“If you’re white, you’re all right. If you’re brown, stick around, but if you’re black get back.” I’ve heard those words all my life, but never knew where they originated. They are from a song titled, “Get Back,” by blues artist Big Bill Broonzy born in Bolivar County, Miss., in the late 1800s. Mr. Broonzy’s words are reality for a lot of people.

Shades of black can be as much an issue as black itself. So I would guess few black people were really shocked or offended by Sen. Harry Reid’s comments about President Barack Obama, whom he described as “light-skinned” … “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” What part of that statement is untrue?

Debra Anderson grew up in Vicksburg and lives and works in Jackson. E-mail her.

Mr. Reid’s statement insinuated that a dark-skinned black man with a Negro dialect might not fare as well in a presidential bid as a light-skinned black man without a dialect. Tell us something we don’t already know.

Many of us held our breath while we waited to see if Barack Obama’s skin color, as light-skinned as he is, would prevent him from becoming president. It didn’t.

Historically, light-skinned blacks have been viewed more favorably, but not without bias. Distinctions in shades of black are real. Every black person in America could probably tell a story regarding the hardships or the opportunities created by both.

An otherwise very confident friend of mine told me that all his life he had been ridiculed for having dark skin. He said one of his top criteria in selecting a wife was very light skin. He wanted to reduce the chances of having dark-skinned children who would have to deal with what he had experienced, inside and outside the black community.

If we could be completely honest for one moment, we would agree that in spite of President Obama’s impressive, impeccable, over-the-top academic credentials, his finesse and eloquence, his appeal, charisma and ability, his light skin certainly didn’t hurt him. The fact that his physical appearance is not in stark contrast to white America probably worked to his advantage.

Sadly, being dark-skinned is a serious esteem issue for many people of color all over the world. Beauty has been defined by color; the lighter, the better. That being said, if it is true that if you’re white you’re all right, it stands to reason that being light-skinned must be the next best thing. That is probably why the global market for skin lighteners is projected to reach $10 billion by 2015.

As Americans, we are embroiled in partisan politics, political correctness and one-up-manship, but will Harry Reid’s departure bring absolution for anything? Will it change what we believe to be true, deep down?

Need we be reminded of who makes us different in the first place? It is God who has made us, and not we ourselves. Had we paid more attention in Sunday school, we’d already know there are greater qualities to consider than skin color.