Well it is not only about pretending to be white; it is about a conditioning annexed to economic opportunities, and ideas of upper-class and worthiness. It is about whose life is considered more valuable. Whose issues the media will pay more attention to. Who are portrayed as the criminals and scum in society; who are expected to take what they get and shut up.

The light-skinned Blacks in the Caribbean cannot pass for white. They are just treated superior to dark-skinned Blacks and are the first pick of Blacks for material advancement. They get a measure of privilege. I know of few Blacks who are conscious of how color plays out, so we have dark-skinned Blacks contributing to Colorism through their own preferences for lighter shades. Dark-skinned Black mothers were telling their Black children not to play in the sun, they will get too Black (being darker was considered uglier).

Even when there are many whites, Blacks still play along the color line. It is understandable in a society like the USA with an overwhelming majority of Whites, the ‘mobility’ of light-skin Blacks may seem paltry. But from a conscious dark-skinned Black point of view, it is still another unfair obstacle to development. The attitudes associated with unaddressed color prejudices are part of Black struggles. When not properly dealt with we have the vicious cycle of Black struggles mostly benefiting Whites.

As I have previously stated, all shades of Blacks (in a general sense) contribute to Colorism.