Public Speaker. Life Coach. Founder of Colorism Healing.
“…really using your light skin privilege, your voice, to be able to do what research can’t necessarily do. But what you can do in a family may touch a lot more people than research can.” —Dr. Jandel Crutchfield
What are your sibling experiences with colorism?? Share in the comments below.
I started the month of March with a great opportunity to speak about Colorism Healing and read selections from the new book Colorism Poems at a monthly local event called “7 Minute Sundays,” hosted by my friend and fellow writer/creator Jacquelyn Brown here in Baton Rouge.
Here’s video from the beginning of this event. We did not record the dialogue in order to respect the privacy of some individuals. However, I must say that everyone present expressed sincere appreciation for the discussion. I was thoroughly encouraged by all of their participation, honesty, questioning, and wisdom.
If you’d like me to speak at your event, contact me here.
As we seek to address colorism in our societies, we will need the voices and support of all members of our community. For that reason, I’ve wanted to incorporate more of a male perspective on colorism on this site. Black men have already written several blog posts on colorism, and I recommend reading the ones listed here. These posts provide helpful insight into how some black men view and experience colorism. The authors represent a range of personal and professional backgrounds, and each post demonstrates that there are multiple narratives around the issue of colorism.
Marc published this post on his blog, Polite on Society, in anticipation of the Dark Girls documentary. He doesn’t take long to point out the fact that the experiences of black men are often left out of conversations about colorism. He touches on some of the reasons for this relative silence and alludes to his own struggles with colorism while growing up.
Ta-Nehisi Coates published this piece on The Atlantic prior to the release of the Dark Girls doc. Coates candidly acknowledges his own prejudices against dark skinned girls when he was a child and explains how his perspective and “preference” eventually changed.
Social worker and activist Robert West wrote one of the more personal blog posts, this time in reaction to Dark Girls after watching it. A large part of Robert’s story is his internal conflict as a light skinned man. He describes the problematic nature of colorism in various relationships, family, romantic, and professional. He ends in a place that I find particularly helpful, explaining part of his healing process.
Anti-Intellect is one of those rare men who uses phrases like “the intersection of white supremacy and patriarchy.” In this brief post he concisely explains why gender matters in the issue of colorism.
This second post by Anti-Intellect is a good companion to number 4. It further breaks down the gender dynamics of colorism but with a specific focus on how that plays out in hip hop culture.
Keith writes from a personal perspective as a way to provide social analysis and commentary. He speaks as a dark skinned black man who struggled with accepting his complexion in the past but eventually matured to a point of self-love. Keith gives several examples of the negative stereotypes about skin tone black men internalize and perpetuate and the destructive ways that black masculinity is tied up in colorism.
While we may have heard tons of stories about the backhanded compliment “You’re pretty for a dark-skinned girl,” Donovan reveals that as a man he’s received several comments with similar meaning. While Donovan says he’s never struggled to love his complexion, he expresses frustration with the fact that so many others can’t see the beauty in dark skin.
Damon explains that while we focus on the affect popular images have on girls’ self-esteem, we should also remember the affects these images might have on the way boys perceive girls and women. This post reminds us that dating “preferences” are socially constructed to a large extent, especially when it comes to racialized features like hair, eyes, and skin tone.
Joshua tells of his own pain growing up as a light skinned black male facing negative stereotypes about his masculinity and blackness. However, he also acknowledges a level of light-skinned privilege, noting that privilege is not absolute and that it might exist even where there’s also pain.
Damon’s perspective is quite different from some of the other posts that speak of the pain that dark skinned boys and men might experience as a result of colorism.If you’re familiar with VBS, you know that Damon has a way of shocking readers awake by giving us the unexpected. But this post isn’t for shock value. It contains the nuance that while black men don’t have many of the privileges afforded whites or white men in particular, dark skinned black men do receive some benefits within the black community.
Dr. Dyson urges us to retain nuance in discussing light-skinned privilege. Unfortunately, those eager to dismiss discussions of privilege might take this post as validation for doing so. In this post, Dyson goes hard in the paint to support Curry, and that motive slightly colors his discussion of colorism. But for a general audience, this is definitely a must-read.
This is one of my favorite blog posts about colorism written by anyone online. It’s a literary, tribute, analysis piece that speaks candidly about how colorism influences our intimate partner selections. But Johnson also does a good job explaining the need for critical literacy when it comes to our consumption of pop culture/media, reminding us that we can simultaneously appreciate and critique. Any revolution depends on our ability and commitment to doing so.
If you know of other great blog posts about colorism written from a male perspective, please share them!
Sincerely, Sarah.
Dear Gabby,
When I was a young girl, I wanted to be just like you! Yes, I’m about a decade older than you, but seeing you win gold and make history at the London Olympics in 2012 brought me back to my childhood days of obsession with the Magnificent 7 (Dominque Dawes in particular). You possessed talents I could only pretend to have (embarrassingly enough, as my older sister will attest). The fact that at such a young age you overcame racism, loneliness, and separation from your family on top of the intense training required of gold medalists made you one of my all-time personal heroes.
I anticipated your 2016 return to the Olympics in Rio and watched with pride, excitement, and joy as you performed and stood atop the medal stand a gold medalist once again. Your presence on the world stage is a valuable mirror for so many young girls, including my younger girl self, who too rarely see themselves reflected as champions, brilliant and beautiful.
That is why I am heartbroken and angry that you have to experience such hatred and negativity from other people. Gabby, I want you to know that their hatred is not about you. Though it’s directed at you for the moment, it actually has nothing to do with you. Because your position as a world-class gymnast at the Olympics makes you highly visible to the public eye, you are an easy target for public scrutiny. But again, that scrutiny in no way reveals any truths about you, Gabby Douglas.
The people pushing hurtful things in your direction are trapped in an old, destructive tradition of hostility toward black girls and black women who dare to leap and fly into their own destinies rather than fearfully cower in the decrepit boxes society has labeled for them. Society fights ruthlessly to control and dictate your existence. So when you don’t place your right hand where they believe it should go, or when you don’t smile when they think you should be smiling, or when your appearance contradicts their idea of what’s attractive and acceptable, they unleash a verbal lashing meant to beat your spirit into submission.
And I will be honest here, since I think you deserve nothing less: Although all black girls are susceptible to racist attacks, not every black girl will be advised to get a nose job or be ostracized because of her hair or be perceived as grumpy and “jealous” (some of us are all to familiar with that label). Colorism is often an unacknowledged aspect of how we treat women of color, but one has to wonder why other black athletes haven’t received the kind of hurtful criticism you’ve had to endure, why some fans just love Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez but can’t feel enthusiastic about you. The cruel rejection of nose, hair, lips, and other racialized features predates social media, predates the modern Olympics and the sport of gymnastics. This tradition of degrading the natural features of certain black women is so embedded in our society that many black people, as you have seen, also partake in the antagonism. Because if they can’t be free then neither can you.
I am not writing this letter to give you the empty, dismissive, and clichéd advice to “just love yourself and don’t worry about what others think!” I would not give you that advice if you were being physically attacked, and I don’t think it’s particularly useful for the sort of spiritual attacks you’ve experienced. If you were being physically bullied, I’d encourage you to build up your strength, to develop your fighting skills, to up your street smarts, to arm yourself, to surround yourself with people who’ve got your back. You can do this in spiritual warfare as well. It may take time to develop these resources, and even when you do there will still be battles that leave you in tears, scarred and bruised. But I believe you will be victorious. After all, you’ve already demonstrated your resourcefulness, tenacity, determination, and resilience as a legendary Olympic gymnast.
Gabby, I don’t know if this letter will mean anything to you. I know that criticism is often stickier than praise. And anyway, who am I to you? Nonetheless, I leave you with this: You are gorgeous! Your features are stunning. Your hair is pretty. You’re one of my favorite gymnasts of all time! You make me extremely proud. You are valuable and worthy beyond gymnastics just because you exist. You are a shining representation of greatness, not just for your country but the entire world.
Sincerely, Sarah.
A few days ago, as part of the Blogging While Brown conference in DC, I got to participate in a preview and discussion about the upcoming Loving movie. Ruth Negga, who stars in the leading role as Mildred Loving, also Skyped in from London to do a live interview with us.
There’s still a surprising number of people who have never heard the history of Mildred and Richard Loving, despite its significance in the Civil Rights legacy. Mildred, a black woman, and Richard, a white man, were arrested in Virginia in 1958 for being in an interracial marriage. They sued and took their case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and won, helping to strike down anti-miscegenation laws across the country.
Over the years some have questioned the significance of the Loving v. Virginia court case, but I think it’s important for us to recognize the interconnectedness of marriage and “white supremacist capitalist patriarchy” (bell hooks) here in the United States. Marriage is more than just a trivial matter of personal and private choices. Marriage is an institution whose bricks were mortared with white supremacy, capitalism, and patriarchy just like all other U.S. institutions. The Lovings helped chip away at that mortar.
One of the most interesting aspects of this new Loving movie in 2016 is that it depicts interracial love in which the woman is black. While we might be quite accustomed to seeing the black man-nonblack woman pairing, we’re far less likely to see depictions of black women in interracial marriages. (And I intentionally use words like “love” and “marriage” as opposed to a looser term like “relationships.” I will explain why in a sec.)
Other writers have discussed why so few stories and images in Western culture feature black women as the love interest in interracial romance. For example, Brittany Slatton’s book Mythologizing Black Women (2014) concisely depicts the intense levels of misogynoir in the United States. The book illustrates how hateful narratives, stereotypes, and lies about black women are used to justify their sexual exploitation and their rejection as wives. Among these myths are ones you’ve probably heard of (perhaps some you’ve believed): black women in general are inherently less feminine/more masculine, have animalistic and uncontrollable sexuality, lack intelligence and civility, and are lazy and irresponsible.
What the book does remind us, however, is that while society doesn’t view black women as suitable marriage partners, society has always viewed black women as sex objects with whom white men (or any men) could do as they pleased. And this is why I focus on the words “love” and “marriage.” It’s not enough to have stories or see images of men lusting for black women’s bodies in a purely sexual way. We need more stories and images in which men of all races value the humanity of black women, love them, and marry them.
In Loving, rather than seeing a white man merely lust for a sexual exploit with a black woman, we see a man willing to risk it all to demonstrate his love and commitment to a black woman. He fights with and for this black woman. In a culture that still repeatedly fails to do this, a movie like Loving is refreshing and important.
The Loving movie is also important because it reminds us how the institution of marriage was deployed to undergird white supremacy. Laws preventing interracial marriage really just applied to white people. The creators of anti-miscegenation laws couldn’t care less about the coupling of various other races and ethnic groups. The laws were purely about maintaining white domination.
Contrary to popular belief, anti-miscegenation laws weren’t created to prevent sexual contact between whites and people of other races, and it certainly wasn’t to curtail the presence of mixed-race children. This is evident by the rampant rape of black women by white men and the numerous mixed race children that resulted.
Anti-miscegenation laws were about building and protecting white wealth as well as controlling white women as the property of white men. A significant aspect of the marriage institution is combining economic assets and bearing “legitimate” or legal heirs to the family’s legacy. By making it illegal to marry black people, white society tried to guarantee that their wealth would never fall into the hands of blacks. Thus, white men could produce all the “colored” children they wanted so long as those children did not have legal right to inherit their father’s wealth. In fact, the institution of slavery and white dominance profited greatly from the sexual abuse of black women that resulted in children because more negro babies meant more “property” for slave owners.
It wasn’t until the United States ended the formal chattel slave system that authorities wanted to prevent the birth of more mixed-race children, when those children were no longer viewed in terms of their potential profit to white slaveholders but were instead viewed as symbolic threats to white supremacy. If white supremacy says that blacks, particularly black women, are subhuman, then the symbolic resonance of whites and blacks, particularly white men and black women like the Lovings, belonging to the same nuclear family shakes the foundation of white domination.
While I have yet to see this latest rendition of the Lovings’ story in its entirety, I believe it’s an important story to tell, and at this point I can only hope that it’s a story well told.
Naturally, there are other issues I could bring up in relation to this film. For one, the movie doesn’t appear to alleviate the underrepresentation of dark skinned black women in leading roles, especially as love interests. This is a legitimate industry problem, but I don’t see this as a problem inherent to the movie itself (as it is in other notorious biopics). And when it comes to marriage, there’s also the issue of some groups marrying “white” in order to “whiten/lighten/improve” their blood lines or even their entire race. Again, I don’t see that as part of the Lovings’ story.
In the midst of a contentious and high stakes political season and eruptions of hateful violence, I’m hoping this movie gets the attention it deserves. I’m hoping this retelling of a significant milestone in Civil Rights history reminds us that loving is revolutionary. Love drives progress. Love fuels us in our persistent pursuit of change. Love sustains us in our ongoing struggle, our long journey to freedom.
Sincerely, Sarah.
We are excited to announce the top 5 winners in each Division of the 2016 CHPC. Thank you to our judges Kiara Lee and Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder and to everyone who submitted poetry or supported this work in any way. Below are the results of the 2016 Colorism Healing Poetry Contest. Click the title to read the poem.
Congratulations!
I’d like to dispell the myth that white people are total outsiders when it comes to colorism. The notion that white people are completely clueless, innocent, and irrelevant when it comes to colorism is false.
Some people claim that to white people “we’re all just black.” They believe that whites see no difference among blacks and do not treat blacks differently based on skin tone. That’s mostly untrue. To the Ku Klux Klan, yes, black people are just black regardless of skin tone, hair texture, facial features, etc. BUT, most white people are not members of the KKK.
It’s true that many white people may not be familiar with the term “colorism” or that they may not know/understand how minorities discriminate against each other.
It’s also true that many whites don’t care about skin tone (at least not consciously), just as it’s also true that many blacks don’t care about skin tone.
But colorism still exists and is perpetuated by both blacks and whites (and many other races, ethnicities, and nationalities), sometimes consciously and often unconsciously. We must acknowledge this in order to fully remedy the problem.
Here’s how white people in particular are complicit in colorism.
First, just to be clear, when I use the term “white supremacy,” I’m not talking about the Ku Klux Klan or any such hate groups. I’m talking about white supremacy as the myriad ways in which whiteness is the privileged standard and model of all things “good” or “normal” in our society and around the world, while blackness is positioned as the direct and extreme opposite of that. White supremacy reaches far beyond extremist hate groups. White supremacy is American culture.
White people, even the really nice ones, perpetuate white supremacy. (All people who have internalized white supremacy, regardless of their racial designation, perpetuate white supremacy, hence colorism and prejudices against “black culture.”)
As Time Wise writes:
“I admit that AS IS TRUE WITH ANY WHITE PERSON raised in a racist/white supremacist society, I have internalized certain racist and white supremacist thoughts/beliefs/norms, etc.”
It should be noted that this conditioning can be effectively resisted. But you can only resist what you acknowledge exists.
In 2015, Lance Hannon published research findings on what he calls “white colorism,” indicating that regardless of education, test scores, and other demographic factors, “African Americans and Latinos deemed to have lighter skin tones are significantly more likely to be seen as intelligent by white interviewers.” He uses the following language, which includes a bit of professional jargon, but is quite significant:
“a one standard deviation increase in skin lightness roughly triples the probability of being perceived as having above average intelligence (an impact that is greater than a one standard deviation increase in education level).”
This suggests that in judging intelligence, whites are more influenced by skin tone than education level.
In 2014, five researchers published results of a study revealing the existence of a “skin tone memory bias.” All races of study participants, including white participants, remembered “educated” black men as being lighter than they actually are.
In 2014, Brittany C. Slatton published a book detailing the results of her research in which white men were invited to respond anonymously to an online survey about their views on dating black women. Slatton explains that the men who said they’re unattracted or rarely attracted to black women “root that lack of attraction in those traits defined as ‘black’: dark skin, hair texture, and facial features.” In contrast, some of the white men who are and are not attracted to black women in general “described blacks with more ‘white’ facial features and hair texture as the only attractive black woman,” thus using whiteness as the standard by which they measure the beauty of black women. Slatton quotes several of the survey respondents who say the following:
“I do find some black women attractive, but they tend to have more white physical features and are polished…. Alicia Keys comes to mind.”
“If I find a black woman attractive, it is because their hair type and facial features are more representative of the Caucasian race.”
“There are some black women who are attractive. And they aren’t full black. The only black women I find attractive are a mix of black and European, black and Latino, or black and Asian. They end up with a tan complexion, and hair that doesn’t look frizzled or like a Brillo pad.”
“The ‘blacker’ the person, the less femininity I tend to see.”
“I think black women’s features are too extreme; they are too dark, and they usually are much too large for my tastes…. The only black women I have found even marginally attractive are smaller, lighter-skinned black women… ala Beyoncé.”
We might never care whether white guys want to marry us, but what Slatton’s research helps to show is how white people are just as capable of colorism as any other group of people.
In 2014, three researchers reported that dark skinned black girls are three times more likely to be suspended from school than light skinned black girls, and for boys and girls alike, darker skin correlates with higher suspension rates. Whites undoubtedly contribute to such a significant color-based disparity given that a majority of school administrators are white, about 83% of teachers are white, and only 7% are black, non-hispanic (as reported by NCTES).
In 2011, three researchers found that in North Carolina between 1995 and 2009, light skinned black women received more lenient prison sentences and served less time in jail. In the judicial system, it’s often white people making such decisions.
In 2010, Kimberly Kahn and Paul Davies published the results of two studies showing that in shooting simulations, blacks and non-blacks were both more likely to shoot blacks with darker skin, broader noses, and fuller lips.
In 2009, two researchers published study results suggesting that for whites making hiring decisions, skin tone had greater influence on their choices than education and work experience.
It’s not that the people in the above studies (or anyone else for that matter) are actively trying to discriminate against dark skinned people. It’s more likely that they have unconscious associations with skin tone that they’re completely unaware of and can’t even recognize. That’s implicit bias. Scholars at Harvard University’s Project Implicit define implicit bias pretty simply:
“An explicit stereotype is the kind that you deliberately think about and report. An implicit stereotype is one that occurs outside of conscious awareness and control. Even if you say that men and women are equally good at math, it is possible that you associate math with men without knowing it. In this case we would say that you have an implicit math-men stereotype.”
