My Cause

Shades of Black

Just like with racism, colorism discriminates aganist people with darker skin tones dividing communities around the world. Causing people with lighter skin tones to experience a measure of privilege, even if they are a member of a disadvantaged group or minority. This topic remains a taboo in many racial groups and the impact of this prejudice on a persons' mental health is rarely discussed.

What is Colorism?

Colorism is a type of discrimination that is a step beyond racism, where people are marginalized not solely due to their race but because of the literal shade of their skin. The coining of the term is widely attributed to the author Alice Walker. People are treated differently for having darker or lighter skin, even if they are of the same race. And often that discrimination comes from people of that same race.

Image taken from this website.

Statistics

Light-skinned women were sentenced to approximately 12% less time behind bars than their darker-skinned counter parts.
Women with light skin served 11% less time in prison than darker women.
Employers prefer light skinned black men to dark skinned men, regardless of their qualifications.
A light skinned black male with a Bachelor’s degree and typical work experience was preferred over a dark skinned black male with an MBA and past managerial positions.
A study of over 2,000 immigrants from around the world and found that those with the lightest skin earned on average 8-15% more than similarly qualified immigrants of darker hues.
Dark skinned defendants are more likely to be convicted and receive the death penalty than lighter skinned ones.
India’s skin lightening cream, Fair and Lovely promises an even tone of glowing skin with skin lightening, boasts 38 million users worldwide.
Dark skinned Brazilians make up 63% of the poorest sectors of Brazil.

History of Colorism among the Black Communnity in the USA

Slavery

Slaves with lighter skin are assigned tasks inside the house while slaves with darker skin were forced to work outside in the fields, doing much more grueling tasks. Lighter-skinned slaves were favored because they were often the product of a slave owner raping a slave, thus creating a lighter-skinned child.

The Paper Bag Test

In the 19th and 20th century, the "paper bag test" was often utilized in black spaces and in hiring of black people. If someone was the same color as or lighter than a paper bag, they would be allowed into the certian spaces and considered for roles. If they were any darker than a paper bag, they would not.

Hiring Practices

Skin tone was often the most important factor in applying for work as a person of color in the mid-20th century. Light skin was often reported on a resume ahead of any other information or experience.