“These forms of discrimination or prejudice are passed onto different communities of color as a way to continue enslaving ourselves and subjugating our psyches. We are working toward this conversation about collective liberation but at the end of the day, this is a conversation that is very new for us to have. It is a very taboo thing in the black community.”- Seyi Segun

"I'm originally from Jamaica... My mom is Scottish Indian, my dad is Black American. My grandmother who is Indian essentially disowned my mom because my dad is so dark-skinned. So that resonated." - Dean Karma Lowe

“Where is the sisterhood? We are continuing to perpetuate those same kinds of derogatory messages to each other and how could we empower one another by complimenting, loving, and embracing all of who we are and not shutting down because of skin color?”- Dr. Ovita Williams  

“I guess I look ambiguous so no one exactly knew what I was. I often was asked, especially when I was little, “what are you” and I would often just say Black and then that was when the questions would come “are you mixed”, “are you sure”, “do you know your dad” and it was a lot of questioning. For me being lighter made people confused about where I stood in the community” - Dr. Eva Haldane 
 

“I think there is a conversation that needs to happen around colorism and lighter skin folx.  We have people pretending to be black because we come in so many different shades and they can easily do that becomes a very complicated conversation that needs to happen. There is a serious violation that is happening right now with people doing that in academia” - Dr. Jalana Harris 

“When I started searching for jobs I always looked for someone in a position of power that looked like me. I was so hungry to find someone that looked like me and made it. And there was none. So that was another message, a dark woman doesn’t make it”- Mariame Kante (gave permission)