As a result of implicit bias, even people we talk to who say they “don’t see color,” probably (absolutely) do see color. Though as Slatton reminds us in her book, we can’t always rely on what people say in front of us anyway, because most folks (who are not Donald Trump) usually try to avoid appearing racist, even if they really do hold racially biased beliefs and attitudes.
Because American culture is white supremacist, most people have a pro-white/anti-black implicit bias, even if only slightly. (If you want to measure your own implicit bias, you can take the test.)
One of the biggest, most lucrative, and most visible drivers of white supremacy in American culture is the industry combo of beauty, fashion, entertainment, magazine, and broadcast news. White people control the largest share of this industry mashup on several levels. People usually take that to mean that all minorities in America receive equal opportunity discrimination in these fields. But the truth is that lighter skinned minorities or “ethnically ambiguous” minorities have an advantage in these fields because of their skin, hair, and facial features. This advantage persists over time and in broad patterns despite individual exceptions or periodic trends toward darker skin.
In a passage about the Straight Outta Compton casting call, Kristen J. Warner writes in her 2015 book The Cultural Politics of Colorblind TV Casting that Hollywood does in fact typecast minority actors by skin tone, hair, and other features:
“The description of types included in the breakdown do in fact speak to the types of Blackness Hollywood can tolerate. It is an obvious and likely cliché but it bears another mention. Blackness and those who embody it in Hollywood must be in some ways relatable and familiar to white audiences, even in production where white audiences may not be the sole target demographic. Thus ‘exotic’ light-skinned women from a variety of ethnicities are privileged as the models while dark-skinned African-American women are reduced to ill-shaped, poverty-stricken background performers. What’s more, it is not just that an imagined white audience will see familiar types but also that those background performers will match their expectations of what a beautiful model and a poor, out-of-shape woman look like.”
When Viola Davis talks about how having dark skin and Afrocentric features makes it harder to get acting roles, especially substantive roles and leading roles, she’s not just talking about black films or black filmmakers (although they have serious colorism issues made more obvious because they are black). The working conditions Davis describes are created largely by whites who make a majority of casting and hiring decisions in these industries. And though some might be tempted to say that’s because they’re only giving black people what we want, the Oscars make it clear that white people in Hollywood feel no obligation to please minorities. White people’s decisions to cast a light skinned or mixed race woman is always about their prejudice. The earlier quote about Beyoncé, for example, reminds us that the overrepresentation of fair skinned black women on the celebrity A list is by no means soley a function of black people’s colorism, but is in large part a product of white people’s colorism as well.
During slavery, the institutional rape of black women resulted in a sizable population of mixed-race people. Because of their obvious European ancestry, whites attributed biracial people, slave or free, with greater beauty, intelligence, and humanity than the general population of black people, slave or free. This is the white supremacist foundation of colorism in the Americas. Light skin, straight hair, light colored eyes, or keen facial features in people of color are privileged because society takes those things as evidence of European ancestry, and it’s that perceived connection to European ancestry that is so valued in American culture.
These attitudes are quite clearly expressed in E. B. Reuter’s 1917 article “The Superiority of the Mulatto.” Reuter reports that:
“The whole matter of attitude on the part of the white people and its consequent result in greater opportunities for lighter work, more association, greater privileges, better training, and more freedom operated to the advantage of the mulattoes prior to the passing of the institution of slavery. …
“The white man’s assumption of the mixed-bloods’ superior capability, entirely aside from any question as to the accuracy of the assumption, created in the Negro race the tradition of mulatto superiority. It laid the basis for a class separation on the basis of skin coloration and for the social prestige of the mixed-blood group.”
Reuter acknowledges that advantage and disadvantage were not unilateral during slavery, but the fact remains that whatever disparities did exist between black and mixed-race people were a direct result of the actions of white people. White people (and eventually mixed-race individuals themselves) perpetuated these attitudes and inequalities for generations after slavery.
At the end of the day, effectively dealing with colorism requires acknowledgement of how whites perpetuate colorism. Because whites created colorism in America and because they continue to perpetuate it and continue to maintain social conditions that entrench it, they are a part of the equation that leads to solutions. Especially since they are most likely to teach children of all races and are very likely to make decisions that could alter the course and quality of people’s lives, decisions pertaining to employment, the legal system, and other areas of life like housing, healthcare, policing, etc.
I will say, however, that we must first eradicate colorism—white supremacy—from our own minds and hearts.
The struggle would be difficult, but there was already a hint of victory. In the heavy silence of the jail, I discovered that if I concentrated hard enough, I could hear echoes of slogans being chanted on the other side of the walls. ‘Free Angela Davis.’ ‘Free All Political Prisoners.’ -Angela Davis: An Autobiography, 1974
Many of Colorism Healing’s readers are movie fans, and several have even been looking for movies and films about colorism in particular. While the documentary Dark Girls is widely known among those interested in colorism, there are other notable movies and films that address this issue. However, after searching around online, I realized it wasn’t exactly the easiest task to locate all of them. There weren’t any sites with a basic list of colorism films that readers could browse. So I created this for you.
Listed in chronological order.
Said to be the first documentary to address colorism, this film focuses specifically on African Americans. It traces the roots of colorism back to American slavery, examines gender differences, features news media and rap music, and touches on a range of issues including beauty, employment, marriage, and friendship.
This film addresses global diversity by focusing on a “fairness fetish” within modern Indian society. Viewers will see the origins of the fair-skinned ideal in ancient Indian culture, modern forces that perpetuate the “business” of fair skin, growing trends related to gender, and various cultural spheres affected by this issue such as marriage and entertainment.
Growing out of a high school English literature project, this film features interviews with a number of teenage girls and a reproduction of the infamous “doll test.” The film presents various voices on a range of issues related to colorism, including hair, history, beauty, personal growth, style and fashion, and self-love.
This news segment features an experiment to determine if participants would rank people’s intelligence according to how dark or light the person appeared in a photograph. It also includes interviews from a number of actors who’ve experienced type-casting based on being dark-skinned or light-skinned.
Based on a true story, this drama and romance follows the life of a colored woman born to white South African parents. The movie depicts her fight to cope with other people’s reactions to her appearance as well as her struggle to choose between life with her family or the man she loves.
This film explores the issue colorism among African Americans through the voices of a community of quilters. Their stories speak of the significance of the quilting tradition in connecting community and remembering heritage.
This film focuses on the issue of skin color bias among women in the African, Caribbean, and South Asian diasporas. Taking a look at historical origins and contemporary effects with an eye toward change, this film is a good introduction to colorism as a global issue.
Debose enters the colorism conversation through the all too common notion of “good hair.” Framed with the thoughts of a pregnant mother, the documentary weaves in various perspectives on black hair politics and what it means in the scheme of colorism.
A documentary exploring colorism, it’s origins and contemporary manifestations, with a specific focus on how it impacts many dark-skinned girls and women.
Negro explores the “color complex” (colorism) among Latinos through a number of interviews. Discussions include a range of relevant concerns including history, colonization, racism, diaspora, and personal identity. The film tries to convey the fact that Latinos are diverse, and the series takes viewers to various locations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This film explores modern India’s obsession with fair skin through several interviews with actors, beauticians, children, housewives, and more. The purpose of the film is to uncover the meaning of fair skin and the kinds of social capital it affords in India today.
Yellow Fever is an international, award-winning film by Ng’endo Mukii. This short film is a mixed media work of art. It’s unique in that it zooms in (sometimes literally) on the unsettling emotional and psychological experience of internalized white supremacy.
This film, which debuted on BET, chronicles one dark-skinned girl’s journey from hurt to healing. Along with Janet’s story, viewers get to see and hear various black women, including some celebrities, discuss the issues of beauty and self-love as it pertains to black women. The film includes segments on Black Girls Rock and an ancestral and personal discovery in South Africa.
This movie depicts the journey of a woman who once severely bleached her skin in order to attract a guy. A decade later, her life is completely changed, but the past still haunts her physically and emotionally. With the help of a psychiatrist, she embarks on her personal journey toward healing.
The parallel stories of two black women faced with the social message that their darker complexion makes them less worthy of love, acceptance and respect.
Jade, a successful freelance photographer is hopelessly in love with her best friend of 10 years, bar manager Danny. She discovers through several challenging encounters both personally and professionally that the one thing keeping them from happy ever after is her inherent beauty – her complexion and skin tone. Her shade.
Skin is a documentary about exploring through the meaning of beauty in all the different shades of black. Set in Lagos, Nollywood actress Beverly Naya goes on a journey to learn about contrasting perceptions of beauty by meeting individuals who have dealt with the pressure to conform to certain standards of beauty and how colorism continues to shape the face of the entertainment industry in Africa
“Sunflower tells the story of high school student Amari Stevens, who struggles to embrace her dark brown skin color in a society where fair and light-skinned women are considered the standard of beauty. When Amari is rejected by her crush Cameron Jones for her lighter-skinned friend Kiara Williams, she turns to skin bleach cream in an attempt to change her outer appearance.”
When I published the Ultimate List of Colorism Books back in September, I discovered several new titles and new authors I didn’t know were out there. One of them was A Most Precious Pearl by Piper Huguley. As a historical romance novelist who features African American characters, Huguley is a best-selling author and has won notable awards for several of her books.
Before the book was officially recommended for the Ultimate List, I’d actually seen someone recommending it to a friend on Twitter as a novel that actually deals with colorism in romance.
@FountainPenDiva think we should check out Most Precious Pearl by @piperhuguley deals w/what we’ve always talked about! #colorism in romance
— RebelliousCupid (@RebelliousCupid) September 13, 2015
I’d never read romance novels before, but learning of one that addressed the theme of colorism was reason enough to start!
A Most Precious Pearl is a great read on many levels. Huguley balances the historical gravity of racism in the South with the passion and often humorous levity of a young couple falling in love. Even though genre conventions demand a certain outcome, the plot holds you in suspense from beginning to end as this unique love story unfolds. Characters are resonant and relatable and painted with clarity.
In particular, Huguley directly addresses the issue of colorism in this novel without relying on stereotypes and without reducing it to the clichéd and divisive “light skin vs. dark skin debate.” She illustrates the subtle, everyday nature of colorism. Most importantly, she shows that colorism is an issue families and individuals can resist and overcome.
Piper Huguley was gracious enough to answer a few questions about colorism, family, inspiration, and more. Read her responses below, and be sure to grab a copy of the book here!
Colorism Healing: You’ve written about the fact that you were intentional about wanting to incorporate colorism as a theme in this novel, especially after an editor warned you to stay away from colorism in romance. What is it about fiction, romance in particular, that makes it a good medium for exploring the issue of colorism?
Piper Huguley: In the romance genre, the author has to put up many roadblocks to that “happily ever after” end for the couple that the reader wants. I tried to think of more organic complications that would come up for a Black couple and colorism is as organic as it gets. The editor warned me about the inclusion of colorism in a contemporary modern day romance. Her view was, I think, that colorism is an issue of the past and that modern day Black people don’t have to worry about it anymore. I don’t agree with that view, but rather than argue about it, I took it as a sign that I was meant to write about the past when colorism was seen more ubiquitously as a problem. So I thank that editor because that was when I started to write historicals. In historical general fiction, colorism is still seen as an issue, depending on the shades of the participants, but it just can’t be resolved in the same way. I intend to take up the topic again at some point.
CH: Mags and Ruby remind me a lot of my sister and me—the lighter skinned older sister and the younger dark skinned sister. Although the difference in their complexions creates tension that’s central to the novel in many ways, I found the sisterly bond between these two characters quite compelling, perhaps because it seems unscathed by external pressures. Usually the focus of colorism discussions is on a “light skin versus dark skin” conflict, but I think your depiction of Ruby and Mags as sisters speaks volumes for colorism healing. Can you talk about the richness of Mags and Ruby’s sisterly bond both generally and as it relates to colorism in particular?
PH: A lot of early readers of the earlier novel [Ruby’s novel is called A Virtuous Ruby] thought that Ruby was insane for her view of wishing to be darker-skinned. But very early on in her life, the people who surround her and love her were darker people–especially her father. So naturally, seeing darker people who loved her, she believed that as a positive quality in the people she loved. A darker skin was not a negative to her. Also, as the protective older sister, she is determined that the world should see the people that she loves in that positive way, including Mags, who bears the heaviest burden of it as the darkest sister. You may know from your experience, that even today (guess I still don’t agree with that editor), people will be borderline rude about the way young Black girls look in terms of their skin tone. I know it’s still true because my students become very vocal about it when it comes up in class. For me, my thought was, “If things are this bad in the way colorism impacts women in the present, imagine what that must have been like a hundred years ago.” It’s a theme that gets taken up in literary fiction, but is rarely dealt with in genre fiction. So when Ruby tells Asa that her sister is even prettier than she herself is, she means it with her whole heart. Mags has believe it too before she can find her happiness with Asa.
CH: What about Mags or her relationship with Ruby and other family keep her from falling into conflict with her lighter sister? Or why does she not fall into the stereotype of the “jealous dark-skinned girl”? I ask because “jealousy” is such a pervasive, negative trope when people bring up colorism, yet Mags seems able to keep her issues with colorism from negatively affecting her relationship with her sister in that way.
PH: I make a reference in the book to how everyone thought of Ruby as the pretty one and Mags didn’t get that same attention (she felt it was because she looked like her father). Mags internalized this attitude more, instead of feeling resentment about it against Ruby. It was one reason why she dated Travis for that brief time–at least she was wanted. So she didn’t have to feel that resentment against her sister. I think her resentment is more for other people in the way that they were perceived.
CH: You’ve recently written about the importance of naming, particularly for African Americans, and in the wake of Raven Symone’s comments on The View. In A Most Precious Pearl, as you note about all the books in the series, names are important for various reasons. Asa alters his name when he goes down South, and the play on various versions and meanings of Mags’s name speak to her character and illustrate Asa’s love for her. Can you elaborate on the “name game” as it relates to Mags? Was it an arbitrary choice that gained significance as you wrote the story, or did the name help to shape the story and the character herself?
PH: Naming in novels has to happen for me as a part of the character’s backstory or origins, so it is deeply intentional for me. So the whole story of how the Bledsoe girls were named was an affirmation of how John insisted that his daughters were precious like jewels and so, named for them: Ruby, Garnet, Emerald. Cordelia and Margaret’s (Mags) names, and how they are precious as well, are revealed in their own stories. Mags’s name is part of her character and personality in that she feels set apart in some way. Her name, and the naming changes that take place in the story, represent part of her ongoing struggle to self-acceptance. Naming has long been an intentional linguistic expression for Black people in this country and I wanted to show that in the series.
CH: You’ve noted that Beverly Jenkins, a pioneer in historical romance with African American characters, is a source of inspiration for you. What other writers or texts have inspired or influenced you in some way to either become a writer or to evolve as a writer?
PH: I would certainly say that Zora Neale Hurston is an influence. Her instance on the humanity of Black people in both her anthropological work and fiction has certainly shaped me. An essay by Langston Hughes called “The Need for Heroes” impacted me deeply and called to me to write historically. The situation that compelled Hughes to write about the need to celebrate the ancestors as heroes in story in 1942 still, unfortunately, exists. There aren’t enough Black historical writers, but I’m proud and happy to be part of that small, but hopefully growing, group.
Click here to buy A Most Precious Pearl and other books by Piper Huguley.
Piper Huguley seeks to make new inroads in the publication of historical romance by featuring African American Christian characters. The Lawyer’s Luck and The Preacher’s Promise, the first books in her “Home to Milford College” series, are Amazon best sellers. She is a 2013 Golden Heart finalist for her novel, A Champion’s Heart—the fourth book in “Migrations of the Heart”. The first book in the series, A Virtuous Ruby, was the first-place winner in The Golden Rose Contest in 2013 and was a Golden Heart finalist in 2014. The first three books in the “Migrations of the Heart” series, which follows the loves and lives of African American sisters during America’s greatest internal migration in the first part of the twentieth century, were published by Samhain Publishing in 2015. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son. See more here.
Each colorism quote is listed in alphabetical order by author.
Why compile a list of colorism quotes? The official answer is that a collection of quotations helps fulfill the CH mission to raise awareness and provide a hub of information and resources about colorism.
Other equally valid and true reasons: People like quotes! Because sometimes I just don’t know what to write. Sometimes I get tired of my own voice and just want to soak up what others have said. Sometimes I feel like people aren’t hearing me, but they might be able to hear someone else.
Full disclosure: This is by no means a comprehensive list of quotes. I selected quotations that I tend to agree with and that are by people much more famous than me. Not because these are the only words that matter, but simply because I had to find some way to limit the scope of this thing and because people like reading what famous people have to say.
“It doesn’t just exist in Hollywood. I think it exists in society and to be quite honest, I don’t know how much it exists in the larger society, but it definitely exists in the Black community. There are obvious historical reasons for that. The closer we were to White, the more freedom we thought we could have or the more acceptability. Beauty was defined as White and the farther away you get from that White-blond-hair-blue-eye definition of beauty, the uglier you are. The closer you get to it, the more beautiful you are and that’s what we’ve been doing amongst ourselves for a very long time.
“Look, I can’t pass a paper bag test. I’m definitely darker than a paper bag and I have ‘good hair’ and that’s just me being in a different category and a different light. I know that me and my sisters were separated by our cousins by older relatives who would make these weird comments and then not mention the beauty of the other child that’s sitting right there and playing the same game.
“There’s a separation that’s made among sisters and we end up looking at each other funny, not realizing and thinking ‘she has it so good’ and the other one thinks, ‘I feel like an outcast, she has it so good’ and not realizing that we’re both missing out on each other. My experience in Hollywood is different. When Chris Rock did Good Hair, I was like ‘Why didn’t he talk to me? He didn’t get the full story.’ He didn’t get the full story because, for example, it’s about identity, it’s about belonging.
“It’s not just, in addition to what’s beautiful and what’s not. It’s also what’s acceptable. ‘Where do I fit?’ ‘Who do you think I am based on what I look like?’ For me, when I was younger, I remember my mom, because of my hair, my mom would braid my hair at night before auditions in small braids to make my hair thicker so that there wouldn’t be a question of ‘Oh, is she Black enough?’
