You don't hear many black people saying they wish they were less black.

Good question. It use to be a sign of a lower class to have to work in the sun. It seems Coco Chanel got a sunburn while visiting the French Riviera in the 1920's and people liked it and along the popularity of Josephine Baker, it gained momentum. Added with scientific studies of the early 1900's proclaiming the health benefits, it got popularized.