The interpretation that is given authority is that of the Salaf as Salih.
Yes there is. Rasulullah (peace be upon him) recognised tribes/clans that genuinely denoted people's lineages, but anything from the time of jahiliya was rejected (e.g racism or pride based on one's ancestors)
You clearly haven't met many Arabs.
Egyptians, Yemenis, Omanis (and obviously the Sudanese) tend to be much darker than the rest, Saudis, Qataris, and Emiratis are mixed, Iraqis are usually white or light brown, and the rest are typically white.