“What’s harmful about it is the idea of separation and the idea of not belonging and not being loved and each one of us feels it in a different way because no matter what’s being said about all of us, whether lighter is better or darker is better or being able to twist your hair is better than having straight hair. We all experience pain because of it. The bottom line is we’re all being measured by a standard of beauty that has nothing to do with who we are and where we come from.”
“It’s all based on Eurocentric beauty ideals: For example; Straight, blonde hair, blue eyes, aquiline nose, thin limbs, lighter skin…. for many this is just considered ‘beauty.’ Why? Because eurocentric aesthetics are seen as the standard, and therefore are more palatable and desirable by the world as a whole. The entertainment industries are no exception, they SELL this desire to the world. MOST publications lighten darker people, because lighter skin and hair reflect more light and are more eye catching, magazines are after all a business. BUT! For example: Where ARE the cameras that make brown skin look amazing? Oprah has them I can tell you that! LoL! But in general, lights and cameras are ALWAYS tuned for lighter complexions. This is what institutionalized racism looks like. So, for musicians and actresses in the public eye, you are not just selling your talent, you are actually selling yourself. YOU become a product. The less your product fits into conventional beauty ideals, the less MARKETABLE, and therefore, less safe of an investment you are.”
“This song is for [all] Black women, but it’s especially for the dark-skinned black women,” says Banner. “If you look at our culture, our women don’t feel protected. They don’t feel wanted. You look at most of who so-called people of success cater to—nine times out of 10 it may not be a Black woman at all. And if it is, it’s definitely not ones that look like our cousins or our great-grandmothers. And I said man, if nobody in the world says that they love them and that they respect them and that they want them, it’ll be me.”
“The further we are from the European standard, the lower we find ourselves on the beauty scale….
“We are better if we are lighter. We want our children to be pretty because we know beauty will grant them an easier life in a color-coded society. Most of us don’t want to be reminded of our past, our ancestors, and where we come from. Many of us boast of having a little Indian, Irish, Italian—any additional blood in our lineage boosts our value. We find ourselves using a sliding racial scale, somewhere between black and white, with lighter or whiter always, always defined as better….
“For most of our history in the New World, we openly coveted light skin and straight hair. Today, the pinnacles of black female beauty remain almost white-looking. It is disturbingly telling that the long weave seems to be a prerequisite for black singers, actors, and models. Hip Hop videos feature light-skinned black, Latino, or Asian women—to the exclusion of darker-skinned black dancers….
“Sadly, that rating system continues today….
“We can ‘go along to get along’ with dominant society’s dictates or we can start the analytical process by weighing the costs and benefits of our thoughts and actions….
“Centuries of propaganda created the perceptual aesthetic deficit. We will need powerful weapons to dis-enslave and reprogram how we see ourselves. To wage a winnable war, both internally and externally, we will need the proper ammunition.”
“For me it’s a matter of what I thought when I was a kid. There’s an anecdote in the book where I foolishly tell one of my mother’s friends “I like light-skin girls.” My mother, who is lighter than me, read me the riot act in such a way that it sticks with me to this day.
“Acting Like it doesn’t exist doesn’t heal. . . . America as a family, this is our taboo issue that brings up so much. It triggers a lot of black girl pain. It triggers a lot of secrets. It triggers a lot of bias. It triggers a lot of emotional things. And like any family, when we go into our history and say this horrible thing created this characteristic, people don’t want to look at it. But this is the road to healing, right. This is the only way we’re going to feel whole: is we talk about where we’re fractured.
“This is it. Having this conversation, this is the solution.”
“That being said, when you do see a woman of color onscreen, the paper-bag test is still very much alive and kicking. That’s the whole racial aspect of colorism: If you are darker than a paper bag, then you are not sexy, you are not a woman, you shouldn’t be in the realm of anything that men should desire. And in the history of television and even in film, I’ve never seen a character like Annalise Keating played by someone who looks like me. My age, my hue, my sex. She is a woman who absolutely culminates the full spectrum of humanity our askew sexuality, our askew maternal instincts. She’s all of that, and she’s a dark-skin black woman. Some people who watch TV have acknowledged that and understand that. But I encourage you to search your memory and think of anyone who’s done this. It just hasn’t happened. I hear these stories from friends of mine who are dark-skin actresses who are always being seen as crack addicts and prostitutes.”
“What we’re finding more and more is that sometimes it’s not a conscious effort to hurt anybody. But what it comes down to is pain that is deeply held by children, and they don’t discuss it because they feel they’re going to be ridiculed by discussing it. So, we’re giving a voice to that discussion.
“The reason we think that dialogue is important is because it’s the beginning of healing. If you hold things and you don’t discuss it, it does bad things to the human body, psyche, everything.
“All women are dark girls, because whatever standard is set, you’re never going to meet it. And as soon as you get close, they say ‘Oops! We’ve changed it. But we love you so much, we’re gonna help you get to the new standard. Here’s some new products.
“How you were born is fine. Whoever says that it’s not is one of two things: a liar or a business person. It’s that simple.”
, 1942
“I found the Negro, and always the blackest Negro, being made the butt of all jokes, particularly black women. …
“If it was so honorable and glorious to be black, why was it the yellow-skinned people among us had so much prestige? Even a child in the first grade could see that this was so from what happened in the classroom and on school programs. The light-skinned children were always the angels, fairies and queens of school play. The lighter the girl, the more money and prestige she was apt to marry. So on into high school years, I was asking myself questions.”
“What then can be the destiny of a people that pampers and cherishes the blood of the white slaveholder who maimed and degraded their female ancestor? What can be the future of a class of descendants of slaves that implicitly gives slaveholders greater honor than the African women they enslaved? What can be the end of a class that pretends to honor blackness while secretly despising working class black-skinned women whose faces reveal no trace of white blood?”
“Actually, my inspiration [for becoming a makeup artist] initially came from a place of insecurity. I was teased as a young girl about being dark-skinned and I had a speech impediment. As a teen, I began to play in makeup to feel pretty. I never felt pretty like the other girls, so makeup allowed me to mask the real me. But as I matured, I realized that me being unattractive was very much so a lie. So instead of makeup being a coverup, it became a way for me to be creative. And then in my late 20s, I realized I could use this as way to build up other women that may have dealt with the same challenges as myself. I wanted to make them feel beautiful but talk to them and encourage them to love themselves beyond the makeup!”
“Not Light ‘Vs’ Dark tho. More about ‘BALANCE’ ..Givn every shade of woman life, not just what da industry thinks is ‘Hott’ 4 camera.”
“When u put the term light ‘Vs’ dark continues it as a BATTLE. My point 4 poetic was to spark the idea of making it an EQUAL.”
“I think there’s always this cycle that happens when you’re a black woman in Hollywood … it can be frustrating because you start to feel like you’re just a fad. Like, now the dark skin, beautiful, brown, chocolate sisters are in. And we’re praising Lupita and all that, which is beautiful, but she was beautiful five years ago. I was the same way three years ago. But it depends on the time. They’ll say, ‘You know what? We’re looking for a black woman but we want something ethnically ambiguous’ is what I have heard. Or, you know, they’re looking for a specific look. And it’s hard because you start to feel like, well wait a minute, what’s wrong with my features, my complexion, my body type? And I just try to tell other black women, not just in Hollywood, just in general, you don’t have to compromise or change yourself to try to fit into whatever mold is popular. That is frustrating. And I’m not even going to lie, it’s emotional. I go through moments when I’m like ‘I can’t take it.’ But at the same time, you know, I’m working, and I’m in a position where I’m able to be a black woman that’s toted as beautiful, and my lips, my features, my body. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”
“I remember a time when I too felt unbeautiful. . . . I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned. . . . And when I was a teenager my self-hate grew worse, as you can imagine happens with adolescence. …around me the preference for light skin prevailed. To the beholders that I thought mattered, I was still unbeautiful. …
“My mother reminded me often that she thought that I was beautiful, but that was no consolation: She’s my mother, of course she’s supposed to think I am beautiful. …
“And then Alek Wek came on the international scene. A celebrated model, she was dark as night, she was on all of the runways and in every magazine and everyone was talking about how beautiful she was. … a flower couldn’t help but bloom inside of me. When I saw Alek I inadvertently saw a reflection of myself that I could not deny. Now, I had a spring in my step because I felt more seen, more appreciated by the far away gatekeepers of beauty. . . . I could never have guessed that my first job out of school would be so powerful in and of itself and that it would propel me to be such an image of hope in the same way that the women of The Color Purple were to me. …
“And so I hope that my presence on your screens and in the magazines may lead you, young girl, on a similar journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty but also get to the deeper business of being beautiful inside. There is no shade in that beauty.”
ESSENCE: “How do you think colorism is playing out in 2012?”
O’BRIEN: “It just is. The same way it’s always played out, which is people value certain skin tones differently. It’s inherently apparent. I thought one of the most disturbing things in the documentary was to see a seven year old who really is clearly getting those messages. She’s seven, and she fully understands the messages that are sent to her, and that’s very problematic. I think colorism exists today like it did years ago and generations ago.
“Back to twitter, a lot of the conversations, there was one sort of stream: “Well, Soledad, if you would stop raising this it would go away, and it’s your fault that we keep having these discussions about race and colorism and discrimination.”
“I don’t think that’s the case. I think we are going to confront tough issues and tough conversations that maybe other people don’t want to have.”
ESSENCE: “How do we start to heal? How do we get the seven year olds to start thinking differently and feel acceptable in their skin tone?”
O’BRIEN: “I think the only thing that’s a solution is conversation. I think the only thing that is a solution is pointing out here is a trap you’re falling into that has been set for you, that has been set over history. And let’s go back and take a look at what’s happening in front of you so that you don’t fall into this trap.”
“When I was like 5 years old I used to pray to have light skin because I would always hear how pretty that little light skin girl was, or I would hear I was pretty to be dark skin. It wasn’t until I was 13 that I really learned to appreciate my skin color and know that I was beautiful.”
“You know what, I had great women in my life to help me overcome that. I remember I went through a period where I didn’t embrace my ‘chocolatiness.’ I don’t know if that’s a word, but I didn’t embrace my chocolate lifestyle. Just being a chocolate, lovely brown skin girl and being proud of that. I remember Tina Knowles, Bey’s mom, and I remember being out in the sun and I was trying to shield myself from the sun and she said, ‘Are you crazy?’ She said ‘You are absolutely gorgeous’ and she just told me how beautiful I was and how rare chocolate is and how gorgeous the skin is, all of this stuff. And I was just like ‘Yeah!’ Like a light went off and so between her and my mother and me sitting out in the sun a little more, just to be a little more chocolate.”
“Also, yes. I, a plus sized, dark-skinned woman, had a love scene on primetime television. I had the most fun ever filming that scene even though I was nervous. But I felt sexy and beautiful and I felt like I was doing a good job. I’m very proud of the work we all did to make that scene a great opening for the episode. I keep hearing that people are ‘hating’ on it. I’m not sure how anyone could hate on love but that’s okay. You may have your memes. Honestly, I’m at work too busy to check Twitter anyway. #Booked. Hope you enjoy next week’s show!”
“But to throw shade at our shades (pun intended), is a nadir far too tragic for anyone to make a punch-line.
“After I got past all of my feelings about the comment, I called my father to thank him for how he and my mother worked tirelessly to create an environment that wasn’t merely about acceptance, but a standard, and the expectation that our dark skin was to be unapologetically celebrated. It was an effortless confidence level I carried about as a youth. So much so that even that one time, when my ballet instructor decided it was a good idea to tell 6-year-old me I was pretty for a dark skinned girl, it was the heartiest of chuckles I gave that she couldn’t fathom. . . .
“I’m not so caught up in my own dark-skin party to think all dark skinned Black girls grow up with the kind of love my family gave me. We all know colorism has been an internal issue in our community dating back to slavery; that thing we just don’t talk about, but exercise. Is colorism here to stay? Will it continue to be okay for us to go there with each other?
“Let’s do more than hope not. Let’s make it our business to teach little Black girls that whatever shade they may be, they are to be celebrated.”
“Your deep Mahogany skin may not resemble that of the others in your family, but it’s just as gorgeous, and you’re just as worthy … One day you’ll appreciate how much your brown skin shines in the moonlight, glistens in the sun and ages ever so slowly.”
“We were speaking of the hostility many black black women feel toward light-skinned black women, and you said, ‘Well, I’m light. It’s not my fault. And I’m not going to apologize for it.’ I said apology for one’s color is not what anyone is asking. What black black women would be interested in, I think, is a consciously heightened awareness on the part of light black women that they are capable, and often quite unconsciously, of inflicting pain upon them; and that unless the question of Colorism–in my definition, prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their color–is addressed in our communities and definitely in our black ‘sisterhoods’ we cannot, as a people, progress. For colorism, like colonialism, sexism, and racism, impedes us. …
“Still, I think there is probably as much difference between the life of a black black woman and a ‘high yellow’ black woman as between a ‘high yellow’ woman and a white woman. And I am worried, constantly, about the hatred the black black woman encounters within black society. To me, the black black woman is our essential mother–the blacker she is the more us she is–and to see the hatred that is turned on her is enough to make me despair, almost entirely, of our future as a people.
“Ironically, much of what I’ve learned about color I’ve learned because I have a mixed-race child. Because she is lighter-skinned, straighter haired than I, her life–in this racist, colorist society–is infinitely easier. And so I understand the subtle programming I, my mother, and my grandmother before me fell victim to. Escape the pain, the ridicule, escape the jokes, the lack of attention, respect, dates, even a job, any way you can. And if you can’t escape, help your children escape. Don’t let them suffer as you have done. And yet, what have we been escaping to? Freedom used to be the only answer to that question. But for some of our parents it is as if freedom and whiteness were the same destination, and that presents a problem for any person of color who does not wish to disappear. …
“… However, the word ‘beautiful’ itself was never used to describe black women in those days. They might be called ‘handsome’ in a pinch. ‘Her skin is black but she is sure nuff pretty,’ someone might have thought, but not sung. Stevie Wonder’s lyrics, though in our time backward in this one instance (‘but’ rather than ‘and’), would have been considered revolutionary in the fifties and early sixties. ‘Beautiful’ was for the white women and black women who look like you. Medium browns like me might evoke ‘good-looking’ or ‘fine.’ A necessary act of liberation within myself was to acknowledge the beauty of black black women, but I was always aware I was swimming against the tide. …
“— I remembered —-, who was asked by the light-skinned girls in our dormitory to move somewhere else, because she was so dark; the men who came to call on them found her blackness ‘inharmonious.’ …
“This essay is for you. … A sister I do not wish to lose to the entreaties of parents or grandparents standing behind you whispering “lighten up’ or ‘darken up’ the race. Nor do I, a dark woman, intend to give you up. When we walk down a street together and those who hate their black mothers admire only you (really your skin color and hair) we will not let this divide us…
“One reason the novels of nineteenth-century black authors abound with white-skinned women characters is that most readers of novels in the nineteenth century were white people: white people who then, as, more often than not, now, could identify human feeling, humanness, only if it came in a white or near-white body. And although black men could be depicted as literally black and still be considered men (since dark is masculine to the Euro-American mind), the black-skinned woman, being dark and female, must perforce be whitened, since ‘fairness’ was and is the standard of Euro-American femininity.
“We must cleave to reality, to what we know, we feel, we think of life. Trusting our own experience our own lives; embracing both the dark self and the light.
“It is our ‘familial’ relations with each other in America that we need to scrutinize. And it is the whole family, rather than the dark or the light, that must be affirmed.”
“European beauty standards have given me a better seat at the table and a bigger microphone than my darker brothers and sisters my entire life. That’s not me. I didn’t have anything to do with that. Because I understand the history of white supremacy and the construction of Black civilization, I had to, really had to give these presentations in my living room in my house if I wanted to play sports. That wasn’t me. That’s parenthood.”
“I remember being there, and I instantly knew that Miss Miller did not like me because of the color of my skin. I was too dark and I was a nappy-headed colored child, and Miss Miller would say it. And my half-sister Pat was five years younger than me and she was light skinned and my mother was staying there because Miss Miller loved my half-sister. And I was put out on the porch to sleep. There was a little vestibule, like a porch area where you came in and left your shoes before you went into the house and so that’s where I slept. I wasn’t even allowed in the house to sleep. It makes me sad to think about it. And it was because I was brown skinned and it didn’t compute for me because my mother was brown skinned, too. But I realized she was okay because she had Pat.”
“It’s imagery. They use their ability to create images, and then they use these images that they’ve created to mislead the people.
“You have to understand it. Until 1959 the image of the African continent was created by the enemies of Africa. As these Europeans dominated the continent of Africa, it was they who created the image of Africa that was projected abroad. And they projected Africa and the people of Africa in a negative image, a hateful image. They made us think that Africa was a land of jungles, a land of animals, a land of cannibals and savages. It was a hateful image.
“And because they were so successful in projecting this negative image of Africa, those of us here in the West of African ancestry, the Afro-American, we looked upon Africa as a hateful place. We looked upon the African as a hateful person. And if you referred to us as an African it was like putting us as a servant, or playing house, or talking about us in the way we didn’t want to be talked.
“Those who oppress know that you can’t make a person hate the root without making them hate the tree. You can’t hate your own and not end up hating yourself. And since we all originated in Africa, you can’t make us hate Africa without making us hate ourselves. And they did this very skillfully. And what was the result?
“They ended up with 22 million Black people here in America who hated everything about us that was African. We hated the African characteristics. We hated our hair. We hated our nose, the shape of our nose, and the shape of our lips, the color of our skin. Yes we did. And it was you who taught us to hate ourselves simply by shrewdly maneuvering us into hating the land of our forefathers and the people on that continent. As long as we hated those people, we hated ourselves. As long as we hated what we thought they looked like, we hated what we actually looked like.
“When you teach a man to hate his lips, the lips that God gave him, the shape of the nose that God gave him, the texture of the hair that God gave him, the color of the skin that God gave him, you’ve committed the worst crime that a race of people can commit. And this is the crime that you’ve committed.
“Our color became a chain, a psychological chain. Our blood — African blood — became a psychological chain, a prison, because we were ashamed of it. We felt trapped because our skin was black. We felt trapped because we had African blood in our veins.
“This is how you imprisoned us. Not just bringing us over here and making us slaves. But the image that you created of our motherland and the image that you created of our people on that continent was a trap, was a prison, was a chain, was the worst form of slavery that has ever been invented by a so-called civilized race and a civilized nation since the beginning of the world.
