our community needs to seriously stop this hatred because it doesn't make sense at all, nobody isn't perfect. Whether your dark, medium, or light skin, everyone has been through the same struggle like anybody else. I don't think all light skin people are stuck up and I don't think all dark skin people are dirty, it all depends on how they live their life and how they were raised.

Tyra, I think you should do one about my Latin Community because we deal with the same issue as well, for example, most light skin people that I know, prefer someone with the same complexion. I'm thinking to myself "what makes them different than a latino person who's darker?"...I think you should definitely do that episode next time. Hope you'll be able to respond to me soon!!

Luv Ya Tyra,

*~Joey~*

It's amazing how you make race the topic of your shows to bring unity as you say within the black community. However, what is strange is your appearance. Yes I know its television and you have to be well groomed. But why always have on weave for every show. OR in the instance of the show that is under discussion, why could you not have gone without weave and just show your natural African American looks to your audience and the world?
It was the opportunity for you to get in touch with the topic and audience so to show credibility that you are really interested in embracing your skin and looks. I am sure having your weave of and looking the natural Tyra Banks you are would have not been a problem because it would hit at the core of the issue and your experiences.

It is the representation of black women who wear weaves that makes the perception they are not comfortable with their natural hair looks. Think of all the dark skinned women of the world who wear weave because they are not comfortable with their hair. Think of all the dark skinned women of the world who go to the lengths of bleaching their skin to be light skinned. Think of all the dark skinned women who try to go under the knife to achieve a prominent European facial look. Think of all the dark skinned women who wear blue contacts, green contacts to look pretty. These are some of the many problems that dark skinned women go through because they are faced with problems by society that they are not pretty.

I just believe that if you ever do a follow up segment or new race program you should show the real Tyra without the weave so to give others that sense you are serious about what you say and do.

Hi Tyra

I watch the show and I am glad you did a show about the messed up world of black community. It doesn't matter what skin color you are, white people do see us all as black and get treated the same way. It kills me to see how black people keeps putting each other down. I am a light skin person and I've also been asked if I'm mixed. I find it very insulting by that comment. I tell them am not and they think am stuck up and feel like am lying or don't want to tell who I am. I've been called all type of name. Growing up in the south made life much harder. I think us light skin women do get some discrimination from dark skin people and get called names just because they think we get things handed to us. I must admit I've been in situation where I stood out than others but it not because of my skin but my personality. I don't think all light skin women are stuck up. Because of these ignorant in our community makes it very uncomfortable for me to hand around my people. I feel closer to white people because I feel they don't judge me as a friend and treat me like a person. I've been told am not black enough because I speak proper and don't dress too "getto" or don't act black enough. It gets to me when black people thinks you should act certain way. I don't want to be categorize or labeled cause I do want to get somewhere in life. In the other hand, my best friend is very dark skin and she have the lowest self esteem due to her skin tone. She refused to date black men because they teased her and called her names such as "blackie" or your the pretties dark skin girls I've ever seen but I don't date dark skin girl. It like she ain't good enough or something. I really don't blame her because white men treat her better and give her all the loving. She now decide to marry a white man so that she can have a bi-racial child. her main goal is not to bring a child in this world and see he/she punished. She don't want her child to go through all the things she's gone through. I can't really understand her completely because I'm not a dark skin female and it really breaks my heart to see her suffer this way. She is so self conscious about everything and feel like everyone in society makes fun of her. She doesn't see the beauty in her. She doesn't know this but I'm so jealous of her and some of her features cause I don't have it. I even think she is way beautiful than me. I just wish she can wake up and embrace who she is and know how beautiful she is. Tyra I need some help, I think she is really getting into the breaking point and don't know what she would do to herself. I don't want to think of the worst but I think it is getting there. Please if you read this I will appreciate some help.

Thanks
Patricia

Hello Tyra,

Your show on light skinned vs. darked skinned women was very interesting. I am neither light nor dark skinned, but am in between with a red tone. I am always asked what I am mixed with and if I am another race other than just black. It's not just a light skinned dark skinned issue but it's an overall issue. I am 6'0" tall, curvy, caramel complected with a red undertone, and i have long wavy hair. When i was younger i was ridiculed for being tall and having long her because for some reason having long hair as a black woman somehow means that you are conceited, which is far from the truth. Being born with long hair means that it is something I am comfortable with and it's normal. I don't have an inch of conceitedness in my blood. Because of my hair alone I get asked if I am mixed with something and if I say my parents are black, it is not a good enough answer because in their eyes "black" people do not have different grades of hair. Another issue is height, and i am not sure if it's just in the black community, which i doubt, but it's something that is a big deal. As a tall woman with curves, when i am approached i get, " you are pretty to be tall" which indicates that people have the idea that tall women are ugly. No matter what a person is born with, whether it be a specific skin color or height, it becomes an issue. We need to all learn to be comfortable within our own skin and be thankful that there are different people out there. African-Americans are the most diverse group of people yet we aren't comfortable with the diversity. Accept it and enjoy it.

