Today in the video, several curious opinions were expressed. A girl said that all else fixed, she would choose to marry a man with the lighter skin, for she would rather not have dark skin in her gene pool. If we take this statement at face value, in our post-modern economy, it is difficult to assign any blame or fault to the individual preferring light to dark skin, rather we should acknowledge the rationality of such a preference. We see this in many other forms. All else fixed, would you choose the short or tall man, fit or overweight, ugly or stunning? All your choices, while they may be aesthetically based, also play into the economics of individual characteristics that are used as assets in the work force. Unfortunate as it may be, it is nevertheless a reality that employers tend to gravitate and offer greater opportunity to those bearing certain characteristics. The majority of CEO's are tall white men and there is a reason for it, be it merely an extension of the white man's privilege. Nevertheless, certain features open up a greater potential for success than others. This is a saddening yet undeniable fact of the capitalist society we partake in.
Thus, following this line of reasoning, and assuming that individuals are self-interested, it is fully rational, in an economic, game-theory competitive respect, for a women to want to marry a man with lighter skin. She is simple acknowledging the unfortunate fact that he might have a greater chance for success. THIS ARGUMENT IS NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS SOCIAL TRUTH, BUT IT SIMPLY IS SPEAKING IN TERMS OF MECHANISTIC RATIONALITY.
If we want to address racism, we should be less concerned with the women who wants to marry a lighter skin male, and more focused on addressing the heart of the issue, which is why a lighter skin male has a better chance for success. This is the root of the problem, and most likely involves an effort similar to the self-empowerment movement described by du Bois.
I totally agree. These women are simply making the totally rational economic decision to, ALL OTHER THINGS EQUAL, choose someone who is more likely to be successful in the future. The root of the issue, that desperately need to be addressed, is WHY a lighter skinned man is more likely to be successful than a darker skinned man.
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