“You still see the result of it among our people in this country today.”
Wondering how to start a discussion about colorism? Looking to conduct interviews on this topic? Tired of the same old questions and conversations about “light skin vs. dark skin”? Wishing the colorism conversation would actually get somewhere? I feel you! So I’ve compiled a list of 100 colorism questions that address the above concerns. These questions will help you start, continue, broaden, deepen, and advance discussions about colorism.
Before beginning your discussions, make sure your group has a clear definition of colorism. And when you’re ready to hire a speaker, get in touch with me!
Looking for books about colorism? Check out this list of over 70 books I’ve compiled and arranged by category and author’s last name.
The list includes a variety of books on colorism and issues related to colorism ranging from illustrated children’s books, to fiction novels, to academic and scholarly publications. These books also span a range of cultures and ethnicities.
NOTE: This list is not an endorsement or recommendation of any books, but merely for your information.
Sulma Arzu-Brown (2014)
Bad Hair Does Not Exist, or Pelo Malo No Existe
This is a bilingual book aimed at celebrating the beauty of all hair textures.
Candy Dawson Boyd (2004)
Fall Secrets
“The first volume of a new series follows the adventures of four girls at their first year at a performing arts junior high school, during which Jessie, a spirited young African-American girl, explores racial differences and hides a painful secret.”
Ashley Bryan (2003)
Beautiful Black Bird
“Long ago, Blackbird was voted the most beautiful bird in the forest. The other birds, who were colored red, yellow, blue, and green, were so envious that they begged Blackbird to paint their feathers with a touch of black so they could be beautiful too. Although Black-bird warns them that true beauty comes from within, the other birds persist and soon each is given a ring of black around their neck or a dot of black on their wings — markings that detail birds to this very day. Coretta Scott King Award-winner Ashley Bryan’s adaptation of a tale from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia reso-nates both with rhythm and the tale’s universal meanings — appreciating one’s heritage and discovering the beauty within. His cut-paper artwork is a joy.”
Betty K. Bynum (2013)
I’m a Pretty Little Black Girl!
“I’m a Pretty Little Black Girl! introduces adorable Mia, who wakes with her hair just-a-going every which-a-ways! With her abundant energy and joy leading the way, readers follow Mia as she plays with her friends who are all shades, shapes and sizes. There’s tall Kia, Keisha the reader, Charlotte her best friend, Dina Rose-Marie the artist, Imani the dancer, Anna who loves sports, Ruby the singer, and honey-haired Tracy. Mia finds that Pretty is within herself and her friends, and being pretty is way beyond what the mirror shows.”
Kimberly Christina and India Sheana (2015)
Brown is Beautiful (Rise Little Kemet Book 1)
“Brown is Beautiful is the first book in the Rise Little Kemet series. This book explores the different shades of brown typically found in ethnic families. Colorism is a topic that many ethnic children experience and understand as early as three years old! Oftentimes the experience goes without being addressed leaving children subject to re-define themselves through European standards of beauty and ultimately lowered self-esteem. Brown is Beautiful celebrates the different shades of melanoid people and helps families open up a healthy discussion of Colorism between parent and child.”
Jessica Crutcher (2016)
I Love Me and the Skin I’m In
“Follow Jessica on her journey to understanding what it means to love yourself despite how others may view you. See how Jessica handles the challenges of bullying, and learns to love the skin she is in.”
Sharon G. Flake (2007)
The Skin I’m In
“Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. If they’re not getting at her about her homemade clothes or her good grades, it’s about her dark, black skin. When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher’s attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she’s in. Can Maleeka learn to do the same?”
Kiara Lee (2010)
Light-Skinned, Dark-Skinned or In-Between?
“The book focuses on Nefertiti, a young, dark-skinned girl that faces mistreatment because of her dark skin and African features. Amidst this mistreatment, Nefertiti idolizes the extra special treatment given to the new girl in town, Tiara, who is light-skinned. This mistreatment is solely based on skin color. Learn more about colorism-a form of discrimination usually within an ethnic group where a person’s value is measured by the shade of his or her skin, and explore a story many women have witnessed or even lived through themselves. The book also explores self-esteem, self-love and unity.”
Twala Meju and Daniel Flores (2015)
Mommy, Why is My Skin So Dark?
“3 year old Amani was always curious as to why the tone of her skin was so different from her brother and mother. No longer did she plan to wonder. Instead she asked, “Mommy, Why Is My Skin So Dark?” Mommy, Why Is My Skin So Dark is a sincere approach to etching beauty, uniqueness and pride into our various characteristics and cultures. Twala Meju transformed a conversation that hatched between mother and daughter into an opportunity to encourage and empower little girls of all colors and hues.”
Virginia Hamilton (1990)
Cousins
“Cammy has a happy life and a great family, except for one little problem: a cousin who thinks she’s better than everyone else. It’s true that Patty Ann is beautiful, talented, and bright, but to Cammy she’s also vain, conceited, and mean-spirited. Sometimes Cammy wishes that Patty Ann would disappear, just vanish in a puff of smoke. But when the unthinkable happens and Patty Ann is lost forever, Cammy struggles to atone for her bad feelings toward someone so close.”
bell hooks (2001)
Happy to be Nappy
“The groundbreaking picture book by legendary author bell hooks and multi-Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka that celebrates hair, perfect for fans of Hair Love and I Love My Hair!”
bell hooks (2004)
Skin Again
“The skin I’m in is just a covering. It cannot tell my story. The skin I’m in is just a covering. If you want to know who i am You have got to come inside And open your heart way wide. Celebrating all that makes us unique and different, Skin Again offers new ways to talk about race and identity. Race matters, but only so much-what’s most important is who we are on the inside. Looking beyond skin, going straight to the heart, we find in each other the treasures stored down deep. Learning to cherish those treasures, to be all we imagine ourselves to be, makes us free. Skin Again celebrates this freedom.”
Karen Katz (2002)
The Colors of Us
“A positive and affirming look at skin color, from an artist’s perspective. Seven-year-old Lena is going to paint a picture of herself. She wants to use brown paint for her skin. But when she and her mother take a walk through the neighborhood, Lena learns that brown comes in many different shades. Through the eyes of a little girl who begins to see her familiar world in a new way, this book celebrates the differences and similarities that connect all people.”
Ana Maria Machado (1996)
Nina Bonita
“This beautiful and charming story deals with a sensitive subject in a sensitive way. ‘Black is beautiful’ to a little white rabbit and while trying to discover the secret that will make him black, readers get a funny, yet educational introduction to genetics”
Robin Moore-Chambers (2011)
Dark Skin, Light Skin, Straight or Nappy… It’s All Good
“Dark Skin, Light Skin, Straight or Nappy is an educational coloring book for all children and the adults in their lives. Although this book is about African-American children, it encourages all children to be confident in who they are and what they look like.”
Kirleen Neely (2014)
Straight Talk: A Mother-Daughter Conversation about Self-acceptance and Learning to Love your Hair
“Media images and culture play enormous roles in how we see the world and more importantly how we see ourselves. Straight Talk, uses hair as a vehicle to spur conversation about the common cultural experience of hair-shaming that many African American girls experience. The book uniquely uses actual historical facts as a tool to help the child understand the message behind self-love. The tough topic of slavery and it’s impact on African American hair-esteem is discussed in a sensitive child friendly manner. The book is based on Dr. Neely’s clinical research on dominate standards of beauty and hair-esteem for women of color. The message of self-acceptance transcends race and culture, this book can be appreciated by boys and girls of all races.”
Lupita Nyong’o and Vashti Harrison (2019)
Sulwe
“Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything. In this stunning debut picture book, actress Lupita Nyong’o creates a whimsical and heartwarming story to inspire children to see their own unique beauty.”
Maria Leonar Olson (2013)
Mommy, Why’s Your Skin so Brown?
“For ages 3-9. Mommy Why’s Your Skin So Brown is a mother’s explanation to her bi-racial children about why her skin color is darker than theirs. It was inspired by frequent questions from strangers who assumed that the author was the nanny to her own lighter-skinned children, causing her children to wonder about the reason for these questions. This book may serve as a consciousness-raising piece for caring communities and to prevent people from letting their curiosity overwhelm their manners.”
Calida Garcia Rawles (2010)
Same Difference
“Same Difference is a charming book for young readers (4-8 year olds) that addresses the sensitive and sometime divisive issues of beauty and identity. It has a lyrical, upbeat air that begs to be read aloud and offers an engaging rhyme pattern for young children. Vivid illustrations capture the spirit and innocence of Lida and Lisa, two first cousins who find themselves at odds with each other over their physical differences. With the help of their wise grandmother, the girls soon realize that their bond is deeper than what they see and our differences are what make us beautiful.”
Crystal Swain-Bates (2013)
Big Hair, Don’t Care
“Lola has really really REALLY big hair, much bigger than the other kids at her school, but that doesn’t stop her from telling anyone who will listen just how much she LOVES her hair! It´s not always easy being a kid. Designed to boost self-esteem and build confidence, this beautifully illustrated picture book is aimed at boys and girls who may need a reminder from time to time that it’s okay to look different from the other kids at their school. Big Hair, Don’t Care is available in English, French, and German.”
Joyce Carol Thomas (2008)
The Blacker the Berry
“Black is dazzling and distinctive, like toasted wheat berry bread; snowberries in the fall; rich, red cranberries; and the bronzed last leaves of summer. In this lyrical and luminous collection, Coretta Scott King honorees Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper celebrate these many shades of black beautifully.”
Amanda Grihm and J. Emil Grihm (2015)
The Dark Skinned Sister
“At the early age of 10, Mindy was flung into a dark abyss of lies that made the world believe it was okay to create barriers against, and inflict pain upon, dark skinned people. Mindy learned that no one was more cruel and biased against her dark skin than other dark skinned people, including some members of her family. Being treated as though she did not matter while thoughtless, hurtful statements about dark skin were made by ignorant and bigoted people kept Mindy in constant fights for respect. Her opponents came from everywhere and Mindy was forced to battle colorism and racism her entire life…. until one day she looked in the mirror and saw the beautiful eyes of an undefeated, unwavering, self-assured Mindy staring back at her.”
Chaundra Scott
Beautiful Shades
“A story of a mother, teaching her daughter to love her skin tone. Allow your little one to find the beauty in all shades of color.”
Natasha Anastasia Tarpley (2001)
I Love My Hair!
“This whimsical, evocative story about a girl named Keyana encourages African-American children to feel good about their special hair and be proud of their heritage. A BlackBoard Children’s Book of the Year.”
Shweta Aggarwal (2022)
The Black Rose
“Although I have mostly had a wonderful, blessed life, growing up between India and Japan, and now living in the UK, there are elements of my past that are painful, to say the least. Painful because I happened to be dark-skinned, born to fair parents. And this was seen by some Indians as an open invitation for taunting and derogatory comments. For hundreds of years, Indians have harboured the notion that being fair-skinned is a ticket to superiority. That’s right – white supremacy doesn’t just exist among white people. Sadly, this is still the case even in modern, ‘liberated’ India. For years I have tried to forget my painful past, like childbirth. But the remarks, even now, are relentless, leaving me festering like a sore. Writing about my past is an attempt to face this colour prejudice head-on.”
Gwendolyn Brooks (1992)
Maud Martha
“September 2003 marked the 50th anniversary of Maud Martha, the only novel published by esteemed poet Gwendolyn Brooks. Initially entitled ‘American Family Brown’ the work would eventually come to symbolize some of Brooks’ most provocative writing. In a novel that captures the essence of Black life, Brooks recognizes the beauty and strength that lies within each of us.”
Sheridan Davis (2014)
Pretty for a Dark Skin Girl
“Pretty for a Dark Skin Girl navigates its readers through this journey of how author, Sheridan S. Davis, conquered low self-esteem and is now at a place of confidence in God. She also reveals many life lessons and nuggets she’s gathered along this journey, and passes them on to each reader. Pretty for a Dark Skin Girl is a story of trials, triumphs, and it’s a testament of the power of God.”
Viola Davis (2022)
Finding Me
“In my book, you will meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever. This is my story, from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City, and beyond. This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn’t always see me. Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise, and a love letter of sorts to self. My hope is that my story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you.”
Marita Golden (2005)
Don’t Play in the Sun: One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex
“‘Don’t play in the sun. You’re going to have to get a light-skinned husband for the sake of your children as it is.’ In these words from her mother, novelist and memoirist Marita Golden learned as a girl that she was the wrong color. Her mother had absorbed “colorism” without thinking about it. But, as Golden shows in this provocative book, biases based on skin color persist–and so do their long-lasting repercussions… From Halle Berry to Michael Jackson, from Nigeria to Cuba, from what she sees in the mirror to what she notices about the Grammys, Golden exposes the many facets of “colorism” and their effect on American culture. Part memoir, part cultural history, and part analysis, Don’t Play in the Sun also dramatizes one accomplished black woman’s inner journey from self-loathing to self-acceptance and pride.”
Piper Huguley (2015)
A Most Precious Pearl
“This historical romance novel chronicles the adventures of Asa Caldwell, a wounded war veteran, and Mags Bledsoe, recently demoted from manager at a textile mill in Georgia and replaced by Asa. Mags’s recent demotion threatens to foil her plans for revenge against the mill owner who lynched her childhood sweetheart. As they clash against each other, Asa and Mags lead each other to renewed passion.”
Nellla Larson (1929)
Passing
“Passing confronts the reality of racial passing. The novel focuses on two childhood friends Clare and Irene, both of whom are light-skinned enough to pass as white, who have reconnected with one another after many years apart. Clare has chosen to pass while Irene has embraced her racial heritage and become an important member of her community. The novel examines how people pass on many different levels and in many different ways. Some forms of passing are perfectly acceptable while others can lead to disaster.”
Toni Morrison (1970)
The Bluest Eye
“Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, prays every day for beauty. Mocked by other children for the dark skin, curly hair, and brown eyes that set her apart, she yearns for normalcy, for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will allow her to finally fit in.Yet as her dream grows more fervent, her life slowly starts to disintegrate in the face of adversity and strife. A powerful examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity, Toni Morrison’s virtuosic first novel asks powerful questions about race, class, and gender with the subtlety and grace that have always characterized her writing.”
Toni Morrison (2015)
God Help the Child
“God Help the Child—the first novel by Toni Morrison to be set in our current moment—weaves a tale about the way the sufferings of childhood can shape, and misshape, the life of the adult. At the center: a young woman who calls herself Bride, whose stunning blue-black skin is only one element of her beauty, her boldness and confidence, her success in life, but which caused her light-skinned mother to deny her even the simplest forms of love. There is Booker, the man Bride loves, and loses to anger. Rain, the mysterious white child with whom she crosses paths. And finally, Bride’s mother herself, Sweetness, who takes a lifetime to come to understand that ‘what you do to children matters. And they might never forget.”
Delores Phillips (2004)
The Darkest Child
“Rozelle Quinn is so fair-skinned that she can pass for white. Her ten children are mostly light, too. They constitute the only world she rules and controls. Her power over them is all she has in an otherwise cruel and uncaring universe. Rozelle favors her light-skinned kids, but Tangy Mae, 13, her darkest-complected child, is the brightest. She desperately wants to continue with her education. Her mother, however, has other plans. Rozelle wants her daughter to work cleaning houses for whites, like she does, and accompany her to the ‘Farmhouse,’ where Rozelle earns extra money bedding men. Tangy Mae, she’s decided, is of age. This is the story from an era when life’s possibilities for an African-American were unimaginably different.”
Tracy Price-Thompson, TaRessa Stovall, Elizabeth Atkins, and Desiree Cooper (2008)
Other People’s Skin: Four Novellas
“In Other People’s Skin, authors take on one of the most controversial topics within the African-American community: the self-hatred caused by intra-racial prejudice and the ongoing obsession with skin tone and hair texture.
April Sinclair (1994)
Coffee Will Make You Black
“Jean “Stevie” Stevenson lives in Chicago’s South Side, a neighborhood that acutely feels the social changes of the 1960s. Curious and witty, bold but naïve, Stevie ponders questions such as what makes good hair, and which skin shade is better in light of “Black Is Beautiful.” Amid the War on Poverty, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., race riots, and the Black Power movement, Stevie grows into a socially aware young adult with a burgeoning sexuality and pride in her identity. Learning as much from her mother’s strictness, her father’s steady encouragement, and her grandmother’s strength as she does from her wild friend Carla and her white teacher Nurse Horne, Stevie makes the sometimes harrowing, often hilarious, always enthralling journey into adulthood.”
Lalita Tademy (2001)
Cane River
“Lalita Tademy was a successful corporate vice president at a Fortune 500 company when she decided to embark upon what would become an obsessive odyssey to uncover her familys past. Through exhaustive research, interviews, and the help of professional genealogists, she would find herself transported back to the early 1800s, to an isolated, close-knit rural community on Louisianas Cane River. Here, Tademy takes historical fact and mingles it with fiction to weave a vivid and dramatic account of what life was like for the four remarkable women who came before her. Beginning with Tademys great-great-great-great grandmother Elisabeth, this is a family saga that sweeps from the early days of slavery through the Civil War into a pre-Civil Rights Southa unique and moving slice of Americas past that will resonate with readers for generations to come.”
Thurman, Wallace (1929)
The Blacker the Berry
“This novel, associated with the Harlem Renaissance, is considered groundbreaking for its exploration of colorism and racial discrimination within the black community, where lighter skin was often favored, especially for women. The novel tells the story of Emma Lou Morgan, a young black woman with dark skin. It begins in Boise, Idaho and follows Emma Lou in her journey to college at USC and a move to Harlem, New York City for work. Set during the Harlem Renaissance, the novel explores Emma Lou’s experiences with colorism, discrimination by lighter-skinned African Americans due to her dark skin. She learns to come to terms with her skin color in order to find satisfaction in her life.”
Alice Walker (1983)
In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens
“Alice Walker speaks out as a black woman, writer, mother, and feminist in thirty-six pieces ranging from the personal to the political. Among the contents are essays about other writers, accounts of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the antinuclear movement of the 1980s, and a vivid memoir of a scarring childhood injury and her daughter’s healing words.”
