The Wages of Whiteness

Think we live in a color blind society? Think again. This short article published by a Vanderbilt University Law School explores the variation in the experience of "race" among African Americans according to skin tone. In "Skin Tone Effects among African Americans: Perceptions and Reality," (American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings 96(2), May 2006, 251-255) Dr. Joni Hersch finds evidence that lighter skinned African Americans have more access to education and other badges of American success. http://law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty/faculty-personal-sites/joni-hersch/joni--hersch/download.aspx?id=896