Lighter colors are brighter, so darker colors must be duller. Lighter colors are more visibly lit, so darker colors must be easy to look past. Lighter colors mean the colors of the rainbow, so darker colors must mean dark and rainy nights. To many, this concept that lighter colors are more appealing cannot be combated by the opinions of others. It is taken as a fact. It stretches from hospitals beginning to use light blue and light pink colors to signify newborns and the idea of fresh beginnings and the welcoming of new life to public safety offices enforcing “Code BLACK” as a way of signaling the terrifying news of a bomb threat. The concept of the darker as the more dangerous, the less valued, the less appealing has been prevalent since the beginning of society. And with it, people applied the same concepts onto skin tones thus evolving the master narrative that lighter skin is better. As time progressed, colors have broadened the horizons of their meanings and people have progressed with it. But there are still people who carry over these concepts of lighter colors being more appealing to skin tones which leads to a stigma that isolates people from the groups they closest identify with, debilitates the value of their self-worth, and damaging the ability to be content with something as true to oneself as their skin tone.

Colorism is a term that was first defined by Alice Walker in 1982 as, “preferential treatment of same race people based solely on their color” (qtd. in Norwood 585). This definition highlights the fact that colorism occurs within the same race of people. However, the more recent definitions of colorism such as the one in the Oxford dictionary, “prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group,” highlights different aspects of colorism (“Colorism”). The more recent Oxford definition first prioritizes the fact that colorism discriminates against a darker skin tone, and makes the part about being within the same ethnic group a secondary and optional aspect of colorism. Alice Walker’s definition did not specify that colorism is not in the favor of darker skin tones, but as time progressed it became clearer that colorism is not in the favor of darker skin tones because of how widespread and prevalent the issue has become.

The origins of colorism do not stem from just one event that ignited the entire foundations of the issue; rather, it was societal events that occurred throughout the world that lead to this stigma. In India, colorism stems from the caste system. The caste system was a segregating system in India that created a social structure by ranking families and individuals into “higher” and “lower” castes, and predetermining their socio-economic status and their place in society. One of the main factors that contributed to how the caste system was built was skin color. The system was constructed in a way that people with lighter skin were higher up on the pyramid and people with darker skin were placed in inferior castes. It worked out so that only lighter skin individuals stayed in their respective places on the pyramid because they would only marry within their caste, so there was no opportunity for skin colors to vary from those lighter skin tones. People with darker skin tones only had the opportunity to marry and reproduce with other dark skinned people and were not permitted to intermingle with anyone else, so the demographic of skin color within a certain caste stayed lacking diversity.

The reason skin color was placed on a pyramid in this specific way had much to do with the colonialization of countries by the British Empire. Because the British were the ones in power and had ruled over India with such a strong reign for so long, the white color of their skin had begun to be associated with the idea of power and higher society. Indian people, no matter how dark or light within their own race, were in general darker than the British powers that ruled over them. So, this idea that lighter skin was superior over their darker skin tones was put in place. The white color had been perceived as power for so long, so even after British rule had ended, the concept that the closer to white your skin the more superior you were thought to still linger in the country. Many countries that were colonized by a Caucasian power such as Britain often end up with the idea that whiter skin is superior to darker skin and the issue of colorism still prevalent. For example, colorism is present in postcolonial countries like Kenya and South Africa and is evident by the number of harmful skin lightening practices happening in African countries (Jacobs 552). Colorism can impact people so deeply that they find the need to alter something as close to themselves as their skin tone. Nowadays, skin bleaching products do not have the support of big companies and are less funded for research and development. However, this leads to the amateur development of products that often severely hurt someone’s skin. People in countries such as Ghana and India are still so heavily influenced by this notion that they need lighter skin to be better perceived, that they overlook those risks and use them anyway ultimately hurting themselves mentally and physically.

Another origin of colorism comes from slavery in America. Even within slaves in the country at the time, there were lighter and darker skinned slaves due to the mixing of owners and their female slaves. A study conducted by Robert L. Reece in 2018 found that Mulattos, the term used for mixed race slaves, “Mulattos have higher occupational statuses relative to Blacks in places where slavery was more prominent and where free Mulattos were literate…” (Reece 10). Slaves with lighter skin colors were given partiality and were treated better than those who were fully black because of an attraction the Caucasian slave owners had towards them. They were most likely more drawn to those with lighter skin because they saw some of the whiteness that they hold with such high regard in them. The better treatment of Mulattos allowed Mulattos to further advance in society and gave them certain education and economic privileges that their fully black counterparts were not given, thus allowing them to become more literate and gain a better socio-economic status which furthered the idea of lighter skin tones being more advanced and appealing.

Since the beginning of society, these problems of discrimination against darker skin tones have been glaringly obvious because events such as the caste system and partiality in slavery were simply part of how society worked at the time. They were not acceptable, yet they were still accepted. Now, society is more aware of the discriminatory actions that took place and has advanced to ensure those events are not exemplary of a morally correct and just society. The narrative has evolved to include so many other stories and different perspectives leading to more acknowledgment of why it is an issue and the transition away from the traditional “lighter is better” concept. Although there is a shift away from the outright mistreatment of people with darker skin tones, colorism is still an issue to a more subtle and hidden degree.

It is common for individuals to not be satisfied with their physical appearances. People will always look towards other more sought after individuals to influence their perception of beauty and what is appealing. The way models, actors, and actresses are portrayed has a major impact on society’s standards of beauty. However, in certain cultures and parts of the world, there is a deeply rooted problem of these social media stars and actors and actresses all having pale and light skin tones and not much portrayal of darker skin tones in media. These people that are meant to “exemplify” the standard of beauty do not encapsulate the diverse features and skin colors of all the people. These standards of beauty that they show off are closed off to a small category of lighter skinned individuals with more European and Caucasian features.

