The Perseverance of Colorism
col·or·ism
/kələrˌizəm/
prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.
also known as,
a global cultural practice and societal ill driven by preference and prejudice
In layman’s terms, it is showing favoritism towards those of a lighter complexion, in all facets of life. But these simple words do not truly encompass the deeply damaging and concerning legacy of colorism.
The History of it All.
The Victorian Standard of Beauty
The pristine whiteness that defined the elite’s clothing and skin became the universal symbol of beauty.
One of the first examples of blatant colorism was during the era of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Light-skinned slaves were generally assigned jobs within the slave owner’s home (domestic labor), while darker-skinned slaves were forced to work in the fields and do much more physically demanding activities. The brown paper bag test became popular in the 19th and 20th centuries. If the person in question was darker than a brown paper bag, that person would be denied entry to a private residence. It became common practice for skin color to be among the most important deciding factors in a job application. Light-skinned applicants were overwhelmingly favored over their dark-skinned counterparts. People’s brown skin became unwanted, for it prevented them from living their lives without obstacles or even simply providing for their families. Black and brown bodies were reduced down to the mere pigment of their skin.
Thanks to European colonialism and imperialism, the concepts of colorism have been spread across the globe. Colonialism perpetuated the hateful belief than dark-skinned people were inherently worse than their light-skinned peers. Social hierarchies set in place by European colonialism were based on the lightness of your skin, and therefore instilled a hatred against darker skin.
The Legacy.
Zendaya on Colorism in Hollywood
“I am Hollywood’s acceptable version of a black girl.”
Despite the concepts of colorism first emerging nearly a century ago, colorism is still alive and well in almost all aspects of our lives. Its legacy can be obviously evident in various forms of media like movies, and TV shows, due to Hollywood’s preferred type of black/brown actor being mixed or light-skinned. In some countries, some celebrities even advertise for skin-whitening brands like Fair and Lovely. But colorism’s omnipresent culture doesn’t have to be so blatant, it’s perpetuated legacy can be as private as the internalized and buried thoughts of Black, South-Asian, and Latinx parents wanting their children to be light-skinned so they can have a better life.
These internalized thoughts can give way to biases founded on skin color. These biases are present in our everyday lives, in casual conversation and seemingly innocent favoritism. Shankar Vedantam wrote the book on these implicit biases- literally. He’s the famed author of the book, The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives. His research clearly shows how even the most progressive thinkers still demonstrate a bias towards light skin. The NPR science correspondent states, “Dozens of research studies have shown that skin tone and other racial features play powerful roles in who gets ahead and who does not. These factors regularly determine who gets hired, who gets convicted, and who gets elected.”
Colorism subtly surrounds our lives in every way we can fathom. Skin color affects our lives whether we want it to or not.
The Market.
Fair and Lovely
Emerging first in 1975, Fair and Lovely is now among the biggest names in the multibillion- dollar skin-whitening industry. The brand recently came under fire for promoting fairness and has now changed it’s name to “Glow” and Lovely.
The ubiquitous culture of colorism fueled millions to be overcome with feelings of shame due to their dark skin. This widespread insecurity is the shameful fuel of the skin whitening industry. The industry emerged with the first skin whitening creams in about the 20th century, but skin-lightening practices have been around for ages. These practices such as applying white paint and powder in order to seem lighter was a woman’s way of seeming more pure and beautiful. However, the lead-based paints and powders of the past, are nowhere near as invasive as the skin bleaching products available today.
Skin bleaching is the practice of using chemical substances on the skin in order to achieve a lighter complexion. The harsh process is very harmful, in fact, some skin-bleaching creams even contain mercury, an extremely toxic substance. Research studies have proven various skin creams cause a plethora of afflictions, such as dermatitis(inflammation), nephrotic syndrome (kidney disorder), and even exogenous ochronosis(blue/black pigmentation). Despite this, the skin whitening market has grown to become a multibillion-dollar industry, that profits off of customers’ shame. With the terrible risks that come with skin-bleaching, we must wonder, why are these products so popular? Well, the sad truth of the matter is that skin bleaching products are popular simply due to the deeply-flawed notion that lighter skin is more beautiful. Millions have been brainwashed to believe that their melanin isn’t beautiful and that their dark skin makes them unappealing and unwanted, so naturally, many turn to skin-whitening products as their saving grace.
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder.
Their skin is beautiful and so is yours.
That’s it. :)
Skin bleaching and lightening don’t just physically harm customers, the flawed mindsets that come with buying into the industries’ lies hurt the consumers on a deeper level. Their products discolor both the consumers’ skin and their minds. Bleaching is a social disease that is invisible to the naked eye. The women and men who use these products internalize the flawed ideals of light skin and try to conform to this sad standard of beauty. The pathological insecurities caused by these ideals ruin the self-worth of many. The customers’ lives are defined by their struggles to feel confident in, quite literally, their own skin. The consumers begin to struggle with proudly accepting their melanin as a beautiful part of their identity.
We must start accepting brown skin as a gift, something we must nurture and care for, instead of treating it as something we must get rid of. As Yaba Blay, one of the world’s leading voices on colorism has said, “ Our skin is dark for a reason, we need melanin to protect us from the sun’s rage.” Our skin is a beautiful shield that will forever protect us, we must do our best to forever protect it.
own your melanin.
thumbnail credits to Jade the designer.