Donahue: Black Against Black Prejudice (1994) 

Here it is almost 30 years later and this is still going on.

I love how even as a White man, Phil was able to have a frank and unfiltered conversation about colorism in the Black community with little fear of coming off as not "politically correct"

26 Years later and blacks in America still have this same conversation

Back when Talk Shows actually had some social content during daytime television.

This is why I love Donahue, he wasn’t afraid to discuss these issues on his show.

It's Refreshing to go back in time with one of the Masters of Daytime Talk Shows,Mr Donahue.When shows were entertaining,yet meaningful and informative.Miss the good old days😢

I don't care if the black woman is jet black, tan, cream, or light skin. If she is a good woman with a beautiful personality and is educated with common sense, she is magnificent.

The audience look hella uncomfortable and pissed regarding this topic.

I dated a dark skinned Haitian- American man in college in the early 2G’s and I will never forget he said to me if you were one shade darker I would have never dated you. SMH….yeah that relationship never worked out.

All black people are beautiful, from the lightest of light, to the darkest of dark!!

Slavery did this, we are still suffering from it.

I'm a light skinned black woman. Happy to support that the black men who hold skin color sp highly or usually trash to begin with. Their fetishization is a huge turn off. I married a hispanic man, who by their standards, is relatively light skinned. Colorism extends well into their culture as well. I don't think there's a culture where it doesn't exist. Find someone who loves you for you. Most of these guys are just projecting their own self hate. And any light skinned woman who's willing to subjugate themselves to this nonsense usually ends up in a shallow relationship.

Sadly, this is still happening in 2020.

Like Chris Rock said there's a civil war in the black community.

I love what the Ghanaian brother says @3:15: "If we do believe that whites have the power to divide us, then we're buying into the idea that we're inferior. I don't believe so. I don't believe anyone has the power to make me to hate you."

I actually miss The Donahue Show. Phil Donahue had very interesting stimulating conversations without all of the "fake emotion""fake realism" I wish he never went off the air.

I'm a white man that is in love with a black woman. She's not light complected. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and I have been sprung over her since the first time I saw her. My brother married a black woman who isn't light complected either. However, I have friends from Mexico that face the very same discrimination. The darker brown they are, the more discrimination they face. So it's not just in the African American community.

Nowadays, light skinned women with long hair have been replaced with non black women.

This video is still relevant. This issue needs to be put on a huge platform and address amongst our people . How in the hell can our people allow a recessive group of people to get in our mental so deeply that our people allow them to set our standards of beauty. My mother is a light skin Queen and this mess didn't fly in her house and I'm grateful . Our people need to learn how to think for themselves

I'm told I'm beautiful everyday and my skin is dark, my hair is kinky, and I have full curves. I love me and so thankful The Most High made me this way ❤️💯

black women use to love LIGHT skin black men.. yall hate that topic tho

I have a smooth, silky, ageless, dark chocolate complexion. No one can convince me that I am not both beautiful and pretty. When you are in love, and content with yourself, and the way God made you, it is a beautiful power no one can take away.

The way he says “high yella” kills me LMFAOOOO

When I (a black woman) went to college, my father and my white step-mother dropped me off and none of the black people would acknowledge me because of my step-mother and them assuming I thought I was white because of her. If I walked near anyone black, they'd make a face or turn away and if I tried to talk to black men..forget about it because they didn't want to catch flack for it. I'm a very pretty woman, not that it should matter. I grew up sheltered and went to private school with mostly white people. I actually was looking forward to being in a more diverse environment and then my own race ostracized me and made me feel like I wasn't black enough. I was very upset until a black security guard told me to ignore them and be me and do what you have to in order to be successful. Their opinion doesn't matter. I had to learn not to care what people think of me. My dad expected greatness. I grew up thinking I could be anything I want to be and I have done just that. I am very successful. By the way, my dad was light-skinned (biracial) and my mother was dark. He was obsessed with her and was devastated when they split up. A few years later, he met my step-mother and married her in the late sixties which cause a whole other level of criticism. People need to stop teaching their kids things that set them up for failure. Lots in our race continue the bad rhetoric and demeaning beliefs and that hurts all of us. No one can force you to have those beliefs or to discriminate etc. You make the choice to belittle and hurt each other. I'm proud of my accomplishments, but I didn't get them because I'm black. I don't let race dictate everything in my life and become obsessed over it. I don't want to be white. I just want to be me and I am.

