Black Americans were desegregated in America. First based on race and then on color. What is the difference between race and color in this context?

When one looks at the history of African Americans in
America one has to look at the way in which they were brought into America.  The
original fathers and mothers that came to America were brought here for the purpose of
slavery.  One of the benefits that the masters took upon themselves to exercise was to
have sexual relations with the female slaves.

The offspring
of the original females that mated were lighter than the previous group.  Most Masters
would then place the lighter slaves in the homes as servants.  However, they also mated
with the lighter slaves resulting in even lighter skinned children.  The children of the
masters often had a very difficult life as they were not at all appreciated by the
Master’s Wives and children.

Among other black people they
were considered to be uppity or what came to be called "high yellow," and other names. 
The problems persisted when the people in this group were more accepted by white
communities later on.  Black children had not been able to feel good about them because
of the way they were perceived by whites. They established a sense of identity as white
being the good thing.  This meant a child closer to white seemed to be better.  Studies
performed in the 1960's demonstrated this when a group of black children were given a
chance to chose a doll and they chose the white doll remaking this is the good
one.

Times have changed a lot since those days and I am
very pleased that the young black men and women that I teach have a sense of pride in
themselves.  It has been a long time coming for a people who were not allowed to
assimilate into America but rather had to carve their own place in the country after
years of slavery and prejudice.