Light-Skinned Black Women on the Pain of Feeling They're "Not Black Enough"

Actress and comedian Kym Whitley says that when she was a child, people often mistook her light-skinned African-American mother for white. She recalls being teased as a child and, in turn, teasing her mother for her light complexion. While recounting her experience, she suddenly comes to a realization: "Now that we're talking about it, maybe that is the thing. I'm trying to be too black sometimes. I've done the reverse thing because of my mother being so fair and people thinking that she was white, because of being teased."

Kym says she realizes she was trying to "make up for not being black enough," and she's not alone. Watch as more women share their emotional testimonials of what it's like to be told you're not a "real black person."

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