Our news here played something from a US news channel about the issue, and they talked to a few black professors/experts, and the general opinion was that while it was rather stupid thing to say, there was, unfortunately, more than a grain of truth to it. There have, apparently, been studies which suggest that people with darker skin (and who speak more like they're from the ghetto or MTV) are not treated as well as those with lighter skin. We're talking electability, job prospects, even greater levels of fear and uncertainty. Sad but true it seems.