The Blackest Lie

 

In a culture that seems to be slowly breaking free from the bondage of racism and bigotry, the "epic (African) American struggle" today is one of discrimination based on skin tone ("A Tale of Two Brothers"). The disparity of opportunities presented to African Americans of light skin-tone opposed to those of dark skin-tone is staggering. Ranging from job opportunities to just legal trials, the chance of darker-skinned blacks to succeed is drastically decreased. As part of CNN's "Black in America" segment, a video focusing on the divergent path of two brothers of different skin tones sheds light on the racism that remains embedded in American culture.  

    The disastrous effects of skin-tone discrimination seen in "A Tale of Two Brothers" is echoed throughout Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. Pecola, a young girl in the novel, is convinced that blackness symbolizes one thing: ugliness. Both the media and the mid-western society Pecola lives in have convinced her that whiteness signifies a beauty she will never obtain. Similar to the darker-skinned brother in "A Tale of Two Brothers", Pecola's sense of ugliness (due to her dark skin) is confirmed by the judgmental white people who surround her. These demeaning actions are by no means solely used by white people. Maureen, Pecola's light-skinned friend, victimizes her constantly for her dark skin.

     Pecola is wrongfully accused for killing a neighbor's cat simply because she is black. The darker-skinned of the two brothers in CNN's video segment is serving a life term in prison. Although he takes responsibility for the decisions he made, it is clear that his dark skin tone had a significant effect on his legal trial as well as is dearth of opportunities. Sadly, Pecola's aspirations to have the bluest eyes and achieve white beauty in order to succeed are encouraged by media in the 1950s (when The Bluest Eye eye takes place) as well as present day. The light-skinned brother, who earned a Ph D. from Princeton University, shocks viewers when he confesses that others "encouraged him to make better choices" simply because the lighter tone of his skin (" A Tale of Two Brothers").

Strides are taken daily in the hopes of changing the U.S. into a country that is completely free from the restraints of racial bias. Until that day comes, men and women will struggle to distance themselves from the anguish that discrimination brings into our world. Discrimination based on skin tone may seem minor or even far-fetched to those who have never experienced it; It is real, and it must be dealt with before it spirals out of control.