Sarah Webb, Diana Vazquez, Naila Buckner, Shainah Andrews, Jaana Randle (2016 – 2022)
Colorism Healing Writing Contests (6 book series)
“The Colorism Healing anthologies are a great resource for answering these questions and more! Whether you use these books for your own personal discovery or share them with others as a way to spark conversation, anyone who reads these collections will find inspiration and insight for addressing colorism.” Download the PDF collection.
Mary E. Weems (2014)
Blackeyed: Plays and Monologues (Social Fictions)
“Blackeyed is a collection of plays and monologues. The topics covered in the book include housing and foreclosure, suicide, assault, mental health, the Black male experience, and more. The book intersects with critical race theory because the majority of this work positions race at the center of the experiences of the fictional or fictionalized characters. Embedded in these chapters are the interweaving of personal and ancestral stories, news reports, informal conversations, observations, interviews, and online research expressed in language unapologetically Black, critical, reflexive, and proud.”
Michael Vannoy Adams (1996)
The Multicultural Imagination: Race, Color, and the Unconscious
“The Multicultural Imagination is a challenging inquiry into the complex interrelationship between our ideas about race and color and the unconscious. Michael Vannoy Adams takes a fresh look at the contributions of psychoanalysis to a question which affects every individual who tries to establish an effective personal identity in the context of their received ‘racial’ identity.”
Nawshaba Ahmed (2012)
Film and Fabrication: How Hollywood Determines how we SEE Colorism: A Cultural Reading
“If how we are treated is determined by how we are SEEN then the question in order is what filters the eye? … Hollywood Films are now the major factor of how cultural identities are re/set. This paper shows that the representation of Asians in mainstream Hollywood is still a sensitive terrain of cultural collide as the Hollywood films continue to work as a mechanism to reinforce Colorism. But how do films fabricate who’s who? Why do audiences give in? How is body politics integrated? What are the latest avenues of Asian/ body at odd stereotypes? When wrapped with ‘popular’ stuffs and technological might, is there any resistance possible? Find out.”
Winifred G. Barbee (2006)
Coming Aware of Our Multiraciality: The Politics of Skin Color
“This book details the history of Colorism, and the universal origins of racism…. The book places a different approach to race by showing how race impacts our lives through skin color gradation. Racism has many colors, and skin is the main determinant for Black and White issues…. Most health care workers accept that race may play a role in the client’s behavior, but do not know, understand, or ignore the relevance of color gradation…. On becoming aware of our Multiraciality, through color gradation, is helpful to all professionals including Police Officers. The book is analytical, but also offers solutions.”
Stephanie Rose Bird (2009)
Light, Bright, and Damned Near White: Biracial and Triracial Culture in America
“Anthropologist Stephanie Bird takes us into a world where people are struggling to be heard, recognized, and celebrated for the racial diversity one would think is the epitome of America’s melting pot persona. But being biracial or tri-racial brings unique challenges – challenges including prejudice, racism and, from within racial groups, colorism…. Bird shows us the history of biracial and tri-racial people in the United States, and in European families and events. She presents the personal traumas and victories of those who struggle for recognition and acceptance in light of their racial backgrounds…. This work includes a guide to tracing your own racial roots.”
Tom Burrell (2010)
Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority
“In this powerful examination of “the greatest propaganda campaign of all time”—the masterful marketing of black inferiority, aka the BI Complex—Burrell poses ten disturbing questions that will make black people look in the mirror and ask why, nearly 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, so many blacks still think and act like slaves. Burrell’s acute awareness of the power of words and images to shift, shape, and change the collective consciousness has led him to connect the contemporary and historical dots that have brought us to this crossroads. Brainwashed is not a reprimand—it is a call to action. It demands that we question our self-defeating attitudes and behaviors. Racism is not the issue; how we respond to media distortions and programmed self-hatred is the issue. It’s time to reverse the BI campaign with a globally based initiative that harnesses the power of new media and the wisdom of intergenerational coalitions. Provocative and powerful, Brainwashed dares to expose the wounds so that we, at last, can heal.”
Margo Natalie Crawford (2008)
Dilution Anxiety and the Black Phallus
“After the “Black is Beautiful” movement of the 1960s, black body politics have been overdetermined by both the familiar fetishism of light skin as well as the counter-fetishism of dark skin. Moving beyond the longstanding focus on the tragic mulatta and making room for the study of the fetishism of both light-skinned and dark-skinned blackness, Margo Natalie Crawford analyzes depictions of colorism in the work of Gertrude Stein, Wallace Thurman, William Faulkner, Black Arts poets, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and John Edgar Wideman. In Dilution Anxiety and the Black Phallus, Crawford adds images of skin color dilution as a type of castration to the field of race and psychoanalysis. An undercurrent of light-skinned blackness as a type of castration emerges within an ongoing story about the feminizing of light skin and the masculinizing of dark skin. Crawford confronts the web of beautified and eroticized brands and scars, created by colorism, crisscrossing race, gender, and sexuality. The depiction of the horror of these aestheticized brands and scars begins in the white-authored and black-authored modernist literature examined in the first chapters. A call for the end of the ongoing branding emerges with sheer force in the post–Black movement novels examined in the final chapters.”
Deborah Gabriel (2007)
Layers of Blackness: Colourism in the African Diaspora
“This is the first book by an author in the UK to take an in-depth look at colourism – the process of discrimination based on skin tone among members of the same ethnic group, whereby lighter skin is more valued than darker complexions. The African Diaspora in Britain is examined as part of a global black community with shared experiences of slavery, colonization and neo-colonialism. The author traces the evolution of colourism within African descendant communities in the USA, Jamaica, Latin America and the UK from a historical and political perspective and examines its present impact on the global African Diaspora.”
Evelyn Glenn (2009)
Shades of Difference: Why Skin Color Matters
“Shades of Difference addresses the widespread but little studied phenomenon of colorism—the preference for lighter skin and the ranking of individual worth according to skin tone. Examining the social and cultural significance of skin color in a broad range of societies and historical periods, this insightful collection looks at how skin color affects people’s opportunities in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and North America. Is skin color bias distinct from racial bias? How does skin color preference relate to gender, given the association of lightness with desirability and beauty in women? The authors of this volume explore these and other questions as they take a closer look at the role Western-dominated culture and media have played in disseminating the ideal of light skin globally.”
Ronald E. Hall (2012)
The Melanin Millennium: Skin Color as 21st Century International Discourse
“This volume addresses the issue of skin color in a worldwide context. A virtual visit to countries that have witnessed a huge rise in the use of skin whitening products and facial feature surgeries aiming for a more Caucasian-like appearance are taken into account. The book also addresses the question of whether using the law has helped to redress injustices of skin color discrimination, or only further promoted recognition of its divisiveness among people of color and Whites.”
Tanya Katerí Hernández (2023)
Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality
“Racial Innocence will challenge what you thought about racism and bias and demonstrate that it’s possible for a historically marginalized group to experience discrimination and also be discriminatory. Racism is deeply complex, and law professor and comparative race relations expert Tanya Katerí Hernández exposes ‘the Latino racial innocence cloak’ that often veils Latino complicity in racism. As Latinos are the second-largest ethnic group in the US, this revelation is critical to dismantling systemic racism.”
Cedric Herring, Verna M. Keith, Hayward Derrick Horton (2003)
Skin Deep: How Race and Complexion Matter in the “Color-Blind” Era
“Why do Latinos with light skin complexions earn more than those with darker complexions? Why do African American women with darker complexions take longer to get married than their lighter counterparts? … Skin Deep provides answers to these intriguing questions. It shows that although most white Americans maintain that they do not judge others on the basis of skin color, skin tone remains a determining factor in educational attainment, occupational status, income, and other quality of life indicators. Shattering the myth of the color-blind society, Skin Deep is a revealing examination of the ways skin tone inequality operates in America. The essays in this collection-by some of the nation’s leading thinkers on race and colorism-examine these phenomena, asking whether skin tone differentiation is imposed upon communities of color from the outside or is an internally-driven process aided and abetted by community members themselves. The essays also question whether the stratification process is the same for African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. Skin Deep addresses such issues as the relationship between skin tone and self-esteem, marital patterns, interracial relationships, socioeconomic attainment, and family racial identity and composition.”
Allyson Hobbs (2014)
A Chosen Exile: A History of Racial Passing in American Life
“Countless African Americans have passed as white, leaving behind families and friends, roots and communities. It was, as Allyson Hobbs writes, a chosen exile. This history of passing explores the possibilities, challenges, and losses that racial indeterminacy presented to men and women living in a country obsessed with racial distinctions.”
Margaret L. Hunter (2005)
Race, Gender, and the Politics of Skin Tone
“Race, Gender, and the Politics of Skin Tone tackles the hidden yet painful issue of colorism in the African American and Mexican American communities. Beginning with a historical discussion of slavery and colonization in the Americas, the book quickly moves forward to a contemporary analysis of how skin tone continues to plague people of color today. This is the first book to explore this well-known, yet rarely discussed phenomenon.”
Nina G. Jablonski (2012)
Living Color: The Biological and Social Meaning of Skin Color
“Living Color is the first book to investigate the social history of skin color from prehistory to the present, showing how our body’s most visible trait influences our social interactions in profound and complex ways. In a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion, Nina G. Jablonski begins with the biology and evolution of skin pigmentation, explaining how skin color changed as humans moved around the globe. She explores the relationship between melanin pigment and sunlight, and examines the consequences of rapid migrations, vacations, and other lifestyle choices that can create mismatches between our skin color and our environment. Richly illustrated, this book explains why skin color has come to be a biological trait with great social meaning— a product of evolution perceived by culture. It considers how we form impressions of others, how we create and use stereotypes, how negative stereotypes about dark skin developed and have played out through history—including being a basis for the transatlantic slave trade. Offering examples of how attitudes about skin color differ in the U.S., Brazil, India, and South Africa, Jablonski suggests that a knowledge of the evolution and social importance of skin color can help eliminate color-based discrimination and racism.”
Michelle Gordon Jackson (2014)
Light, Bright and Damn Near White: Black Leaders Created by the One Drop Rule
Meeta Rani Jha (2015)
The Global Beauty Industry: Colorism, Racism, and the National Body (Framing 21st Century Social Issues)
“The Global Beauty Industry is an interdisciplinary text that uses beauty to explore topics of gender, race, class, colorism, nation, bodies, multiculturalism, transnationalism, and intersectionality. Integrating materials from a wide range of cultural and geo-political contexts, it coalesces with initiatives to produce more internationally relevant curricula in fields such as sociology, as well as cultural, women’s/gender, media, and globalization studies.”
Audrey Elisa Kerr (2006)
The Paper Bag Principle: Class, Colorism, and Rumor in the Case of Black Washington, D.C.
“The only attempt to document rumor and legends relating to complexion in black communities, The Paper Bag Principle looks at the divide that has existed between the black elite and the black ‘folk.’ Audrey Kerr examines how these folk beliefs—exemplified by the infamous “paper bag tests”—inform color discrimination intraracially. Kerr argues that proximity to whiteness (in hue) and wealth have helped create two black Washingtons and that the black community, at various times in history, replicated “Jim Crowism” internally to create some standard of exceptionalism in education and social organization…. The Paper Bag Principle focuses on three objectives: to record lore related to the “paper bag principle” (the set of attitudes that granted blacks with light skin higher status in black communities); to investigate the impact that this “principle” has had on the development of black community consciousness; and to link this material to power that results from proximity to whiteness.”
Sybil Kein (2000)
Creole: The History and Legacy of Louisiana’s Free People of Color
“Creole is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary history of Louisiana’s Creole population. Written by scholars, many of Creole descent, the volume wrangles with the stuff of legend and conjecture while fostering an appreciation for the Creole contribution to the American mosaic. A study that necessarily embraces issues of gender, race and color, class, and nationalism, it speaks to the tensions of an increasingly ethnically mixed mainstream America.”
Nikki Khanna (2020)
Whiter: Asian American Women on Skin Color and Colorism
“How does skin color impact the lives of Asian American women? In Whiter, thirty Asian American women provide first-hand accounts of their experiences with colorism in this collection of powerful, accessible, and brutally honest essays.”
Lori Latrice Martin, Hayward Derrick Horton, Cedric Herring, Verna M. Keith, Melvin Thomas (2017)
Color Struck: How Race and Complexion Matter in the “Color-Blind” Era
“Skin color and skin tone has historically played a significant role in determining the life chances of African Americans and other people of color. It has also been important to our understanding of race and the processes of racialization. But what does the relationship between skin tone and stratification outcomes mean? Is skin tone correlated with stratification outcomes because people with darker complexions experience more discrimination than those of the same race with lighter complexions? Is skin tone differentiation a process that operates external to communities of color and is then imposed on people of color? Or, is skin tone discrimination an internally driven process that is actively aided and abetted by members of communities of color themselves? Color Struck provides answers to these questions. In addition, it addresses issues such as the relationship between skin tone and wealth inequality, anti-black sentiment and whiteness, Twitter culture, marriage outcomes and attitudes, gender, racial identity, civic engagement and politics at predominately White Institutions.”
Carla Monroe (2015)
Race and Colorism in Education
“Although colorism is a well-known concept in the social science community, few scholars have investigated its role and implications in the field of education. This volume presents the connections between race and colorism in P-16 schooling by questioning how variations in skin tone, as well as related features such as hair texture and eye color, complicate the educational experiences of students. It traces the historical foundations of colorism in the United States while outlining its contemporary relevance in U.S. education…. this volume explores colorism from an international standpoint by focusing on immigrants and refugee populations.”
Kimberly Jade Norwood (2013)
Color Matters: Skin Tone Bias and the Myth of a Postracial America
“In the United States, as in many parts of the world, people are discriminated against based on the color of their skin. This type of skin tone bias, or colorism, is both related to and distinct from discrimination on the basis of race, with which it is often conflated. Preferential treatment of lighter skin tones over darker occurs within racial and ethnic groups as well as between them. While America has made progress in issues of race over the past decades, discrimination on the basis of color continues to be a constant and often unremarked part of life. In Color Matters, Kimberly Jade Norwood has collected the most up-to-date research on this insidious form of discrimination, including perspectives from the disciplines of history, law, sociology, and psychology. Anchored with historical chapters that show how the influence and legacy of slavery have shaped the treatment of skin color in American society, the contributors to this volume bring to light the ways in which colorism affects us all–influencing what we wear, who we see on television, and even which child we might pick to adopt. Sure to be an eye-opening collection for anyone curious about how race and color continue to affect society, Color Matters provides students of race in America with a wide-ranging overview of a crucial topic.”
Wibke Reger (2009)
The Black Body of Literature: Colorism in American Fiction
Joanne German Rondilla and Paul Spickard (2007)
Is Lighter Better?: Skin-Tone Discrimination among Asian Americans
“Colorism is defined as ‘discriminatory treatment of individuals falling within the same ‘racial’ group on the basis of skin color.” In other words, some people, particularly women, are treated better or worse on account of the color of their skin relative to other people who share their same racial category. Colorism affects Asian Americans from many different backgrounds and who live in different parts of the United States. Is Lighter Better? discusses this often-overlooked topic. Joanne L. Rondilla and Paul Spickard ask important questions such as: What are the colorism issues that operate in Asian American communities? Are they the same issues for all Asian Americans—for women and for men, for immigrants and the American born, for Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, Vietnamese, and other Asian Americans? Do they reflect a desire to look like White people, or is some other motive at work? Including numerous stories about and by people who have faced discrimination in their own lives, this book is an invaluable resource for people interested in colorism among Asian Americans.”
Kathy Russell, Midge Wilson, Ronald Hall (2013)
The Color Complex (Revised): The Politics of Skin Color in a New Millennium
“An examination of how differences in color and features among African Americans have played and continue to play a role in their professional lives, friendships, romances, and families.”
Regina Spellers and Kimberly Moffitt (2010)
Blackberries and Redbones: Critical Articulations of Black Hair/Body Politics in Africana Communities
“This text features engaging scholarly essays, poems, and creative writings that all examine the meaning of the Black anatomy in our changing global world. The body, including its hair, is said to be read like a text where readers draw certain interpretations based on signs, symbols, and culture. Each chapter in the volume interrogates that notion by addressing the question, as a text how are Black bodies and Black hair read and understood in life, art, popular culture, mass media, or cross-cultural interactions. The aptness of this work lies in its ability to provide a meaningful and creative space to analyze body politics- highlighting the complexities surrounding these issues within, between, and outside Africana communities.”
Barbara Nevins Taylor, Jeanine Downie, and Fran Cook- Bolden (2004)
Beautiful Skin of Color: A Comprehensive Guide to Asian, Olive, and Dark Skin
“It’s a fact of DNA: If you can trace your roots back to Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, India, Latin America, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the South Pacific, or any group of Native Americans, your genes react similarly to genes in the darkest skin. And chances are, you may have received confusing advice — or no advice at all — about how to care for your skin. Although nearly half the population of the United States shares the hallmarks of skin of color, many dermatologists and beauty consultants routinely prescribe remedies created for Caucasian skin without understanding how sensitive and easily damaged skin of color is. It’s no wonder, then, that many women and men of color continually battle skin problems, and it takes a terrible toll on their self-esteem. Finally, Beautiful Skin of Color unlocks the particular secrets of your skin and provides the answers you’ve been searching for. Dr. Fran Cook-Bolden and Dr. Jeanine Downie, internationally recognized dermatologists and women of color, and Barbara Nevins Taylor, an award-winning reporter on skin and hair issues, offer clear, specific advice to help you achieve and maintain a healthy, gorgeous complexion. In a quick-reference, A-to-Z format, using examples drawn from personal and professional experience, Dr. Cook-Bolden and Dr. Downie explain why problems occur, and then prescribe reliable remedies and groundbreaking new procedures specifically created for skin of color. Throughout this comprehensive guide, the doctors show you how to work with your skin and hair — and your dermatologist — to create your own unique skin-management program. A long-overdue and much-needed resource, Beautiful Skin of Color is certain to help you look and feel your best.”
Lori L. Tharps (2016)
Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families
“In this unprecedented book, Lori L. Tharps explores the issue in African American, Latino, Asian American, and mixed-race families and communities by weaving together personal stories, history, and analysis. The result is a compelling portrait of the myriad ways skin-color politics affect family dynamics in the United States. Tharps, the mother of three mixed-race children with three distinct skin colors, uses her own family as a starting point to investigate how skin-color difference is dealt with.