By the way, Tyra, that would be another good topic, Tall women and the discrimation against their height. Also, can you somehow address the issue of there not being enough designer shoes out there that cater to large feet and pants that cater to tall women. I wear a size 13 shoe and have a pants length of 36", so i struggle with both jeans and shoes, and I am curvy.

Thanks Tyra for opening up this topic because it is a big deal.

Love ya and keep up the good work
Love,
Erica

I really enjoyed this show as it hit the core at serious racial issues we have to face in society. To answer the question of the show, I do think that light skinned black women have it easier than dark skinned black women. This is because of experiences I have encountered personally and see within society.

I am a light skinned black woman and have heritage of white and black in my family. However both my parents are black.
Watching the mother who talked that she does not want her son to bring home a dark skinned woman I was sickened to hear that. She is continuing a vicious cycle that is causing strife among blacks because it makes them feel light is good and dark is bad. I have seen in society that black dark skinned women treat me with respect more than my friends who are dark like them. Funny thing of it all is that I married a white man, not because of race but because we were college sweet hearts. We have two daughters and the eldest(15) she is light dark skin with brown eyes and curly hair. Whereas, the youngest(13) is white like her father and has crystal clear green eyes and long curly blonde brown hair.With that, she could be seen as white, but at the end of the day i tell her and her sister that they are going to be seen as black in the eyes of society and that being black is something to be proud of and they should embrace their cultures.
For me when people see me would tell me i have such a beautiful skin tone and ask if I am mixed. I downright tell them no that I am black both ways. But they think I am lying which I hate. Even now the way society acts is a classic example of how blacks feel about skin tone. My youngest daughter tells me that darker skinned girls (darker than her sister) hate her because of her tone and looks. When she tells them that her mom is black they think she lies, and also they resent her because young black guys treat her with respect more than they do to them. That is the vicious cycle we have to contend with as it is not going to change but needs to. Worst of all is that my other daughter knows a a dark skinned girl who uses skin lightening creams because she feels the only way that she would get respect is if she were lighter like my kids.

Sometimes it gets ridiculous when people see me with my brother because he is dark and I mean dark. Even darker than the guy on the stage who said he liked dark skinned women. They would say we don't look like siblings at all and even when they see our parents they can't believe it at all. All I tell them is that I happen to be a strong strike back of my great grandparents from my father's side who were one black and the other white.

What's worst is the so called thinking that people develop in thinking that when you go to cold climates you get clearer in skin tone. When I travel to cold climates I get pale like I have no color. So people think I am biracial when they see me like that. But that ignorance has to stop and people must embrace each and every black woman regardless of their skin tone. It all boils down to genes and genes are something that one must be proud of an accept. As Tyra said to the lady that she is the master's liking or something, that is so true because the rife that we exhibit in black society is what keeps us down rather than be seen as united.

I am completely offended by watching this episode. I am a young, white female, and I am simply appalled by the fact that we as women continue to do put each other down. We should all come together instead of focusing on our skin color. It’s ridiculous! I have many wonderful friends who are black and different shades of black. I just cannot understand why we choose to attack each other by our skin color . As if we as women don’t have enough struggles as it is. To me, I see no skin color…However, I was raised different. Even when I was a child, and I was taught never to date a black male. I still saw no color. I believe that every person is beautiful in there own way. And I do believe that black women especially are beautiful…Lord, knows that I get discriminated on because of my skin tone beginning very light. I’m pale, needless to say! On your show you had two sisters with different completions, and I can identify in a way with the light skinned woman because as a white woman…Some women can tan easily and I just cannot do that. My sister was always able to tan very well…She was always darker and her I was pale skinned looking like I was never touched by the sun. I know someone people think that I am crazy, I am a white girl, how can she understand? But I truly understand and feel for every single woman out there that are being judge on their skin color alone. I just wished some people can wake up and realize the beauty that every woman has, instead of attacking each other. God, made us in the image he wanted us to be. Thank you so much for airing this show! I hope people can learn from this show and stop the hating!

I am a quote unquote light skinned black woman and the show made me mad and sad. Where I live dark skinned black women always called me a "high yellow hoe". Black people have to deal with enough racism and discrimination, yet it exists within the black culture. Skin tone is not something we decide. I feel like its God and genes. My mother is not fair skinned and neither is my father yet I am the bright one of four siblings. I just urge everyone to love themselves. And to love others the way you love yourself.