In a Ted Talk by Chika Okoro called: “How Colorism Shapes Our Standards of Beauty” she talks about how the film industry plays a part in creating this stigma that darker skin is designated to less appealing parts than lighter skin tones. One of the casting calls she reads quotes:

I go to the next category: the B girls. The casting call reads: “These are fine girls, long

natural hair, must have light skin, Beyoncé’s the prototype hit here.” Light skin? Also not me…I go to the next category: the C girls. The casting call reads: ‘These are African American girls, can have extensions, must be medium to light skin toned. ‘These are African American girls, poor, not in good shape, must have a darker skin tone.’ A darker skin tone. Well, I guess that’s me: a D girl. (Okoro 20).

This casting sheet blatantly describes the preference for lighter skinned individuals to play the more appealing and beautiful roles in a movie, and this kind of activity is what spreads the message not only to the actresses that read those casting sheets but to the millions of viewers that watch such movies and media. These movies allow those watching to see their perspective of what is perceived as beautiful and how their definition of an “A Girl” does not include dark skin. This stigma plays a role in the diminishing of self-confidence one might have because someone’s skin color might not fit into what the media is portraying as desirable. These stigmas and social concepts that are enforced are not facts; they are ideas and stigmas that have influenced society to take them as facts. Therefore, they must be available to the changing of this damaging notion. One should never think they must change something as true to themselves as their skin tone to be beautiful. Beauty is a subjective experience that is not restricted to a particular color and the standard of beauty needs to reach all people of various skin tones rather than restricting what is considered beautiful. Although these are more subtle ways of discrimination, they are enforcing the idea that lighter skin is better regardless and still noticeable. As a “D girl” myself, I notice. The importance of people with all types of skin tones having the ability to feel confident and not only be classified as beautiful but for them to classify themselves as appealing is undeniable because it ties into the importance of mental and physical health.

Colorism not only impacts one’s perception of themselves and self-confidence, but it establishes a sense of inequality within a group of people who share the same race. People often find comfort within their own niche of people who share their race, but the stigma around having different skin tones within one skin color creates an isolating divide within that group. The narrative that lighter skin is “better” alienates individuals within a group of people that often already experience alienation and discrimination from outside groups. It is important to note the difference between the terms racism and colorism when explaining this concept. Racism is the discrimination of a race as a whole by someone, and colorism is discrimination against darker skin tones within one race. Racism still plays a significant role in belittling individuals and isolating them, and colorism takes away the safety of their own community of race.

In an article by Kye Farrow from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the narrative of Dr. Albert C. Johnston’s life is told. His story is particularly interesting because it shows how the advantages he received due to having a lighter skin color isolated him from his own African American community as well as the community of lighter skinned individuals he was surrounded by. In his career, he could get so far ahead of his other African American peers because he was mistaken for white at one point. “When he realized his associates and co-workers believed he was white, he maintained the secret of his actual identity for over a decade.” (Farrow 1). He later suffered through much discrimination because within the newer and whiter community that he was in because, among them, he had darker skin and was looked down upon. However, having lighter skin also plays a role in alienating him from his own black community members by not allowing him to fully understand the struggles they went through and separated him from his cultural roots and heritage. Although he could advance in his career, he felt a decade of isolation on both ends of society.

Colorism has evolved from how it played a role in society in the early colonial periods to how it plays a role in society now. Nowadays, there is not a direct affirmation that having darker skin tones is socially less appealing; rather, it is the subtle discrepancies in how people with darker skin tones are treated versus the way their lighter skinned counterparts are treated. The increasing awareness of how wrong it is to comply with such discrimination has made the issue more prevalent and easier to diagnose. Although it is not possible to simply erase colorism’s history and how it affected people then, it is important to note how there has been an evolution in the way the narrative has evolved to broaden the definition of what is beautiful to include a wider array of skin tones.

Works Cited

Branigan, Amelia R., et al. “Complicating Colorism: Race, Skin Color, and the Likelihood of

Arrest.” Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, vol. 3, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2017, Sage Journals, doi.org/10.1177%2F2378023117725611. Accessed 2 Jan. 2019.

“Colourism.” Oxford English Dictionary, 2^nd ed., vol. 7, English, Lexico Dictionaries,

https://www.lexico.com/definition/colourism.

Farrow, Kyle. “How the Camera Sees Color: Exploring Colorism and Identity in Early

Hollywood Films.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 10 Jan. 2019. Accessed 8 Dec. 2019.

Jacobs, Meagan. “Fifty Shades of African Lightness: A Bio-psychosocial Review of the Global

Phenomenon of Skin Lightening Practices.” Journal of Public Health in Africa, vol. 7, no. 2, 2016, pp. 552.

Kimberly Jade Norwood, “If You Is White, You’s Alright. . . .” Stories About Colorism in

America, 14 Wash. U. Global Stud. L. Rev. 585 (2015),

https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_globalstudies/vol14/iss4/8

Nittle, Nadra Kareem. “The Origins of Colorism and How This Bias Persists in

America.”  ThoughtCo, 15 Aug 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-colorism-2834952.

Okoro, Chika. “How Colorism Shapes Our Standards of Beauty.” Youtube, uploaded by

TEDxTalks, 22 May 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvoWoMIwr-g

Reece, Robert. “Genesis of U.S. Colorism and Skin Tone Stratification: Slavery, Freedom, and

Mulatto-Black Occupational Inequality in the Late 19th Century.” Sage Journals: The Review of Black Political Economy, 2018, pp. 10.