JeffriAnne Wilder (2015)
Color Stories: Black Women and Colorism in the 21st Century (Intersections of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture)
“This book offers an in-depth sociological exploration of present-day colorism in the lives of black women, investigating the lived experiences of a phenomenon that continues to affect women of African descent.”
Kamilah Marie Woodson (2020)
Colorism: Investigating a Global Phenomenon
“In an age of growing racial tensions, police brutality, and the “Black Lives Matter” movement, “Colorism: Investigating a Global Phenomenon” is a powerful contribution that examines the roots of colorism in modern society, not only in North America but around the world. It provides penetrating insights into the historical, social, cultural, and personal challenges of people of color—including those of either African, Latino, or Indian/Asian ancestry. While colorism has traditionally been defined in terms of prejudice or discrimination relative to skin color, this 400-page reference work argues that colorism differs from racism in that it is multifaceted: it can be observed between different social groups as well as within one’s own ethnic group. As such, the main objective of this volume is to provide a comprehensive reference on the history, scope, trends, and implications of colorism.”
“I wrote these words for everyone who struggles in their youth.” –Lauryn Hill, Miseducation
For me (and I suppose for some of you too) true love is an act of intense courage.
This first occurred to me in high school when one of my classmates called me brave for wearing my naturally textured hair. I simply let my hair grow the way it naturally grows from my scalp, as it always has since birth. And for that, I was considered… brave. Even as recently as this year, people still refer to my choice of personal style as an act of bravery.
While it seems to defy gravity, my hair in its natural state (and especially when I cut it really short) also defies the norms of this society—a society filled with fairytale princesses like Rapunzel who are called to let down their golden hair, time and time again. Even I remember literally praying for long, straight hair that stretched down my back when I was a little girl.
Yet despite the constant propaganda of long-haired beauty and my former girlhood fantasies of long flowy hair, I came to love my natural black hair. When I cut it “all off,” I was shocked by how good it looked and how good it felt, both to my hands and to my spirit.
But, no matter how much we like what we see in the mirror, we are constantly confronted with the reality that the world does not reflect us.
Anyone who dares defy social norms is bound to suffer social punishment. So we must ask ourselves every day whether or not it’s worth the trouble.
Is my very short, natural hair worth the puzzled looks, stares, smirks, speculations about my sexuality, mistakes regarding my gender (“Mommy, is that a girl or a boy?” or “Yes, Sir… I’m sorry, ma’am”), interrogations (“Why don’t you let your hair grow out?” or “You sure you want it that short, like a MAN? Why you wanna do that???”), rejection, guffaws, the risk of not looking the part for the job, being dismissed as militant, being told your hair (the way it naturally grows from your scalp) is just a misguided political statement (it seems as if black girls and black women make a political statement every time we wake up, just by existing in a world that doesn’t seem to care whether or not we do), or just being overlooked, ignored, invisible.
In addition to natural hair, my personal style, especially throughout high school and college, often consisted of eclectic combinations of clothes. Skirts over jeans. Dresses over pants. Mix-matched prints. Mix-matched earrings. Loud colors. Layers of second hand pieces. I remember days when I’d pause at the door, my hand hovering over the knob, and I’d have to choose. Do I want to do this? Do I want to go out into the world in this conspicuous, quirky expression of myself? Is it worth having derogatory statements thrown at me from a third-story balcony? (That really happened, btw, but of course the offenders were literally hiding behind a curtain the whole time.)
And then there was colorism. This issue may seem most acute when we are young. I struggled with this mostly alone and in silence my entire youth. I did not find the courage to speak about my experiences and observations until I was in my mid-twenties. We are often told, in subtle and not so subtle ways, to suppress our voices and truths so others won’t have to feel uncomfortable, so others can remain the center of attention, and in order to protect others from pain, blame, or guilt.
You may be very aware of how society and many individuals in it go the extra mile to instill in us that we are ugly, unworthy of human respect and dignity, and less valuable than others. They try to bring us down with what they do and don’t do, say and don’t say.
It wasn’t just what other people of all races said to me or about me that was prejudiced and hurtful (with a major stank face: “Ew! You’re so black!” or “I like your sister better than you because she’s white and you’re black,” both real statements made by a black girl and white girl respectively). It was also the moments when they did not say anything about me that hurt me and exposed their prejudice. You know, when the colorstruck woman (related to you or not) dramatically praises and goes on and on about the lighter skinned sister, cousin, friend, or neighbor and is conspicuously mute, obviously silent about the darker skinned girl(s) present? Yeah, that happens all the time…
And we’re certainly not supposed to notice, call out, or try to change patterns in the media that over represent lighter skinned black women in certain kinds of roles. Because if we do, we’re just hating and being petty. So as a dark skinned girl you’re supposed to just passively and silently accept the status quo, cus “that’s just how it is.”
But brave love compels us to speak our truths and stand up for the causes we believe in no matter how others might respond. Brave love means knowing and believing in our beauty and brilliance no matter how many girls call us ugly, no matter how many guys laugh at us, no matter how invisible we seem in movies and television, and no matter how many times we’re outright attacked or outright ignored.
I know at my core how hard it is to face negation and hostility every day, how scary, frustrating, and wearisome it is. But that’s how I know that deciding to love yourself anyway is often not so easy. It’s a choice we have to make every day. It’s a choice that requires a significant store of strength and courage.
Every day we have to answer for ourselves, yes it’s worth it, or no it’s not. After several years of this and having just turned the corner of 30, I can look back and say: Yes, it was all worth it. And it still is.
“Whenever we submit our will to someone else’s opinion, a part of us dies.” –Lauryn Hill, Unplugged
You see, the most important thing to remember about courage is that it’s the only route to freedom. And freedom is fun, even though the process of winning that freedom isn’t usually fun or easy.
We humans are constantly tussling with the chains of other people’s opinions, expectations, and rules. It takes a bunch of mettle to break that metal—especially for us as girls and women constantly pressured to fit inside a ridiculously tiny box of lady-like behavior and physical attractiveness. Out of fear, many of us go to great lengths to fit inside that small container, usually cutting off significant parts of ourselves so that we take up less space.
“I get out. I get out of all your boxes. I’ll get out. You can’t hold me in these chains. I’ll get out.” –Lauryn Hill, Unplugged
So I empathize with the girl who really wants to experiment with short hair, but is too afraid or anxious about it. Or the young woman who wants to try a brightly colored print, but doesn’t dare stand out in that way. Or the girl who doesn’t want to wear heals, but believes she has to in order to become a woman. Or the young woman who’s nervous about standing up to the guys or girls trying to tear her down. I see you, and I see myself in you. Everything I do now as an adult is for you (and for that younger version of myself that travels through time to check on me every so often).
As a black teenage girl, I was blessed to have something which I’m afraid this generation of young girls doesn’t particularly have—popular images that show them alternative ways of being. I was fortunate to grow up in the “neo-soul” era. People compared me to India Arie before I even knew who she was! Erykah Badu quickly became my idol. Angie stone and Jill Scott graced TV screens, airwaves, and magazine pages all the time, back then. And even though they came before the neo-soul era, I really can’t say enough about Zhane! (It’s a Groove Thang!) I benefitted tremendously from having the “neo-soul” wave swell during my adolescence; and though that wave eventually crashed, its effects had already been deeply planted in my psyche and spirit. I often tell folks that a VHS of Lauryn Hill’s MTV2 Unplugged recording helped get me through my senior year of high school. I’d watch/listen every morning before leaving the house. She spoke to me like no one and nothing else at the time.
Today it seems these types of women are completely marginalized in the media. Even so, I’m encouraged because I continue to witness the bravery of young girls and young women who dare to be themselves in a society that relentlessly disavows their minds, spirits, bodies, and identities. I witness them loving themselves but also loving and supporting each other! That’s the double helix of Brave Love: loving yourself as you are and loving others as they are, knowing that igniting another fire doesn’t extinguish your own.
For every few people who tried to diss me, there was at least one other person (besides me) who thought my style was dope, and maybe more who just never told me. And I realized that courage is contagious. Every time a person chooses to walk in courage, they broaden the path for others to follow (or depart from) just like the women of neo-soul did for me.
I’ve been blogging since 2011, and I’m sure this is the most personal piece I’ve written so far. People often talk about self-love like “I woke up like this.” But for me true love is an act of intense courage. On some level, I wanted to share this because of the women who call me brave, strong, confident, etc. I think it’s important to remember that bravery is not an inherent quality. It’s a choice that we must make every moment of every day. And mostly I just want to acknowledge that it’s often a difficult choice.
Courage is like a muscle. The more we use it, the stronger our courage becomes. When we pass up the smaller, everyday opportunities to be courageous, we let our courage atrophy and find ourselves lacking courage just when we need it most. I believe all of the small, daily acts of courage prepare us for even greater moments.
For the young girls and young women still trying to figure out if expressing their uniqueness is worth the hassle of possible ridicule and rejection, I encourage you to try on a little Brave Love. You might be surprised at how great it looks on you.
Colorism is a symptom of oppression as well as a system of oppression.
The specific oppression I speak of here is racism or “white supremacy.”
Colorism is both a product and a tool of the umbrella institution of white supremacy.
When I began reading Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, I did not expect to find so many ideas relevant to colorism and colorism healing. Freire wrote Pedagogy in 1968, and it was translated from Portuguese to English in 1970. The book is based on Freire’s work with poor working people in Brazil. However, that very specific context of oppression has parallels with many others, and lots of people have reapplied Freire’s ideas in different contexts. But as far as I know, no one has applied his ideas to colorism.
I want to share with you some powerful ideas from Freire’s book that I believe reveal a lot about the sources of colorism and possible solutions to colorism. What follows is a small selection, but I hope you are inspired to take up the book and read all that it contains.
“As the oppressor minority subordinates and dominates the majority, it must divide it and keep it divided in order to remain in power. The minority cannot permit itself the luxury of tolerating the unification of the people, which would undoubtedly signify a serious threat to their own hegemony. Accordingly, the oppressors halt by any method (including violence) any action which in even incipient fashion could awaken the oppressed to the need for unity. Concepts such as unity, organization, and struggle are immediately labeled as dangerous. In fact, of course, these concepts are dangerous—to the oppressors—for their realization is necessary to actions of liberation.” (Freire, p. 122)
“Submerged in reality, the oppressed cannot perceive clearly the ‘order’ which serves the interests of the oppressors whose image they have internalized. Chafing under the restrictions of this order, they often manifest a type of horizontal violence, striking out at their own comrades for the pettiest reasons” (Freire, p. 44).
Freire quotes Fanon to support this. Fanon writes:
“The colonized man will first manifest this aggressiveness which has been deposited in his bones against his own people…. for the last resort of the native is to defend his personality vis-á-vis his brother.” (Fanon as quoted on page 44 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed)
A whole lot of people, especially African Americans, acknowledge that colorism divides the community. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly think that dialogue about colorism is the source of division rather than the colorism itself.
I must say that colorism continues to divide us because we fail to confront it (due to fear, guilt, shame, pain, ignorance, selfishness, etc.). For unity and healing, we need all parties to acknowledge how we are each complicit and responsible. For unity and healing, we need all parties to acknowledge our pain and our privilege.
“The more they mimic the invaders, the more stable the positon of the latter becomes…. For cultural invasion to succeed, it is essential that those invaded become convinced of their intrinsic inferiority. Since everything has its opposite, if those who are invaded consider themselves inferior, they must necessarily recognize the superiority of the invaders. The value of the latter thereby becomes the pattern for the former. The more invasion is accentuated and those invaded are alienated from the spirit of their own culture and from themselves, the more the latter want to be like the invaders: to walk like them, dress like them, talk like them.” (Freire, p. 134)
“Self-deprecation is another characteristic of the oppressed, which derives from their internalization of the opinion the oppressors hold of them. So often do they hear that they are good for nothing, know nothing, and are incapable of learning anything—that they are sick, lazy, and unproductive—that they become convinced of their own unfitness” (Freire, p. 45).
In colonial societies and in societies where slavery existed, whites used and perpetuated colorism to divide the oppressed people. However, as the two quotes above state, the oppressed people internalized, believed in, and became convinced of their own inferiority and of the superiority of whiteness. Colorism among African Americans and other people of color took hold as we began to hate our blackness, began to strive for whiteness, and began to place a higher value on those people of color who more closely resembled and enacted whiteness.
Even though the era of old colonialism and slavery has long passed, its legacy lives on. Even now, people of color continue to loathe blackness but laud whiteness and those who more closely resemble whiteness.
Today, however, it’s not so black and white. White supremacy is no longer stated in explicitly racial terms. Instead people use rhetoric like, “straight hair just looks more professional.” What’s concealed by such statements is that straight hair looks more professional because straight hair is associated with whiteness, and whiteness has always been associated with professionalism.
So how do these ideas spread?
“All these myths…the internalization of which is essential to the subjugation of the oppressed, are presented to them by well-organized propaganda and slogans, via the mass ‘communications’ media—as if such alienation constituted real communication.” (Freire, p. 121)
Society consciously and most often unconsciously maintains white supremacy on a grand scale through mass communications and propaganda in all of its various forms throughout history. This includes, but is not limited to: books, literature, music, art, newspapers, movies, television, magazines, billboards, advertisements and commercials, video games, websites, social media, flesh-tone products, stock photography, dress codes that regulate hairstyles, jeans that fail to accommodate a curvier body, fairytales like Rapunzel, music videos (including ones starring artists of color), dolls and other toys, and… Well, you get the picture.
There is no critical intervention when intervention “would contradict the class interests of the perceiver…. The fact exists; but both the fact and what may result from it may be prejudicial to the person. Thus it becomes necessary, not precisely to deny the fact, but to ‘see it differently.’ This rationalization as a defense mechanism coincides in the end with subjectivism” (Freire, p. 34).
What Freire says here relates to colorism and white supremacy because certain people benefit from these forms of oppression. Those who benefit might not want to lose their benefits, and they often do not even acknowledge that they receive any benefits. They therefore try to dismiss dialogue or action aimed at undoing these forms of oppression.
When we receive information that somehow portrays us or people we identify with in an unflattering or unfavorable light, we might not deny the facts outright, but we try to justify them or rationalize them. We dismiss the information by saying, “Well, I guess I see it differently.” Even when the information doesn’t explicitly describe us, it might contain facts that incriminate us or those with whom we identify.
I’ve said before that colorism healing takes courage. One of the most courageous things we can do is admit that we are complicit—all of us. We need courage to admit that we have certain privileges because of our outward appearances. We need courage to admit that others have an equally valid story to tell, even if the story implicates us or someone who looks like us.
Even when a more equitable situation is established, “the former oppressors do not feel liberated. On the contrary, they genuinely consider themselves to be oppressed. Conditioned by their experience of oppressing others, any situation other than their former seems to them like oppression…. Any restriction on [their former way of life], in the name of the rights of the community, appears to the former oppressors as a profound violation of their individual rights” (Freire, p. 39).
Though Freire is writing primarily about class inequality, I think a similar thing happens when it comes to race. The notion of Affirmative Action as “reverse discrimination” is perhaps the most infamous case of this type of condition.
In many societies around the world, people’s race, skin color, hair texture, facial features, or body size and shape often lead to un-merited advantages (advantages gained through no effort of your own, like an advantage given because of race or skin color). Basically, the loss of an un-merited advantage often feels like a disadvantage (Why am I being punished for who I am?). The reason this feels like a disadvantage is because many of the benefactors of racism are not aware (or in denial) of how they are privileged in that institution. To see things differently would require not relying solely on one’s personal experiences (individualism) and instead acknowledging the larger societal patterns, probabilities, and historical legacy.
When individuals or whole societies make conscious and direct attempts to rectify/compensate for society-wide disparities, rather than understanding it as a more equitable share of pie for everyone, many of the previously privileged view such efforts as merely a smaller slice of pie for them, one that will no longer be served on a silver platter.
For healing to take place, we have to be brave enough to admit when we’ve had easier access to the pie than our other brothers and sisters. Even when we personally have not had a disproportionately large share of pie, we can at least acknowledge that those who have, tend to look like us rather than the rest of the family.
“Some, however, confess: Why deny it? I was afraid of freedom. I am no longer afraid!” (Freire, p. 17)
I must confess: For a long time I was afraid to talk about colorism. I was afraid of what people would think, afraid people would think I’m just jealous or hating, afraid people would think I had low self-esteem and didn’t love myself, afraid people would say I was causing division.
I am no longer afraid!
“the oppressor is ‘housed’ within the people, and their resulting ambiguity makes them fearful of freedom.” (Freire, p. 144)
Not everyone wants to be healed. I sometimes observe that people seem completely content with colorism. In some cases this is because they’ve enjoyed the benefits of colorism and don’t care to lose those. In other cases they’ve so fully subscribed to colorism that they believe it’s the natural order of things. It almost becomes an enjoyable pastime, like the memes and hashtags on social media suggest. And in other cases they’ve been so complicit in perpetuating colorism that they don’t want to deal with the guilt they might feel if they awaken their consciousness about colorism.
“Fear of freedom, of which the possessor is not necessarily aware, makes him see ghosts. Such an individual is actually taking refuge in an attempt to achieve security, which he or she prefers to the risk of liberty…. Men and women rarely admit their fear of freedom openly, however, tending rather to camouflage it—sometimes unconsciously—by presenting themselves as defenders of freedom. They give their doubts and misgivings an air of profound sobriety as befitting custodians of freedom. But they confuse freedom with the maintenance of the status quo; so that if [consciousness] threatens to place that status quo in question, it thereby seems to constitute a threat to freedom itself.” (Freire, p. 18)
You probably know this story just as well as I do. The guy who proudly proclaims: “I only date light skinned chicks,” then shrugs and says, “That’s just my preference.” Others who support this way of thinking will also shrug and say, “Everyone has a right to their own preference.”
Of course everyone has the right to prefer who and what they want, but…
We might also see this defense of personal preference (like a defense of personal freedom), as really just a cowardly defense of the status quo, a fear of freedom (for reasons stated above).
