I just recently learned something new. Did you know "igbo" is a new spelling of us.  They used to call us "eboe". wonder why they changed it.  Anyway, the lightskin thing when it comes to igbo people isn't a new thing for us.  It has been with us since the beginning, long before europeans stepped foot in aFrica.  My mom and I read this book about a igbo girl and a fulani boy that caused a war between their two village(just because both of them were lovers) interesting book it was. Anyway, in the end of the book, it suggested other books to read. which i was able to find online also. Ndi igbo or better yet known as "ndi eboe" tend to be yellow in skincolor and during slavery, many other west african tribes hated us because of that. They used to insult us and claim we look "white and sickly" and white people used to insult us and claim "we look yellow with bile like eyes". Our nickname in the past was "west indies eboes" or "red eboe" but to other west african tribes we were "the sickly tribe"  Insulting isn't it. Looking down upon us for no reason. Wonder wetin we do? So all this hatration directed towards us, have been there since the beginning.  I wonder wetin we did to have other tribes turn against us?

anyone here is are the books (the ones i've read so far)
http://books.google.com/books?id=_lmFzFgsTZYC&pg=PA168
http://books.google.com/books?id=9QORC_cr86sC&pg=PA46&dq=mulatto+eboe&as_brr=1

This is the one i'm reading right now about an igbo slave that escaped from his master
http://books.google.com/books?id=PrPxWLSrp78C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0

Interesting isn't it.  I always used to think igbo people were dark like ola but hmm, it seems we were a diverse tribe even though other tribes insutled us because of that. I wonder why? oh well, i will never know unless i visited those eras abi?

The Eboe/Igbo issue is a matter of orthography.

There aren't that many "light skinned" Igbo people, just a higher prevalence than other ethnicities which would have been more noticeable when put against other ethnicities in the American colonies. But I doubt skin tone was the main reason why other ethnicities disliked the Igbo.





Skin tone should not be a source of pride.

ezeagu:

There aren't that many "light skinned" Igbo people, just a higher prevalence than other ethnicities which would have been more noticeable when put against other ethnicities in the American colonies. But I doubt skin tone was the main reason why other ethnicities disliked the Igbo.





Skin tone should not be a source of pride.

I know that. The article is for those that claim "lightskin igbos" are a product of rape. Also, skin color was the reason they hated us (well the lightskin one that is) . The first book talked about it.

Igbos and yorubas seem very related to me.the lighter igbo skin might have come from the nri jews mix.

Abagworo:

Igbos and yorubas seem very related to me.the lighter igbo skin might have come from the nri jews mix.

There are un-mixed African ethnicities that have a common trait of 'light skin', for example the San people in Southern Africa.

that is why african american are light skinned as well, the slave masters chose the healthy light skinned ones that look reAdy to work and we all know the igbo's look fit overall compared to us lol

whiteroses:

that is why african american are light skinned as well, the slave masters chose the healthy light skinned ones that look reAdy to work and we all know the igbo's look fit overall compared to us lol

Black Americans are "light skinned" because they have European in them.

I guess this article didn't prove anything. I posted this to show people you can be lightskin without mixing up but it's not registering in people's mind.

@Ifygirl, those of us who are of Igbo extraction and of a light hue do not ned to prove anything to anybody.

The problem, is that your post has a subcontext of low self-imagery. It's clear your trying to say that "we are good enough", relative to Europeans because "we are light-skinned" too. It's a dumb post.

ezeagu:

There aren't that many "light skinned" Igbo people, just a higher prevalence than other ethnicities which would have been more noticeable when put against other ethnicities in the American colonies. But I doubt skin tone was the main reason why other ethnicities disliked the Igbo.

Exactly! All this lightskin igbo this and lightskin igbo that is getting on my nerves. I know lots of dark-skinned igbo people, myself included.

@poster, it wasn't just because igbos were 'light', civil war, biafra??

RajalAadi:

The problem, is that your post has a subcontext of low self-imagery. It's clear your trying to say that "we are good enough", relative to Europeans because "we are light-skinned" too. It's a dumb post.

I see you just want to read what you want. Hmm, last time i checked, i did state twice that i posted this article to prove their is no way, shape or form are lightskin igbos related to Europeans.  didn't i say that?

chiogo:

Exactly! All this lightskin igbo this and lightskin igbo that is getting on my nerves. I know lots of dark-skinned igbo people, myself included.

@poster, it wasn't just because igbos were 'light', civil war, biafra??

I know that.  I was talking about that Era but i finally learned why they hated us. I finished the book so i understand now.  One of the reason was because of some of the lightskin individuals but the major reason is because Igbos commited suicide instead of working which got the slave masters to punish other tribes for those individuals that commited sucide.  Anyway, it's funny.  oh by the way, this topic is about the lightskin igbos. Is it everytime, someone talks about the lightskin igbos then they should also talk about darkskin igbos(which i did). If so then anytime someone talks about darkskin igbos then they should also talk about the lighskin ones too.