I don't like how "us" black people are so quick to say something about our skin color. WE are so quick to call someone "light skin," "beige" "Wesley Snipes looking" "red bone." "white " & etc.... I love the TV show "Black-ish" but I HATE when Dre (Anthony Anderson) say something about another black person's skin color, mostly his son, Jr (Marcus Scribner). Sometimes WE are our own worst enemy

This was 26 years ago and many blk people still have the same issues.

I wish conversations like this could still be had without trying to cancel and destroy people. This is where growth happens

Phil Donahue had the best talk show by far.

the sister is speaking the truth about black men... look at the NFL, NBA

I am a dark skinned black woman with long wavy hair. Black men have often treated me like a second class citizens. On the flip side, white men have always considered me to be very feminine and very, very beautiful

Colorism is a problem in the black community and it is true this is a mindset from slavery days, however, black people now need to hold themselves accountable for prolonging this mindset in the community. Treat all black people with respect, but unfortunately it goes in one ear and goes out the other.

This conversation is hurtful. Especially when you know your history and where these things come from. Black people are beautiful period. No matter the color. ✨✊🏽

2023 and its still like this 😢

This was just straight up great conversation!

The same in many Asian cultures. As an Indonesian watching this from abroad I feel my black sisters in America. Twenty years later, this never gets old.

I think black men see lightskin or exotic women as a trophy.

THERE ARE 50 SHADES OF BLACK. ALL BEAUTIFUL 👸🏾👸🏽👸🏿👸🏾

HiStory keeps perpetuating itself

The lady who said she was not Black was speaking literally. She means that her skin is brown, just as a white persons skin is more pink than actual white.

Aww, Phil Donahue is still alive. Bless his heart. I had to Google, he's 84.

I'd almost forgotten what a wonderful host Phil Donahue is. Thank you for posting this video. It brings back a LOT of wonderful memories!

Colorism will never end

My mother was extremely fair skin and my father has dark brown skin. I'm dark brown skinned and I always felt that my father may have chosen my mother b/c of the "light skin woman" complex. Yes, she was intelligent, pretty and accomplished, but I still wondered. I always felt my grandmother (who had dark brown skin) treated me a little more kinder then my lighter cousins. I think its b/c she knew the journey of the dark skin woman, maybe some of the challenges she faced, and resented the barriers that were removed for lighter skin women.

I liked when talk shows were like this. Raw, real topics.

I am a dark skin woman with a fine texture of hair and this video moves many emotion inside of me. I’ve called beautiful, ugly, pretty to be dark and I can go on. Black people have questioned my hair texture because of my dark skin and I’m often times just stared at. When the woman stated black people have preferences as well prejudiced she couldn’t have been more right. I must say the prejudice in the black community is stronger. We all need to stop beating our own people down over skin color. We hate each other more than any other race could hate us and that is why we are still having the same conversation centuries later.

A white host covering this topic? That would not happen today.

I’ve had so many colorist dark skinned men, make nasty comments about my skin, nose and hair. That’s why I’m happy they barely approach me now. Rejection is Gods protection.

I’ve experienced black on black prejudice a ton since being a kid. Parents telling their kids to not talk to me just because. Sad really.

Its sad that in 2020 we are still calling each other light skinned and dark skinned .

Men aren’t allowed to have preferences. If you like light skinned women, you’re racist/colorist. If you like thin women, you’re fat shaming and what, weightist?

The Donahue show was the ish back in the day. I watched it all the time because he wasn't scared to discuss taboo topics.