Rather than questioning the possible reasons for or sources of our preferences, rather than considering the social and historical construction and conditioning of our preferences, it’s easier for some people to believe that preferences are simply a personal, individual, biological, natural, and harmless matter. It’s easier to believe so because true belief in the opposite requires action, which requires courage.
“the oppressors attempt to destroy in the oppressed their quality as ‘considerers’ of the world. Since the oppressors cannot totally achieve this destruction, they must mythicize the world. In order to present for the consideration of the oppressed and subjugated a world of deceit designed to increase their alienation and passivity, the oppressors develop a series of methods precluding any presentation of the world as a problem and showing it rather as a fixed entity, as something given—something to which people, as mere spectators, must adapt…. [The oppressors] deposit myths indispensable to the preservation of the status quo.” (Freire, p. 120)
This quote builds on the idea that people hide behind notions of personal freedom because they are too afraid or unwilling to even question, much less resist, the status quo. Even when they express sadness about colorism, too many people respond with resignation and passivity, as if nothing can be done about it.
Well, we have to realize that societies are always changing and that we can and should be active participants in shaping that change. We must believe that we can help change our society for the better. Yes, it’s a huge and overwhelming task. Yes, it takes a ton of effort and risk and courage. But we can do it.
The first action step for colorism healing is to speak our truths—to bear witness. Here’s what Freire says about bearing witness:
“The essential elements of witness include: consistency between words and actions; boldness which urges the witness to confront existence as a permanent risk; radicalization (not sectarianism) leading both the witnesses and the ones receiving that witness to increasing action; courage to love (which, far from being accommodation to an unjust world, is rather the transformation of that world in behalf of the increasing liberation of humankind); and faith in the people, since it is to them that witness is made.… in dialogical action, daring and loving witness serve the ends of organization.” (157-158)
Let’s bear witness—daring and loving witness.
A second action step for colorism healing is to make sure we understand root causes:
“As long as the oppressed remain unaware of the causes of their condition, they fatalistically ‘accept’ their exploitation. Further, they are apt to react in a passive and alienated manner when confronted with the necessity to struggle for their freedom and self-affirmation.” (Freire, p. 46)
When we remain unaware of the causes of colorism, the problem seems impossible to solve. Understanding colorism’s causes helps us to see possible solutions. The device no longer dumbfounds us when we take it apart and see how it works. Let’s find the power source and unplug it to stop the system of colorism. In most society’s that struggle with colorism, the source is white supremacy.
According to Freire, dialogue requires love, humility, faith, hope, and critical thinking. I add that it requires courage. Once we’ve gathered our courage, come to believe that change is possible, born daring and loving witness, and examined the causes of colorism, we need to continue to have courageous yet humble conversations amongst ourselves.
“Human existence cannot be silent, nor can it be nourished by false words, but only by true words, with which men and women transform the world. To exist, humanly, is to name the world, to change it…. Human beings are not built in silence, but in word, in work, in action-reflection…. No one can say a true word alone—nor can she say it for another, in a prescriptive act which robs others of their words.” (Freire, p. 69)
I am writing this post, using my words, but I can’t be the only one. We need your words too. Whether you’re a writer, singer, tweeter, small-talker, big-talker, lecturer, poet, or any other form of human being, we need your words!
“The insistence that the oppressed engage in reflection on their concrete situation is not a call to armchair revolution. On the contrary, reflection—true reflection—leads to action.” (Freire, p. 48)
“‘Cultural Revolution’ takes the total society to be reconstructed, including all human activities, as the object of its remolding action.” (Freire, p. 139)
By reading this, you’re already engaged in the cycle of reflection and action. How will you continue that cycle from here?
Will you talk to someone about your experiences with colorism? Will you listen to someone else share their experiences? Will you give a child a book, movie, or toy that affirms who they are? Will you make a conscious effort to support magazines, movies, and TV programs that promote diversity? Will you give attention to the person everyone else ignores?
Reflect on the actions that feel right to you, then take those actions. Repeat.
Not long ago, a theology student in Atlanta emailed to ask my opinion on how colorism affects couples and how pastors could help couples dealing with colorism. Though I’ve previously written about colorism in relationships, this email and a recent conversation with a friend prompted me to revisit the topic from a slightly different angle.
We usually discuss how colorism influences people’s decisions on who to date or marry, but we rarely hear discussions about how colorism continues to affect relationships beyond the initial decision to be or not to be with someone.
If colorism is an issue for a couple, here are five ways it might negatively impact their relationship, followed by suggestions for what individuals or couples can do about it.
The insecure partner might constantly worry whether or not they’ll be replaced by someone lighter or darker. According to psychology and relationship experts, insecurity in general causes people to need constant attention, affirmation, and reassurance. This neediness often becomes a burden or obligation for the other partner to constantly prove their love and commitment.
Even when the other partner gives all the reassurances they possibly can, an insecure person might continue to question or doubt the sincerity of their partner’s show of affection. An insecure partner might also frequently misinterpret words and actions of their partner as insults or criticism. The tension created as a result of personal insecurity usually creates problems where problems would not exist otherwise.
The commonly depicted case involves a man trying to control, belittle, or abuse a light skinned woman either to “cut her down to size” or “show her who’s boss” or to keep her from cheating with other men (since the belief is that she could have any man she wanted).
Although this is a common story to tell, I want to emphasize that insecurity can lead to abuse no matter what complexion each partner has. I’m sure we all know that both men and women of every race and color may be perpetrators and/or victims of physical and psychological abuse. And, of course, the complicated issues that lead to abusive relationships cannot be boiled down to colorism alone. However, colorism could be a factor.
One case I know of involved a husband controlling his wife’s appearance, specifically not letting her wear certain colors (bright colors) because he thought they clashed with her very dark complexion. Even more common, perhaps, is controlling a partner’s choice in hairstyles, not letting female partners “go natural” or insisting that they wear extensions if their natural hair is “too kinky.” Women in these circumstances experience high levels of fear, anxiety, and shame in trying to meet their partner’s standards for physical appearance.
Unfortunately, some families are still color-struck, even now, insisting that family members “better the race” or “stay true to the race” by only seeking partners within a narrow range of skin shades. In many cases, couples have to deal not only with rejection of a partner, but rejection of their children also if the children don’t turn out to be the desired shade of the family.
Relationships are already difficult due to their own internal conflicts. The added stress and anxiety of rejection, criticism, and mean-spiritedness from one’s own family or a partner’s family could perhaps draw a couple closer or drive a wedge between them.
Many people base their mating decisions, at least in part, on how their offspring might look. I’ve heard several women bluntly say they’d like to have children with a light skin man, white man, Hispanic man, etc. so that they’d have “pretty babies.” I’ve heard men make similar comments about babies, though men in general might be less direct about their desire for children with particular physical attributes.
Genetics may be a science, but there’s no way to guarantee what a child will look like (at least not by ordinary means). In a color-struck relationship where one partner is dark and the other partner is light, one or both partners (and usually their family and friends) will spend the entire pregnancy guessing, speculating, hoping, wishing, praying that the baby will have a certain complexion, hair texture, eye color, and facial features.
In some cultures, the woman, no matter her complexion, is blamed and ostracized as having a “dirty womb” if the baby has dark skin and kinky hair. Women in these circumstances have increased anxiety about what their children will look like. Sometimes a color-struck parent may display favoritism or even abuse a particular child because of that child’s skin color.
Not all relationships involve children, but when they are involved, colorism creates an additional set of complicated issues on top of the typical challenges of rearing children.
This was at the heart of my response to the theology student in Atlanta. Essentially, people might become infatuated with someone’s skin tone rather than falling in love with the person. If skin color is just as or more important than other qualities, then there’s a problem. Skin color can and does change.
There’s also always someone lighter or darker who more exactly matches the idealized skin tone in a partner’s mind. Therefore, couples should be careful not to enter into relationships primarily because of skin color.
The other aspect of this, which I spoke to a friend about, is that many people choose partners of a certain skin color because they believe in reductive and misleading stereotypes about skin color. Dark skinned guys are more manly. Light skinned women are classier. Or whatever.
First, these stereotypes are essentially racist and steeped in centuries of white supremacist rhetoric and practices. Second, stereotypes of any kind are a really shallow foundation for a relationship. Is it possible to have a healthy relationship when one or both partners is infatuated with a stereotype instead of an individual with his or her own personality and unique set of characteristics?
My comment to the Atlanta theologian was that couples should deal with their personal insecurities and learn to appreciate, respect, and love each other as unique individuals. Here’s a more concrete list of steps that couples can take to address colorism, if and when it’s a problem in their relationship.
.Of course these suggestions work best when both partners really want the relationship to work and to last. And, again, relationship problems are usually too complicated to trace back to colorism as the single cause. But perhaps by acknowledging the ways colorism may be affecting a relationship, couples can work to resolve some of their troubles.
UPDATE: Misty Copeland has been promoted to the highest rank of the American Ballet Theatre, making her the first African American woman to be a principle dancer in ABT’s 75 year history. She has definitely changed the game! Let’s continue to support her so that her success ripples far into the future for other aspiring ballerinas.
ORIGINAL: This month, Misty Copeland and Brooklyn Mack made history as the first black ballet dancers to star in Swan Lake, arguably the most in famous ballet ever. In 2015, that means Copeland and Mack are the first blacks to dance lead in Swan Lake in about 140 years. The world of ballet clearly has a color problem.
Of course there are serious pipeline issues. For a lot of people, professional ballet training is just too expensive. Then there’s the factor of location. Many communities simply don’t have the facilities or dance and ballet schools that better resourced communities have.
When long time artistic director of The Washington Ballet, Septime Webre, was asked years ago why he had no African American dancers in his company, part of his reply was:
“that would remain the case until the great training grounds, the great ballet schools of America become welcoming places for 9-year-old black girls. Families need to feel that their daughter or son of color is welcomed in these big ballet academies.” —Septime Webre
Webre’s statement points to the pipeline, the schools and training institutions, as a reason for the lack of professional black ballerinas. However, Webre doesn’t use cost and location as an excuse. His comments get to the heart of something more insidious—interpersonal discrimination.
In many institutions, not just ballet schools, students of color are made to feel unwelcomed, alienated, and marginalized as a result of direct or indirect words and actions from their peers, teachers, and administrators. I don’t have space in this post to thoroughly explain this phenomenon, but I will make a few general statements.
“the perception of what constitutes a talented or gifted dancer often effects the quality of training a student may receive.” —Urena
“research indicates that having some or several of these European phenotypes appears to be linked with increased classroom attention, training and opportunities…” —Fobbs
Even if a black ballerina makes it through the great training grounds of ballet, she will still have to overcome the biases of artistic directors, judges, choreographers, audiences, reviewers, colleagues, and others.
People have preconceived notions about black women that do not match their preconceived notions of ballerinas. While the world may think of black women as physically “strong” and thus suited for sports, many (most?) people do not think of black women as graceful, poised, light, delicate, dainty, feminine, and soft—all the things a ballerina “should be.” These preconceived beliefs often obscure reality, so that even when a black woman is dainty or soft, she often is not perceived that way. African American ballet dancer Joyelle Fobbs writes:
“For women of color, not resembling a past ballerina may consciously or subconsciously send the message to those around them and even to themselves that they have less potential, will receive less positive attention, training, and opportunities because in this particular area of appearance they do not fit within the established norm.”
But of course, the idea of what and who a ballerina should be can stretch and change. The world of ballet can open up for different types of ballerinas, ones that are shaped differently, ones that are colored differently, ones with their own unique attitudes and rhythms. Especially in a field like ballet that’s purely aesthetic, purely about the visual, purely about how one looks as a dancer.
Wherever there’s racism, there’s colorism.
Fobbs writes:
“The ballet world has not been a stranger to the bias of colorism; in fact, the difficulties that a black ballerina already faces in finding a place at a ballet company are exacerbated by darker skin…. [T]here are still dance instructors who believe that darker skin tones are less equipped to meet ballet’s requirements.”
Pointing out racism or colorism in ballet does not mean that ballerinas who achieve great successes do not absolutely deserve them. It simply means that an equally talented dark skinned ballet dancer may be overlooked for the same opportunities.
Misty Copeland gives me hope that the ballet world could look very different in the future because she’s actively seeking to make a difference. She’s consciously and purposefully taking on her professional opportunities as opportunities to be a role model for other young girls of color and to change the public’s notion of what a ballerina looks like.
Even though Copeland is fair skinned by African American standards, her complexion and her body type are unique in the world of ballet. Her presence and success in that world can open doors for other dancers who do not fit the norm.
But again, Copeland goes above and beyond doing her job. She utilizes her visibility and media attention to push for change.
“But to be a black woman and to be given that role is even bigger. I think it’s just changing the way people are viewing ballerinas, number one. You just typically think of this long, tall, white woman, Russian, usually, soft and willowy. And I’m not…. For me it’s just proving myself to people that’s the most daunting… that I belong, that I’m capable, that I’m a ballerina, that it doesn’t matter what color I am, it doesn’t matter what body type I have…. I don’t think it will ever end. I think that it’s something that will take the ballet world a very long time to get used to, and I don’t think it’s going to happen within my lifetime, but it’s starting.” —Misty Copeland
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie released her most recent novel, Americanah, in 2013. Although I’m more than a year late reading the book, I think it’s worth writing about the issue of colorism as it appears in the story. Colorism in Americanah doesn’t rely on the standard melodramatic pity party or blame game. Instead the novel has a rather matter-of-fact tone on the issue, one that seems based more on observation than painful memories or emotion. I guess the story itself is so interesting and well-written that the discussion of colorism doesn’t seem forced—it just seems real.
The public has discussed Adichie’s writing in connection to colorism before. People complained and even started a petition when filmmakers decided to cast the very fair skinned actress Thandie Newton in the lead role of Half of a Yellow Sun (the movie version of Adichie’s novel by the same title). Protesters claimed that the casting decision was an instance of colorism because Newton does not resemble the typical Nigerian woman.
I have not found any direct statement from Adichie about her opinion on the casting for that movie or on colorism in general (if you find something let me know!). In the novel Americanah, however, it’s clear that Adichie is familiar with colorism, and she seems to understand it in both an American and a Nigerian context. (Adichie grew up in Nigeria and currently splits her time between Nigeria and the United States.)
The novel is ultimately a love story at heart, but because the two main characters each spend significant time in America or England, issues of race and colorism are frequently brought to their attention as well as the reader’s.
I said earlier that colorism in Americanah is depicted as a realistic part of the story rather than seeming forced or cheesy. Here’s an example of that.
While in school in Nigeria, the main female character Ifemelu has a close friend named Ginika. Ginika is described as “the second most popular girl” in school. She has caramel skin and wavy hair that falls “down to her neck instead of standing Afro-like.” Ginika is voted “Prettiest Girl” in school every year, but she claims it’s only because she’s “half-caste.” Because the students think Ginika is so pretty and popular, they try to match her with the handsome and popular guy Obinze. But Obinze falls for Ifemelu instead.
Adichie allows us to see colorism (people’s biases about skin color and hair texture), but she doesn’t resort to the typical girl fight between the dark skinned Ifemelu and the light skinned Ginika. Instead Adichie shows that close friendships can exist across the color spectrum. Adichie also shows that colorism doesn’t always play out when and how we think it will, because despite what other characters expected and wanted, the dark skinned friend ends up dating the popular guy. And he treats her well.
Adichie also portrays the practice of skin bleaching among some Nigerian women. In describing Ifemelu’s boss, the narrator says, “it was easy to tell that she had not been born with her light complexion, its sheen was too waxy and her knuckles were dark, as though those folds of skin had valiantly resisted her bleaching cream.”
In her American setting, Ifemelu writes a blog post titled: “Why Dark-Skinned Black Women—Both American and Non-American—Love Barack Obama.” In the post, Ifemelu explains how light skin is valued above dark skin in many contexts, but especially in America. So of course the main argument of the post is that dark skinned black women love Obama because he loves a dark skinned black woman. She says, “He knows what the world doesn’t know: that dark black women totally rock.” And in the typical humor of Ifemelu’s writing she tacks on a last sentence that says, “Oh, and dark black women are also for cleaning up Washington and getting out of Iraq and whatnot.”
I appreciate this honest, direct, and explicit statement about colorism. But even in its directness, it’s still an organic part of the story, it’s still true to character, it’s still funny, and it’s still well-written.
The novel contains several other instances similar to the ones I’ve pointed out here, but I recommend reading Americanah
There are plenty of ways to fight colorism in our everyday lives, and technology is obviously one of my favorite.
Technology, when available, is a great tool for fighting colorism because it engages your creativity, promotes media literacy, and connects you to people and information around the globe.
Here are 7 ways you can use technology in your daily life to help heal colorism.
Researching your family history is a way to deal with personal struggles related to colorism because it can give you a better sense of self. By reconnecting with your roots, you gain perspective on where you came from, where you are, and who you’ve come to be up to this point.
If relatives join together to research their history, it can foster healing, growth, and bonding for the family. If your family has a wide spectrum of skin tones, hair texture, and facial features, this could also explain and encourage discussion about those differences.
Ancestry.com is my personal recommendation for a great way to start researching and documenting your family tree. Many local libraries also have special genealogy sections that are free and open to the public. However, there’s nothing like sitting and listening to the older relatives impart their own knowledge about the family history.
But even the old fashioned oral histories can be recorded and shared through the use of modern technology, which is probably a good idea so that stories remain long after the storyteller is gone.
The online tool for petitions that I’m recommending is Change.org. This site comes with lots of features that allow you to search for or get notifications about causes and issues you care about. It also helps you create and spread the word about your own petitions.
Some of the more popular petitions addressing colorism have to do with casting, such as the Straight Outta Compton casting call and the casting of Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone.
However, there are many other worthy causes pertaining to colorism and other issues that you can throw your support behind with a simple “signature.”
I choose Netflix for watching movies and some shows. When I first signed up, I searched specifically for movies made by and about people of color in all countries. I created a really long queue of such films and watched them one at a time.
I’ve also streamed television shows and movies on Amazon. I discovered it when one of my coworkers was showing her students the movie Roots
I buy songs either from iTunes or Amazon. Unfortunately, there are many songs I haven’t been able to access due to country restrictions.
Also consider subscribing to YouTube channels that post thought provoking, inspiring, or relevant content.