@ifygurl: thanks for the post! i have often given into the thought that light skinned igbos were a product of rape although i must say your post didn't completely erase my doubts. i tend to doubt the authenticity of your sources (i will try to take a second look at them after this posting). the san ppl you mentioned (which i assume are the bushmen tribe in Botswana) i don't think are as light as the "Mulatto eboes".
that being said, it is only logical that you would expect to find most light colored Africans along the West African coast but the ibo community tends to be located more inland than the Ijaw and Yoruba communities which seem to have a smaller population of mulatto complexioned citizens.
some other school of thought may assume that ibo's are lighter because we had a lot of missionaries settle there. obviously the history remains obscure to me but thanks for the post regardless.

jg.obaseki:

@ifygurl: thanks for the post! i have often given into the thought that light skinned igbos were a product of rape although i must say your post didn't completely erase my doubts. i tend to doubt the authenticity of your sources (i will try to take a second look at them after this posting). the san ppl you mentioned (which i assume are the bushmen tribe in Botswana) i don't think are as light as the "Mulatto eboes".
that being said, it is only logical that you would expect to find most light colored Africans along the West African coast but the ibo community tends to be located more inland than the Ijaw and Yoruba communities which seem to have a smaller population of mulatto complexioned citizens.
some other school of thought may assume that ibo's are lighter because we had a lot of missionaries settle there. obviously the history remains obscure to me but thanks for the post regardless.

How can the genetics of no more than 200 people since 150 years ago affect more than 30,000,000 people, think about that.

Ifygurl:

I know that.  I was talking about that Era but i finally learned why they hated us. I finished the book so i understand now.  One of the reason was because of some of the lightskin individuals but the major reason is because Igbos commited suicide instead of working which got the slave masters to punish other tribes for those individuals that commited sucide.  Anyway, it's funny.

Ifygurl:

oh by the way, this topic is about the lightskin igbos. Is it everytime, someone talks about the lightskin igbos then they should also talk about darkskin igbos(which i did). If so then anytime someone talks about darkskin igbos then they should also talk about the lighskin ones too.

Do the 'dark skin' and 'light skin' Igbo belong to separate subgroups? Why does it matter to talk about Igbo skin tone?

Ifygurl, thanks for the links.

Ifygurl:

This is the one i'm reading right now about an igbo slave that escaped from his master
http://books.google.com/books?id=PrPxWLSrp78C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0

This particular link was quite useful in understanding the old Ijaw/Ibibio/Aro/Igbo links to the slave trade.


The first link also shows the map of Igboland circa 1700 A.D.

Interesting to note that the Igbo boundary includes Diobu, therefore Ikwerres can never again claim not to be Igbo cos as far back as 1700, they were counted as Igbos.

ezeagu:

How can the genetics of no more than 200 people since 150 years ago affect more than 30,000,000 people, think about that.



Do the 'dark skin' and 'light skin' Igbo belong to separate subgroups? Why does it matter to talk about Igbo skin tone?

I meant it's funny because they rather commit sucide than work, which is funny to me. I didn't mean it's funny cause of the punishment but that they rather commit suicide instead of working or rebel straight out like other slaves.

I am glad Ezeagu is here on this thread. Anyone who discusses skin tone amongst the Igbo as if it is an important topic has completely been influenced by black politics in America. Skin tone has never been anywhere near as widely discussed or as divisive in ala Igbo as in the Americas.

I do appreciate the clarification that Igbo common traits are not a result of European mixing, which is quite rare, and happens mostly outside of Nigeria.

Historical differences between Igbos and other groups lie in the traditional democratic and independent nature of the various Igbo clans and groups, making it very difficult to conquer or even negotiate with them. In more recent history, resentment of Igbos came about after millions of Igbos settled in all corners of the colony of Nigeria, employed in government and educational posts that made them intermediaries between the colonists and the colonized. After independence, Igbos stayed on in these 'foreign' regions, often wealthy and well-off in relation to indigenous peoples. Of course that all changed after the war.

Current resentment and poor treatment of Igbos is mainly based on still fresh emotional wounds on the part of other Nigerians toward the Igbo for attempting to secede from the nation. This is roughly similar to the relations between the southern region of the United States and the rest of the country. Additionally, Igbos are sometimes regarded as 'invaders', as they are more likely than others to leave their home in the southeast and travel to other regions (and other countries) to trade and study and live. This is understandable in a place where resources are not available for the masses. It brings up other topics regarding the state of the major centers in Igbo land, as well as the political, economic, cultural and especially linguistic unity of the region.

