New Research Shows Black Women With Lighter Skin, Have Lighter Prison Sentence Than Women With Dark Skin

Many African Americans are familiar with the incessant discussion regarding light versus dark skin and the supposed advantages one may have over the other. Ever since Nella Larsen’s novella “Passing,”, in which the main character, Irene Redfield, a light-skinned African American woman passing for white, reveals the hidden implications regarding race, with respect to the perception that being white is better than black and inferior.

A new study just published in in The Social Science Journal (Volume: 48, Issue: 1, Pages: 258-250) called “The impact of light skin on prison time for black female offenders,” may add some evidence supporting the affirmation of Larsen’s premise. The study, conducted by Jill Viglione, Lance Hannon, and Robert DeFina, are researchers at Villanova University. provides strong evidence that lighter skin color is significantly correlated with a lighter prison sentence.

Based on data, collected from the records of 12,158 women incarcerated in North Carolina prisons between 1995 and 2009., inclusive of information regarding inmate hair color, eye color, height, weight, body type and skin tone (light skin tone is assigned a code of 1, and dark skin tone is assigned a code of 0), revealed that with respect to prison sentences, women noted to be of light skin were sentenced to 12% less time behind bars than their darker skinned confederates.

This finding was consistent even when controlling for prior history of incarceration, conviction date, prison misconduct, and body type. Moreover researchers also controlled for if the woman was convicted of homicide or robbery – crimes that have longer sentences. Upon which they also observed that having light skin reduces the actual time served by approximately 11%.

According to the authors as presented in the abstract, “The present analysis extends this line of inquiry by examining how perceived skin tone (assessed by correctional officers) is related to maximum prison sentence and actual time served,” and that their findings “indicated that black women deemed to have a lighter skin tone received more lenient prison sentences and served less time behind bars.”

Reality TV: Home Sweet Home For Dysfunctional Black Women

Used to be difficult for anyone who displayed any type of dysfunction at all to be successful. Not anymore in the age of buffoonery, self-centeredness and reality television. And if you are a black woman who is dysfunctional, no doubt this is the place for you.

I must be candid and admit I have not seen too much of this, but where else can one be a wife when she is divorced, was never married and has no husband. Where else can a former stripper be called a house wife and parlay it into to working for the Donald? Nowhere in the real world, but for certain on reality television. Yes, reality television, a never never land of contrived events that would never manifest in the general public. Like an amusement park, twenty women under the ages of twenty five can vie to obtain the pretend love of fifty year old hip hop hype men with gold teeth. Or chase after some famous professional athlete displaying groupie qualities while maintain they are the epitome of womanhood.

From Celebrity Apprentice contestants Star Jones and NeNe Leakes to Oxygen’s Bad Girls andVH1’s Basketball Wives, there is not one presentation of what it means to be lady-like. In all cases, regardless if one is an ex-wives or baby mamas of a wealthy professional athlete, they parade around as if they cannot go anywhere without their weave and acting as if the only word in their vocabulary is bitch. Even worse is the appearance that civil discord is impractical and that the only way to deal with a problem or conflict others is to scream, curse, and speak down upon others with the might of all of their anger; giving the locution that violence is the only way to solve ones problems. Even shows like Keyshia Cole promote dysfunction as if it is common place among African American women.

These show are an abomination and it is evident that more destructive is the increase in viewership they gather among young African American women. I used to think hip hop videos were bad, now I’m torn between the two. I just wonder will we ever see African America women portrayed as they really are in our community, or used to be? This thought has me afraid that this may be what our women have actually become.

Colored Hair, Weaves, and Tattoos: How Black Girls Replaced Coretta King with Nicki Minaj

Back in the day, there were standards of decorum that men and women set and adhered to. The women in my family and neighborhood behaved maturely and responsibly and always looked after all the kids and provided guidance. Very rarely would they act or behave in a manner that would be detrimental to our development. Those times are long gone.

Today, the trend is completely opposite. Young women often mimic behaviors, not of their elders, but those that are presented in the media. This habit has seemed to worsen over the years. Young women adopt behaviors of people who should not be idolized or looked up too as role models at all. One such person is the self-proclaimed black Barbie, Nicki Minaj.

I have yet to understand how much one has to hate who they are to the extent that they would identify with a white toy doll. Now if it is a metaphor to indicate that one is fake, plastic, artificial, superficial and lacks substance -- then the term fits. Otherwise, it is one of the dumbest assertions I have ever heard. Unfortunately, I guess I am the only one who thinks like this, for it appears young women copy everything and like what she does. From colored wigs, to having so many tattoo's on their bodies they could pass as being a Maori, a New Zealand native, young women have been influenced so much that they do not even carry themselves like ladies.

The message of being responsible and being your own person with personal standards and morals is lost in the picture. We have a culture of young African American girls who are so fixated on entertainers and materialism, that they concern themselves more with their hair and clothes, than education and basic family values.

Attempting to be like trifling folk like Nicki Minaj is just a way of saying a person doesn't like themselves and would rather accept and live by European standards of what is considered beautiful. The fact is that a younger audience is listening to her music, an audience that already lacks self-respect and is often disrespectful in general. These are just more ignorant practices that degrade women as just a form of meat.

strong black woman

First, I am not a woman nor am I a black woman, let alone a strong black woman. For me, I have see the later my entire life. The type of women who would go and pull their man by his ears from a crap game and drag him to church. The kind that would hold down two or more jobs as well as be a homemaker to her family and kids. The kind that won’t take no shit from anyone and who still had enough time to make certain her family and kids had food on their plate. The kind that would be cursing out her son (me) but at the same time putting food on my plate.

But I have just come to findout that this White female by the name of Kathy Griffin is holding a television comedy show called STRONG BLACK WOMAN. The show is being released and shown on the Bravo television station.

The show, which is supposed to air on May 9 2006, was produced by Emmy-winning Production Partners Inc who also produced HBO's "Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker" and "Curb your Enthusiasm."

I may be making too much about this but I was extremely offended when I saw her and the title. Our women have it hard enough for another person from a alternate species to make money off of what they are not. I say we take the time to drop an email at the Bravo channel, which is part of the NBC Universal Cable Entertainment division, an email and let the know what we think. My rant is over for now.