Hi Tyra,

I watched your show yesterday regarding intra-racial discrimination within the black race. This topic affects African Americans in so many aspects of our lives from our relationships, careers, self-esteem, family etc., but ironically it is rarely discussed. The representation of black women on the panel yesterday exemplified the ugly truth about this issue. Particularly the light skin black woman who expressed her negative views towards darker skin black women. Tyra, I know everyone is entitled to their opinions but as an African American Show Host you were bias. There was favoritism on your part towards darker skin women and that is the wrong approach to try to resolve this issue. For example, when she talked about the negative experience she encountered with darker skin black women, you were so quick to defend their actions and excusing their behavior. In order for any resolution there needs to be a neutral party who views both sides and comes up with a solution that benefits both parties. For instance, light skin women are favored whether it is in professions, beauty, amongst the opposite sex or within the family and as a result they are arrogant, conceited, and feel other blacks are beneath them. Now on the flip side, dark skin women are considered unattractive, threatening, and unintelligent etc., and as a result they are bitter, angry, and resentful towards women that are lighter than them. That's the reality. So don’t overlook the negativity from both sides of the spectrum because all (dark/light)have contributed to this cancer that affects the African American community.

Sincerely,
Danielle

FYI- I am an African American Woman (light brown), if that matters to some readers.

Watching your show yesterday was a little disappointing for me truthfully. It's sad that something as simple as a skin color and texture of hair would over rule someone's actual character and morals. It embarrassed me hearing these grown black educated women bashing our culture and feeding these ignorant stereotypes that we've been having to deal with for over two hundred years. In my opinion skin color and hair texture isn't going to get us out of a 1.33 trillion dollar deficient in the US. It's not going to end the war in Iraq. It's not going to solve the current foreclosure situation we're facing. It's not going to do anything about the uprising crime and drug problems we have in the USA. It's vain and truthfully who can define the standards of beauty when beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Meaning my child is light skin with long wavy hair and hers is brown skin with hair texture that is a little unruly. That makes me mad everytime she says this. Genes reach back and we don't understand how powerful they are. Tamara made me ill!! She needs therapy, badly. I'm glad her son is smart. I cried while watching your show because it really hit home. As an adult, I have met woman that are light skinned and have been around them on numerous occassions, but they act as if they don't remember meeting me. I stopped acknowledging them also. I do the same thing they do to me now. My friend's aunt made a statement one day "All that light skin gone to waste!" Like all light skin people are superior or beautiful!How ignorant

HEY TYRA
I WATCHED THE SHOW AND I HAVE 2 SAY THAT i loved the show even though i would like to see more Black people that love being Black and educating
the BLACK community about where we come from who we were
and what we are TODAY,I WOULD LIKE C FARRAKHAN ON THE SHOW.
THANKX

Tyra, thank you for airing this. This is a problem. It's enough we are plagued with the predjudice from other races let alone within our own. I consider myself a beautiful dark skinned woman. I am the darkest child of 5. I have heard it all. "You are beautiful to be so dark." My mom asked a person once that said this to me what was that suppose to mean. Our family ranges from people thinking my sister is bi-racial to myself. My girl friend that is typical light skin, long hair has a daughter that is 2 years older than my daughter tells me all the time, "You got my daughter and I got yours!"

Hey Tyra! I just watched yesterday's show on my DVR. I am a white woman who happens to be gay and I find myself more attracted to black women that to white women. Black women of all skin shades, shapes and sizes! Don't get me wrong I am attraced to women of all races but just seem to be more drawn to the beauty of a black woman. This makes it very difficult to find women to date because most of the time(not all the time)gay black women don't wanna date a white girl.

Hey Tyra, Im Alyssa i Watched your show yesterday. also my friend paige. we were so suprised at that women. and one more thing i am a full white person. i hate that people do this to everyone.. i mean come on who cares what color you are. we are all human. i dont know why light skinned people think dark people are bad or something. i think everyone has there own personality and it doesnt matter what color you are. that women yesterday who thinks dark black women are mean or bad or ugly or whatever she shouldnt be talking cause her son is darker than her and also she is black so she is basically putting down her own race. i dont get people these days anymore...yeah sure im only 14 but i am so sick of people thinking dark people are bad when they arent. i have plenty of dark friends and there awesome and even light skinned people are awesome. i just want to go on tv one day and talk to everyone about this. because all i know. COLOR DOESNT MATTER!!! because we are all the same. yeah we might have different color skin and different blood types and stuff. but we are still all human beings. it bugs the crap out of me to watch that. she got me so mad yesterday....and come on now whats wrong with her son going out with either color? there is nothin wrong going out with dark black women. we are all equals. and the last thing that i am going to say is that Thank You for doing that whole show thing yesterday. i hope people learned alot from it. and not care about eachothers color. cause we are all human and all one :]