LOL who says it results from mixing with Europeans

between colonialism and modern times is a difference of like 2 generations, so a lightskinned Igbo would be able to point out the exact White member of his family, but they cannot

its multigenerational mixing with Caucasians, but with Semites

funny how Igbos aside from their lightskin also tend to have semicaucasoid features, hmmmmm,

rocksta:

LOL who says it results from mixing with Europeans

between colonialism and modern times is a difference of like 2 generations, so a lightskinned Igbo would be able to point out the exact White member of his family, but they cannot

its multigenerational mixing with Caucasians, but with Semites

funny how Igbos aside from their lightskin also tend to have semicaucasoid features, hmmmmm,

What if they look like that. . . . . . .because they just look like that? What's to say an African group couldn't develop unique features like any other group on earth?

rocksta:

LOL who says it results from mixing with Europeans

between colonialism and modern times is a difference of like 2 generations, so a lightskinned Igbo would be able to point out the exact White member of his family, but they cannot

its multigenerational mixing with Caucasians, but with Semites

funny how Igbos aside from their lightskin also tend to have semicaucasoid features, hmmmmm,

This is annoying and irritating to say the least. Why is it hard for some to believe that a black man could be fair skinned?
I’m fair skinned and my brother is almost white with some tan. My granddad was very very fair skinned like my brother and I heard that his mother was very fair too. It’s been in my family way back before my great grand ma’s generation. They said we have always been fair skinned with dark skinned ones cropping up every now and then due to marriage with dark skinned wives.
From my maternal side, my mum and her siblings are all fair skinned and their dad fair skinned too.

I’m talking about a community that never had any knowledge of white people until early 20th century (1900s) but my great grand mum was born in 19th century.

It's manifestly CRAZY, not to mention ignorant, to assume automatically that a light skinned black has ''mixed'' ancestry. The black race comes in several shades from light to dark without admixture.

no, it doesnt

im excluding South Africa right now, because we all know they look a bit different, Asiatic

Overwhelming majority of subsaharan/central Africans is dark brown skinned, like 90%, so I have a right to assume that the remaining 10% got their traits from mixing or some recent migration to Africa of non-Bantus

006, aren't you from Nri?

ChinenyeN:

006, aren't you from Nri?

Yeah, but what has that to do with being fair skinned?

I hear that Nri people tend to be lighter in comparison to some other groups (but I wouldn't know, because I don't really know any Nri people), and then there's this: http://www.nrikingdom.org/History.aspx . . . not quite sure what to make of it, myself.

ChinenyeN:

I hear that Nri people tend to be lighter in comparison to some other groups (but I wouldn't know, because I don't really know any Nri people), and then there's this: http://www.nrikingdom.org/History.aspx . . . not quite sure what to make of it, myself.

Nri people? Aren't you from around the Imo River?

I am from around the Imo river. My post was in reference to 006 stating that light skin is rather prevalent in his family and it only reminded me of what I had read heard about those from Nri.

Ifygurl:
I just recently learned something new. Did you know "igbo" is a new spelling of us.  They used to call us "eboe". wonder why they changed it.  Anyway, the lightskin thing when it comes to igbo people isn't a new thing for us.  It has been with us since the beginning, long before europeans stepped foot in aFrica.  My mom and I read this book about a igbo girl and a fulani boy that caused a war between their two village(just because both of them were lovers) interesting book it was. Anyway, in the end of the book, it suggested other books to read. which i was able to find online also. Ndi igbo or better yet known as "ndi eboe" tend to be yellow in skincolor and during slavery, many other west african tribes hated us because of that. They used to insult us and claim we look "white and sickly" and white people used to insult us and claim "we look yellow with bile like eyes". Our nickname in the past was "west indies eboes" or "red eboe" but to other west african tribes we were "the sickly tribe"  Insulting isn't it. Looking down upon us for no reason. Wonder wetin we do? So all this hatration directed towards us, have been there since the beginning.  I wonder wetin we did to have other tribes turn against us?

anyone here is are the books (the ones i've read so far)
http://books.google.com/books?id=_lmFzFgsTZYC&pg=PA168
http://books.google.com/books?id=9QORC_cr86sC&pg=PA46&dq=mulatto+eboe&as_brr=1

This is the one i'm reading right now about an igbo slave that escaped from his master
http://books.google.com/books?id=PrPxWLSrp78C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0

Interesting isn't it.  I always used to think igbo people were dark like ola but hmm, it seems we were a diverse tribe even though other tribes insutled us because of that. I wonder why? oh well, i will never know unless i visited those eras abi?

i think dark skinned people get more insults than light ones.

006:


This is annoying and irritating to say the least. Why is it hard for some to believe that a black man could be fair skinned?
I’m fair skinned and my brother is almost white with some tan. My granddad was very very fair skinned like my brother and I heard that his mother was very fair too. It’s been in my family way back before my great grand ma’s generation. They said we have always been fair skinned with dark skinned ones cropping up every now and then due to marriage with dark skinned wives.
From my maternal side, my mum and her siblings are all fair skinned and their dad fair skinned too.

I’m talking about a community that never had any knowledge of white people until early 20th century (1900s) but my great grand mum was born in 19th century.

I'd say perhaps there's an albinoid gene present since retaining the white skin would only be possible if you only married among yourselves persistently.

a lot of people are darker skinned but still have white ancestry.