CVK
Ego Trip’s Race-o-Rama, a 3-part series about race and racism in pop culture, premiered this week on VH1. (We told you about it late last month.) Last night’s episode was on “Blackaphobia!” and it explored why white people are so scared of blacks, and how the media has perpetuated these stereotypes.

So in one segment, they posed the question: why is it that some of the most militant, most angry, most threatening blacks have also been the ones with the fairest skin? Examples: Bob Marley, Malcolm X, Angela Davis, etc. The show surmised it might be because they felt it more necessary to prove their blackness than their darker-skinned brethren. Obviously I don’t condone this view, but let’s face it, a lot of mixed people do have to face the issue constantly: having to prove your authenticity or legitimacy as a person of color. Are you black/Asian/Latino/etc. enough?

Disclaimer ;): Obviously I also don’t condone the inherent acceptance of the one-drop rule in the phrase “light-skinned blacks.” While many of the people they mentioned may not have self-identified as biracial, many did have white parents or significant white ancestry.

Check out the episode tonight at 9 PM. Called “In Race We Lust,” it will explore interracial relationships. Also, it’s interesting that accusations of reverse racism are already being leveled at the show. You can see the heated debate on the Race-o-rama message boards.