William Lynch, a British slave owner from the West Indies, stood on the banks of the James River in 1712 and delivered an infamous speech from a letter that would resonate through the sands of time. In his letter, he stated that "you must use dark-skinned slaves against light-skinned slaves, and light-skinned slaves against dark-skinned slaves." This ideology has survived in the hearts of those to whom it was addressed. Many in the African American community are shocked by these inhumane rules established by one man many years ago. While many assume that colorism is nonexistent in 2013, it is still a chronic problem that hovers not only over African American individuals, but also over the world's population. Colorism affects African Americans as a whole across various media. This, in turn, impacts younger generations and results in a recurring epidemic. This is hatred against hate crimes within one's own race. Racism seeps into the cracks of a race that was once itself discriminated against. Colorism, as defined by Nadra Kareen Nittle, author of numerous articles and essays on race relations, is “a practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin are treated more.” favorably compared to those with darker skin. The paper bag test was a device used to determine who could belong and who could not. In class, Group Two demonstrated this test. In any kind of function, there would be a paper bag waiting for you at the main entrance. If you were the same color, or lighter, than the paper bag, you could enter. If you didn't, you would be distanced and shamed, something African Americans experience on a daily basis. Another test performed was the comb test. If the tip of a comb couldn't pass... through the middle of paper... she would have joined her own family. She felt she needed to have darker skin to please her family and be accepted. His experiences and other anecdotes show how devastating the game of colorism can be. For a long time, the media has told us what real beauty is, but this image of beauty is destroying black youth, and not only black youth but also the karma of the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. hoped for a nation in which “we will not be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character.” We need to apply some of Dr. King's rhetoric or even biblical standards. We must stop hating our own race and stand together. Regardless of color, these misrepresentations of light skin and dark skin must stop because they affect everything and everyone, adding poison to an already volatile situation. We need to stop accepting other people's ideals of how we see each other.