jahreal,

You said, "agreed", but you did not spell out how you initially drew such a wrong conclusion from that quote you selected. I doubt other sensible people would have interpreted that quote the way you did. As a matter of fact, you still left an impression that my comment in some way may have meant what you erroneously interpreted it to mean when you said, "speaking firmly on an issue, especially one as sensitive as colorism within the black experience, does not nesscessarily translate to dominating the reasoning." (sic)

To clear up any possible misunderstanding: nowhere in my reasoning did I state or even imply that speaking firmly on any issue was the same as dominating it. In my former response I was explicit in what I meant by persons who are not dark-skin Black were dominating the discourses. I said, "Far too often the people who are in the frontline of Black organizations, the people who are presented in the media to give views on these issues, and most of the internet discussions are dominated by people who are not dark-skin Black and are not sensitive enough to articulate the issues from the experiences and urgency of its effect on dark-skin Blacks."

jahreal said: "when over the years light ones have been accused of not being up on issues or not being "black" enough, ones begin to study and oftentimes simple observation in ones own surroundings can teach a whole heap."

I am firm in my conviction that light skin ones do not get the depth of the issues as they affect those who are systematically most negatively affected - dark-skin kinky-hair Blacks. They may understand some of it when it is shared but they are prone to misrepresentations and oversimplification of the issues. They are usually more defensive and arrogant and get away with it more because the society treats them better. This does not mean that dark-skin Blacks cannot do the same, but if they are well informed/conscious, because of systematic experiences they remain more sensitive to the depth of the issues.

jahreal said: "leadership complexion maybe a humble start but we must never forget that much like beauty,...it's only skin deep."

That is one of those thoughtless clichés and a prime example of White/light-skin lack of sensitivity. Just to inform you, beauty as well as the dark-skin Black complexion is not only or simply skin deep.

You really do not understand what I have been explaining on this issue all along. I am of the view it is due to lack of sensitivity, so you are not picking up important aspects of what I am saying just like how you totally missed the point in my quote.

Although for symbolic reasons dark-skin Blacks are better suited for leadership to alter the light-skin and White leadership image, I have not been making that simplistic statement. I have been consistently saying that well-informed or conscious dark-skin Blacks are best suited to lead Black movements. Such dark-skin Blacks would always be looking for and receptive to solutions that would ease the burden on those who are most affected. Here I am addressing more than symbolic leadership. I am also addressing who is most likely to be consistently sensitive to the negative effects of the system on those who are systematically most negatively impacted. In this case Black skin is NOT "much like beauty,...it's only skin deep," as you said. Black skin is the receptacle for systematic negative discriminations among other important vibrations, thus rendering conscious dark-skin Blacks the most sensitivity to the ills of the system. This translates into heightened creativity. The dark Black skin is a MAJOR sensory organ and when awakened it is EXTREMELY SENSITIVE. It is THE MAJOR sensory organ that transmits signals from the environment to the brain.

I totally disagree with all those who play down the importance of skin and color. By virtue of hundreds of years of negative discrimination based on being dark-skin Black, that pressure has made the black skin of dark-skin Blacks the most sensitive and important organ in their arsenal of weapons against injustices in this system. It is ridiculous for 'lights' and Whites to be now trying to diminish the value of the skin color of dark-skin Blacks which is one of our major defenses against a corrupt material world that values light skin more than blackness. For as it stands, the world is indeed upside down for placing a high value on light-skin while disrespecting the blackness that brought so much insights, rhythms, and richness to all while giving birth to all of humanity.

Whites and light-skin mixed ones can only trap fools with the idea that skin color is of minor importance while their privileges are tied to a value that is placed on their skin color. Informed dark-skin Blacks know quite well that their skin color is important. It is like some people with money telling poor people that money is not everything while they take more from the poor and hold on tight to what they have.