When that lady said "I'm a white person" all the people laughed their awkward tension out! Lol They were waiting to be able to relax.

Thank you for this gem 💎 and shout out Phil Donahue! The OG of daytime talk shows of substance and real discussions!!

Amazing interview. 26 years on, yet still very relevant

This conversation is so very true in the black community because Rosa Parks wasn’t the first black woman to refuse to give up her seat on a segregated bus to a white person, a dark skinned black woman nine months earlier was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a young white woman but the NAACP chose Rosa Parks to start the civil rights movement because of her lighter skin color, they thought that her lighter complexion would represent the movement better.

I swear Willie Lynch was a genius, 400 years later and the effects are still as evident as ever today, smh 🤦🏾‍♀️

He's asking questions and giving the answer at the same time.this guy is a class act.

It’s crazy I’m 40 and as long as I can remember I’ve always liked very dark skinned women even tho I know this true about colorism the line that gets blurred is sometimes it’s just preference it’s not colorism. Just like some women don’t like short men. I say go where you are loved and accepted and don’t force anyone to accept you.

I once dated a guy that had the most BEAUTIFUL skin. It was smooth and clear like a black pearl. He hated it, and often called himself ugly. When I tried to tell him that it wasn't true he didn't believe me. It was so sad. We really have to remember to love ourselves as is. If you don't love yourself first then who else will?

I love Donahue. He was such a fair host. He always brought awareness to many social problems and required informative respectful dialogue.

"Perception is everything." Jane Elliott Her quote still matters today.

I'm attracted to facial features, not skin color.

When I was a child my mother was a school teacher and we had an extensive library. When I was 10 years old I read “Color Complex” after I read it I analyzed the world in front of me totally different ! Saw it in my life, and lives around me! This book was truly a page turner! Changed my whole outlook on life!

It's crazy that colorism still goes on in 2021... Smh I believe that beauty 🌹 is in everyone of us no matter what shade or hue you are.

If we all could just get past color and look at the heart.

Our "colors" are black, brown and yellow..embrace them all equally my brothers and sisters...POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

So sad that if a black person is into a black men, we ALWAYS HAVE TO THINK or wonder if this black man might not be into dark skin black women or man. No other race has to do that. Every black guy a dark skin person like we always wonder if the even like dark skin men or women

OMG...We as a people are confused enough

My aunt told me to marry a lighter skin woman so we can have “pretty kids”. That was unconsciously taught. My aunt didn’t hate dark skin people. She was just conditioned to think that way.

After 60 years I just found out why my mother's family doesn't talk to me. Not because I happen to be Homosexual, but because I have DARK skin. There is no such thing as unconditional love among Black People. There are always conditions.

I could feel the pain in that room. It made it really sad/hard to watch. The worst part is that it is still happening to this day. There is beauty in every color❤️

I can't speak for "every" black male but for myself Phil's opening line holds true!

A couple thoughts: 1) I'm an older white guy, and whether I would feel "uncomfortable" walking through an alley with a couple Black men approaching me would not depend on their skin shade, but rather how they behave along with their dress and styling--that is, whether they look like gang members. If they are wearing suits and ties, I would have absolutely no fear of them even if their skin tone was literally black. 2) I had noticed that most Indian actresses are very light-skinned, with many looking like Europeans. Afterwards, I learned that in India, skin color makes a difference in social standing, to the disadvantage of dark-skinned Indians.

They love turning us against each other and we still falling for there bs...

Donahue had some gr8 interviews that are incredibly relevant today

This still resonates today.....Idk how I missed this episode , I use to watch Phil Donahue as a kid . This was an excellent episode

Crazy how things haven't really changed. We're in 2020, and we _still_ got a long way to go in terms of self pride, dignity and self respect. Not to mention self love.

Man I miss Donahue.

