Dr. Sara L. web Founder and Author of Colorism Healing Colorism: The Politics of Skin Color and How We Are Free, Now out of Legacy Lit. Below, she discusses the far-reaching consequences of colorism and how it is misrepresented in pop culture. (Photo courtesy of the author)
On the surface, colorism appears to be a simple issue of who we find physically attractive or not.
In pop culture news, one of the biggest headlines related to colorism has been a dark-skinned celebrity’s admission that she had to learn to embrace her beauty after growing up being told she was “pretty for a dark girl.”
At the more controversial end, we see heated debate about how or If Colorism goes on in reality TV shows.
Outside the region, it is less common to find more informed discussions of this issue. This was especially true when I began studying and writing about colorism in 2011. Because I had not heard others address this topic, I was initially surprised to learn that significant academic research and other thought leadership on this topic had existed for decades.
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as it turns out, colorism This is more than a meaningless popularity contest. It is the social marginalization of individuals and groups with darker skin and the privileging of those with lighter skin. It occurs both within and across many racial and ethnic groups throughout the world.
Works like Marietta Golden before don’t play in the sun (nonfiction, 2004), Alice Walker In search of our mother’s gardens (essay, 1983), by Wallace Thurman The Blacker the Berry (fantasy, 1929), and Zora Neale Hurston’s color affected (Drama, 1926) were each groundbreaking works during their respective times and continue to provide valuable insight into the history and trajectory of colorism for those of us who understand its modern context.
While academic research is less accessible, often behind paywalls and not written for a general audience, they are essential to furthering our understanding of colorism and its systemic impact. This research shows that for almost every racial disparity, there is an equal and parallel color disparity that exists between people. Same Race.
These disparities based on relative skin color extend to all areas of social life, from school suspension rates, pay gaps, health care disparities, racial profiling, and police brutality.
my new book, Colorism: The Politics of Skin Color and How We Are FreeColorism carries the torch of awareness in this modern age, taking a global and cross-cultural perspective on how colorism impacts lives, and how each individual can empower themselves to create change.
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