Because we have a little less control over what airs on television or what’s featured in movie theaters, the internet is a good alternative source for media that is affirming and that tells the often untold stories.
Obviously, the internet is also filled with a lot of “bad” stuff, so you must put in a little extra effort to sift through some junk until you find some gems.
Okay, this seems so easy, yet we don’t do it enough, probably because we allow so much junk and negativity to clutter our social media timelines that we don’t see nearly enough good stuff. I know I’ve been guilty in the past for focusing on the sad, troubling, or controversial posts on Facebook and Twitter. But we’re making changes, right?
Sharing (or retweeting) positive posts starts with populating our news feeds with more positive, productive, inspiring content to balance out the other stuff.
Follow people who post non-junk and be on the lookout for an inspiring story or motivational quote to share. If you’ve found great content suggested in tip #3, share that too.
Notice I say SHARE, not like, favorite, or even comment (although these things are good to do in addition to sharing). If we want to spread the positive stuff, then liking, favoriting, and commenting aren’t going to help as much as sharing or retweeting.
Also look out for actual photos and images of people that main stream media don’t publish often, or people who represent a type that was once invisible (and still drastically underrepresented) in main stream media. Share those.
You’re probably going to buy a book, or a T-shirt, or a doll, or jewelry, or a piece of artwork at some point, right? You can search online for retail products that affirm the heritage, skin tone, hair texture, or features that you have, or that your children have.
There’s now a line of nude colored bras for black women.
You can also search for these products to help you and your family become familiar with, comfortable with, and appreciative of people’s differences.
Many small, local, minority owned businesses have online retail options, so you’re also not limited by transportation or location.
Because main stream media does a poor job showing positive images of people of color, especially those with dark skin, we must be more proactive in surrounding ourselves and our children with such imagery. Creating collages is a great way to do this.
I made this collage with Photovisi. It’s super simple because it’s all done online and there are very few features to distract and confuse you.
I used a slightly more complex Collageit program to make this one. Collageit requires downloading software from the internet, which should be done with caution. But overall, I love the features!
I used stock photos and photos from Creative Commons to create these. Learn about other collage makers here.
The first thing I recommend is that you create a YouTube channel. Simply sign up for a free YouTube account if you don’t already have one. This is easier to do if you already have a Gmail account.
YouTube will allow you to capture, create, edit, and share your video. You can keep the video private and only share it with people you choose, or you can make it public for anyone to see.
If you want fancier videos, there are plenty of video editing programs you can use to create the video and then upload the finished product to YouTube. Such programs can be pretty pricy, though, so I recommend using those only if you’re serious about your video making. You may also find free access to video editing software through school or another institution or organization.
These seven tech based ways to fight colorism are simple and fun places to start. Explore these strategies, and your sure to discover even more creative things you can do.
How do you use technology to spread positivity?
The Hollywood casting agency Sande Alessi reportedly issued an “apology” through TMZ regarding their casting call for the film Straight Outta Compton (NWA biopic). Universal Pictures and the filmmakers have also since distanced themselves from the casting call.
Here’s the casting call originally posted on the agency’s Facebook page, then deleted, but not before being transcribed by Gawker:
SAG OR NON UNION CASTING NOTICE FOR FEMALES-ALL ETHNICITIES- from the late 80’s. Shoots on “Straight Outta Compton”. Shoot date TBD. We are pulling photos for the director of featured extras…
SAG OR NON UNION FEMALES – PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR SPECIFIC BREAKDOWN. DO NOT EMAIL IN FOR MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY:
A GIRLS: These are the hottest of the hottest. Models. MUST have real hair – no extensions, very classy looking, great bodies. You can be black, white, asian, hispanic, mid eastern, or mixed race too…
B GIRLS: These are fine girls, long natural hair, really nice bodies. Small waists, nice hips. You should be light-skinned. Beyonce is a prototype here…
C GIRLS: These are African American girls, medium to light skinned with a weave…
D GIRLS: These are African American girls. Poor, not in good shape. Medium to dark skin tone. Character types…
Okay, I’ll give you time to read that over again…
According to TMZ the agency says the casting call was an “innocent mistake,” and that anyone can audition as D Girls, not just dark-skinned African American girls.
As for their A-B-C-D grouping, it’s apparently what they typically use to find different types of people for any project.
In fact, the letter system is apparently common in Hollywood casting in general as a way to rank either attractiveness or importance. Yesha Callahan at The Root writes: “For anyone not familiar with casting and the categories used, in the above post the letters A, B, C, and D are used to rank the extras. ‘A’ means the ‘better-looking’ extras, and ‘D’ stands for the undesirables…”
Now that you know the A through D ranking system is commonly used in Hollywood to measure attractiveness or importance, you might want to scroll back up and review this particular casting call again. Go ahead. The rest of this post will be waiting when you get back.
Sadly, colorism in Hollywood is not limited to just this one particular casting call. Even actresses as famous and successful as Gabrielle Union, Viola Davis, and Alfre Woodard have spoken about the disparities in casting based on skin tone.
In a special “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” these darker skinned actresses briefly discussed being told “You can’t go for that role because that’s for the ‘cute’ black girl.”
ABC News also has a post on skin tone discrimination in Hollywood that includes the perspective of one light skinned actress:
Actress Wendy Raquel Robinson has noticed the difference. “I’ve never been offered, you know, the crackhead or the distressed mother,” she said. “I play the very upscale, educated young lady,” Robinson said. “I do have some peers that are a lot darker than myself. They don’t get the opportunities.”
If women who looked like Gabrielle Union, Lupita Nyong’o, Kelly Rowland, Tyra Banks, or Naomi Campbell auditioned for Straight Outta Compton, they’d be limited to D roles only (maybe Tyra could squeak by in a C role) no matter how gorgeous they are.
But this has bigger implications than who gets cast as “pretty” or “unattractive” characters.
In their apology to TMZ, Sande Alessi said they weren’t just looking for dark skinned African Americans to play “poor” girls. Notice, however, that they did not correct anything about their A, B, or C casting descriptions.
Would dark skinned girls be allowed to audition for A, B, or C roles?
If not, then non-blacks and light skinned blacks could potentially audition for any of the four categories, while dark skinned black girls are limited to auditioning for only one. Because of a racist stereotype, there are four times as many job opportunities for light skinned women as there are for dark skinned women in this particular casting call.
As difficult as it is for dark skinned women to be cast as the gorgeous girl in minor or supporting roles, it’s even more difficult for them to land the more lucrative leading roles.
Denzel Washington told The Hollywood Reporter the advice he gives to his own dark skinned daughter:
I tell my daughter: “You’re black, you’re a woman, and you’re dark skinned at that. So you have to be a triple, quadruple threat…. Look at Viola Davis. That’s who you want to be. You want to be her. Forget about the little pretty girls because … if you’re relying on that, when you hit 40, you’re out the door. You better have some chops.”
The idea of earning potential being affected by skin tone discrimination is not new.
Several others have noted the only mention of class is in the D category, which in this casting call is associated with being less attractive and medium to dark skinned.
In many countries, dark skin is associated with poverty, while fair skin is associated with wealth. These associations are unfortunately based on a bleak reality (Brazil example).
Even research in the U.S. provides evidence of a color-based wealth/income gap that sort of runs parallel to the race-based gap. (I’m currently delving into the historical research of Howard N. Bodenhorn. You can explore more research on colorism here.)
However, this does not mean that all poor or wealthy people have the same physical features. Poor and wealthy people come in all colors, sizes, and shapes.
The repeated Hollywood depictions of dark skinned people as poor and uneducated or light skinned people as wealthy and successful, actually helps perpetuate socio-economic disparities in the real world.
The writer of this casting call was very clear that the “hottest of the hottest” girls have long hair that’s not weave.
First of all, women of all ethnicities wear fake hair pieces in Hollywood, even the ones whose hair is already long. It’s called being an actress, or model, or performer. One gig might require a short bob, the next might require a big afro, the next might require a bald head, and the next might require Rastafarian style locs. In order to make this happen, stylists use fake hair all the time. It’s HOLLYWOOD. Nothing is as it seems.
Second, not only have they excluded dark skinned women from A or B roles, they’ve also excluded light skinned women reminiscent of Halle Berry or Alicia Keys, and even white women reminiscent of Jennifer Lawrence, just because their hair is short.
Third, the ranking suggests that the most attractive girls in the film will all have naturally long (straight/wavy) hair. This is Hollywood again perpetuating a dangerously narrow or unrealistic standard of beauty. The truth is, my friends, beautiful women come with all different types of hair textures and lengths, including bald. But, as this casting call exemplifies, we’ll never see the diversity of that beautiful hair because it’s restricted before casting directors ever actually see any women. They don’t even allow for the possibility that the “hottest” woman to audition might have short hair. It would appear they can’t even fathom such a thing.
Finally, the casting call plays on the stereotype that African American women in general, and in particular medium and dark skinned women are not able to have long hair without weaves. This is a myth. The problem, as Dr. Neely stated in her post on hair shaming, is that black women’s hair is damaged in the cycle of trying to achieve styles that are naturally suited to white women’s hair, thus preventing many black women’s hair from growing to it maximum potential. Again, this casting call is a perfect example of why so many black women try to achieve that look, because it’s what society ranks and has always ranked as most attractive and acceptable.
When I consider how many projects Sande Alessi has worked on, it’s no wonder there’s so little representation of dark skinned black women in Hollywood. In most of their films, they probably didn’t even bother casting African American women, and thus have never been exposed for their racism and colorism. But Straight Outta Compton clearly presented a challenge for them. Since they had to include lots of black women, I guess they figured they should do their best to limit them to the “least desirable” roles.
It’s perfectly fine for casting directors and filmmakers to want specific characters. There’s nothing wrong with specific. Specific is art.
But the so called “specific” descriptions in Sande Alessi’s casting call are nothing more than racist, regressive, lazy, shallow, stereotypes. That’s bad storytelling. That’s bad film-making.
And while that’s always and too often the reality in Hollywood, we have a right to be unsatisfied with it. We have the right to speak out, to petition, to boycott, to never stop fighting for change. Because what happens in Hollywood, unfortunately doesn’t stay in Hollywood. It get’s projected around the globe and has real-world consequences.
I am happy to see that as of Friday, Universal Pictures and the Straight Outta Compton Filmmakers have released a statement distancing themselves from the casting call:
“the filmmakers … did not approve and do not condone the information in this casting notice. We regret and sincerely apologize for being in any way associated with the offensive descriptions it contained.”
By Kirleen Richardson Neely PhD, LPC-S
We have all been bombarded with the abundance of YouTube videos and blogs discussing the concept of Good hair vs. Bad hair and more recently Natural vs. Relaxed hair for African American women. It’s clear that ethnic hair still carries with it power, pain, and controversy. This topic seems to have stood the test of time largely because of its deep connection to slavery. As with many things in modern day society, most discussion has centered on being for it or against it. What has struck me about these conversations is the lack of focus on the real life consequences of these constructs and, even more important, the lack of healthy conversation about solutions.
One consequence is generational hair shaming. Little Black girls are overtly told by caregivers and subliminally through media images that their hair is nappy, bad, and unmanageable. The shaming comes in the form of popping the child on the head with the comb, often out of frustration, or making verbal comments about the child having bad hair. Well-meaning mothers and caregivers pass shaming down generation after generation not even realizing its potential for harm. However innocuous the shaming might be, it ultimately impacts self-worth and personal pride.
Another very significant but less talked about consequence is the current epidemic of hair loss among Black women. The online photos of Black celebrities with thinning edges seem to be a microcosm of what hair professionals are seeing in their chairs. To meet the media-driven dominate standard of beauty and the intercultural belief that there really is such a thing as GOOD hair, Black women have feverishly engaged in damaging hair practices such as excessive braiding, weaving, coloring, and relaxing. When genetic factors and medical disease are ruled out, these practices contribute to hair loss.
It is easy to make the connection that if you are shamed as a child about your hair, when you are a teen and able to change it, you will. The lack of financial resources for most teens forces the all-too-often trip to the girlfriend’s kitchen to have your hair done. The girlfriend’s kitchen becomes the beauty shop, but little attention is paid to proper technique or possible damage from chemicals. Many young women are ending up with significant amounts of hair loss. Hair loss is a psychologically devastating experience for any woman; but when it occurs to a young woman, it’s even more destructive. These women are robbed of their confidence and feelings of self-worth.
As a psychotherapist and mother of two girls, I became curios about how all these factors intersect. I decided to conduct a qualitative research dissertation on the psychosocial implications of hair loss and beauty standards among young African American women. The study provided me with the opportunity to interview women in a very intimate manner. My study found that the combination of hair shaming as children and media-driven images leads young women to disconnect from their natural hair. Eventually, they opt to consistently wear their hair in weaves and long braids. This excessive use is done with blatant disregard for their real hair. Some women go months without washing or grooming their natural hair. The primary reason noted for this choice is the infectious amount of attention received when they no longer had African-type hair. The cruel irony is the desire for acceptance ultimately left them with hair loss and lowered self-worth.
Solutions to address this issue will need to be multifaceted, but educating mothers and caregivers about the impact of hair shaming is a good first step. Young girls also need clear advice on how to appropriately care for their hair and the possible long-term consequences of certain hair styles. Lastly, honest conversations about the history and politics of hair should be held with girls during late elementary school. Girls at this age are on the brink of learning to style and maintain their own hair. Straightforward conversation is needed because children are often told to love and accept themselves, but are not usually given the why behind the message. We should not underestimate their ability to comprehend this issue, because true change comes from understanding.
Copyright © 2014 Dr. Neely
So, you want to know how to end colorism?
Well, if you were looking for a quick fix, I’m sorry to tell you there’s no easy answer.
The issue is as complicated as any other social problem.
But we must start somewhere.
And the fact that you’re here reading this is a good sign that we can and will make progress in our efforts to stop the cycle of colorism.
There are various strategies, practical things we can do to end colorism. I get into some of these in other blog posts.
Here I want to talk less about how to end colorism and more about what it takes to end colorism.
Listen to Dr. Webb read this post or scroll to keep reading.
Courage and honesty must be at the core of everything we say and do in the struggle to end colorism.
First, colorism is one of those “controversial” issues that many people passionately disagree about. I’m gaining critics and enemies with every word I write–not intentionally, but inevitably.
If you’re not ready or willing to deal with criticism, personal attacks, confrontation, and loss, then you won’t be effective in this fight.
It’s going to take courage to speak up in a group of friends or family and denounce an act of colorism.
Second, it takes courage to be honest.
We can’t heal unless we know precisely what needs to be healed. Are we expressing insecurities about ourselves, or prejudices against others? Have we been hurt by others, or have we been hurting others? Is a particular situation a case of colorism, or merely coincidence?
If it is colorism, we have to be honest and say it is. If we are insecure, we have to be honest and say we are. If we are prejudiced, we have to be honest and admit it.
Are you ready for that?
Good! Then let’s continue.
No matter what race or color, we have all been complicit in perpetuating colorism.
Usually, when we talk about colorism in general conversations, we’re limited to the individual, interpersonal experience. Sometimes we only think of colorism as “that girl’s insecurity,” or “that girl’s low self-esteem,” or “that girl’s jealousy.” We often think of healing from colorism as “teaching girls to love themselves.”
But colorism is not just a personal problem. Colorism is a social problem. Colorism influences our society’s legal system, politics, educational system, healthcare system, crime and violence, and media.
No social problem can exist or cease to exist without community level action.
Teaching dark brown girls to love themselves is a worthy and necessary goal, but it’s often a cop-out for doing the additional, more difficult work of teaching our entire society to love dark brown girls.
Would we solve racism by merely teaching black and brown people to love themselves? Would we solve sexism by merely telling women they just need to love themselves? Would we solve homophobia by merely telling gays and lesbians to just take pride in who they are?
You can love yourself all you want and still be negatively impacted by colorism in the larger society. All the self-love in the world won’t stop a kid from getting shot and killed because of how someone else perceives him.
Now, I’m all for self-love. I really am. But too often we pretend like that alone is the answer to colorism. Perhaps we’re too afraid, too self-absorbed, or too lazy to confront the rest of the problem.
In order to really heal from colorism, we must seek to address it at the community level (just like we do with racism, sexism, or crime) and stop centralizing the problem and its solutions on individual people.
I could have lumped this into the community section, but it’s such an important and complex piece of the puzzle that it needs to be singled out.
For many people, the earliest and clearest ideas about skin color, hair texture, and features come from family members. This includes parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
Although a lot of people point to the media as a primary factor in colorism, I think what goes on in our families is even more important. When we consume media, we’re merely observing strangers. Although those images are powerful, discrimination within our own families is actually a lived experience that directly involves us and those we have intimate relationships with, making it that much more painful and traumatic.
The family’s role in healing colorism is twofold:
First, families must say and do as many positive things as possible to promote self-love and affirm the worth and beauty of ALL family members of EVERY SHADE.
Second, families must openly and lovingly address instances of colorism whenever they happen.
Ignoring, laughing off, or excusing an act of colorism is just as bad as committing an act of colorism. Most of us just let tough or potentially confrontational situations slip by without saying anything. But in the words of Audre Lorde: “Your silence will not protect you.” And it certainly will not help to end colorism.
Many victims of colorism within families believe they have no voice and no ally. You can be the courageous person in your family who saves your niece, nephew, cousin, daughter, son, brother, or sister by affirming them and standing up for them whenever you see colorism happening.
In order to heal families and communities, we must heal ourselves. You know how the saying goes: “Hurt people, hurt people.”
Until we deal with our own individual issues, whether it’s prejudice or insecurity, we’re likely to continue spreading the germ of colorism. The world doesn’t need our colorism germs.
I saved this one for last because if you’ve made it this far, you’re probably committed to actually working to end colorism. This will separate those who think colorism is an interesting topic for discussion from those, like you, who are ready to do something to end it.
As I said before, there are other posts that provide specific actions; but whatever actions we take in the fight against colorism, we must persist over time, probably our entire lifetimes.
When I talk to some people about colorism, they seem shocked that this is still going on. I question that reaction because we all know that problems don’t just go away on their own. What makes these people think that colorism should have just evaporated overtime all by itself?
The world needs you to help put an end to colorism.
Now that you know what it really takes, are you up for the challenge?
