William Lynch, a British slave owner from the West Indies, stood on the banks of the James River in 1712 and gave an infamous speech from a letter that would reverberate through the sands of time. In his letter, he explained that "you must use dark-skinned slaves against light-skinned slaves, and light-skinned slaves against dark-skinned slaves." This ideology has survived in the hearts of those for whom it was intended. Many members of the African American community remain affected by these inhumane rules established by one man many years ago. Although many assume that colorism is non-existent in 2013, it is still a chronic problem that looms over the heads of not only African American individuals, but also the global population. Colorism affects African Americans as a whole through various media. This in turn affects the younger generation and a recurring epidemic ensues. This is hatred against a hate crime within one's own race. Racism seeps through the cracks of a race that was once discriminated against itself. Colorism, as defined by Nadra Kareen Nittle, author of numerous articles and essays on race relations, is "a practice of discrimination whereby those with lighter skin are treated more." favorably than those with darker skin. The paper bag test was a device used to determine who could belong and who could not. In class, group 2 demonstrated this test. Regardless of the type of reception, a paper bag will be waiting for you at the main entrance. If you were the same color, or lighter, than the paper bag, you were allowed in. Otherwise, you were turned away and humiliated, something African Americans experience every day. Another test performed was the comb test. If the tip of a comb couldn't pass......middle of paper......ept in his own family. She felt the need to have darker skin to please her family and be accepted. Her experiences and other anecdotes show how devastating the game of colorism can be. For a long time, the media has been telling us what true beauty is, but this image of beauty is destroying black youth, and not just black youth, but the karma of the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. hoped for a nation where we “would not be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character.” We need to apply some of Dr. King's rhetoric, even some biblical standards. We must stop hating our own race and stand united. Regardless of one's color, these misrepresentations of light and dark skin must stop as they affect everything and everyone, adding poison to an already volatile situation. We need to stop accepting other people's ideals of how we see each other..