I was in relationship with man who wanted to marry me but i would always see him flirting with light skinned woman. I never married him because I didn't understand why he wanted to marry me

I miss this show Donahue he was ahead of his time he tackled alot of taboo subjects 👍

This matter is not just in American - This issue is from India, West Indies and South American. When it comes to dark skin ( and you don't have to be known as black), the darker the skin, the less attractive you are labelled. It's sad but it's a fact that Media and culture plays a larger fold in this matter.

I don’t care what no one says, Phil Donahue set the stage for the talk show era predating Oprah.

She says she's not black? 🤔🤔 Is it me or does she look like she could be related to Alf. He's brown too!! 😂😂😂

As light as I am, a guy stopped being attracted to me when I went natural. That's ok. He married his fetish and I know she could never be me. She blew up. And that's what he gets LOL

I miss this man, he provided an open forum to discuss all manner of topics. Phil Donohue was ahead of his time💥

I saw the title. I personally do not care who finds me attractive. People want you to be upset that they do not find you attractive when you were never trying to be to them anyways. If every single man on this planet unanimously said I was unattractive to them, it would not change my day or make me feel worthless. I get repulsed at the fact that some people act like every woman needs to walk around jumping through hoops and over hurdles to advertise to them. Some women do not even project themselves as wanting to be on the market but yet they get dragged into this popularity contest unwillingly. There is a such thing as a woman who just really is apathetic and unmoved by physical appeal and would much rather just be cool with the guys. Like forreal. I have no desire whatsoever to try to be anything but myself and a servant of Jesus. I cared many years ago about the whole colorism thing, but I absolutely do not care what a man prefers...light, dark, big, small, long hair, anything. I just want to be left alone. Measure the girls against each other that have put themselves out on the market as advertisements. Stop trying to drag people into it that dont want to be. "We're not caught up in your love affair" -Lorde

THIS WAS SOOO LOADED!

If they can marry a white woman that is their top priority. Then light skinned is next. I am half white and I married a white Irish guy, but when I was dating - I would go out with friends and because I was light skinned black guys would do a b-line to me. I don't want to be fetishized. I am a human being. So, after a while I couldn't deal with the head trauma, and ended up dating Asian or white guys. And now I run into prejudiced in other ways. I have people ask me if I'm - Argentinian, or Brazilian etc. Because they don't want me to be part black. There is so much trauma there. I am from the Caribbean and this is the case there also. Light skinned or close to white is the best, its a sign of success if your wife is light skinned. I never understood it. Never.

Who else came across this interesting episode of this throw back show in 2021?

I am a black man turning 70 on Sunday, born and raised in New York, i have dated the darkest blacks, whites, light skinned blacks. I have no preference. Jet black is totally beautiful, but to me all women are beautiful

I didn’t see this episode! Thanks for uploading!

Meanwhile, light skinned male/dark skinned female couples are out here neutralizing the colorism issue 😉🥰

I looooved Donahue even as a child. Good to see these old clips. That pain breeds insecurity. Any situation that makes you feel less than will make you feel insecure. Whether its a painful experience as a child or a relationship that makes you feel inadequate...it will cause insecurity. Recognize that and deal with it because it will produce these beliefs. A secure woman/ man is so confident, you will attract people who have no choice but to respect you because your demeanor calls for nothing less. That light skin sister or Caucasian sister will not phase you in the least...weave or no weave, dark nor light. Love yourself. Raise your children in an environment where they are celebrated as well

R.I.P. Mr. Phil Donahue. You were one of a kind and pulled no punches. I can see you interviewing God in heaven with that microphone.

Some of what’s discussed is like the precursor to The Black Manosphere.

Amazing and sad how this stuff is still relevant today. Phil Donahue was ahead of his time with the topics on his shows.

I really miss this show. My grandfather used to watch Donahue every morning.

Started with the whitening of Jesus!

This show should be mandatory viewing for all from middle school to college.

I went to school in 2016 with a very light black girl and her mom was extremely angry that her boyfriend was dark. She told us that her mom had always preached her you don't go with the dark man you go with a light man. Colorism is still an issue.