While I agree with and can’t refute anything you say here, Allison, is it not reductive to look at supremacy and colourism solely through an America-centric lens? Is Black supremacy not a thing that exists? Is Brown supremacy not a thing that exists? Are these supremacies not older than 500-year old European scientific racism? I have always eschewed the argument that we treat each other terribly, terribly as Black and African people because of Europeans. No we didn’t need their help, we are very good at it all on our own.

What about the Arab-African-Indian slave trade that long predates American slavery and saw a million Africans traded into slavery and arrive on the shores of Gujurat and other South Asian ports? Without a comprehensive knowledge of history, you have Black Americans trapped into the daily thinking of themselves as “Americans needing America to just accept them more.”

Colourism across the globe is a complex issue affecting multiple societies from India to Africa to Europe to America. I have African family who looks at me as not Black enough. I have Indian family that regards me as too dark. I’m a Jew and want Israel to exist, so apparently I’m a White Zionist defending a settler colony. Never mind that Israel is 70% a black/brown/beige country.

Seeing the world through this reductive American lens affects all truthful discourse. Sure everyone gets to hold their heads high in the comments for a moment and think “yeah that’s right yet another way that white people are the real problem, thanks Allison” but I know you want more than just that.

You’re one of my favourite writers on the platform, I love your constant push and search for truth, but we need more, much more at this moment in history than tired old tropes and arguments. If there is a single person who identifies as Black who needed this article to highlight they colourism is a phenomena that exists, all I can say is hallelujah for not having had to deal with the pain - but a lot of it has to do with sheer, unfettered deliberate, egotistic ignorance.

In my life I have been called both a “nigger” and also a “whiteboy.” The most racist ppl I have ever know are my own African family.

At some point we have to get this right as a species. We don’t get to think ourselves as above the problem or merely victims of “white racism.” At some point we have to take charge ourselves.