QUESTIONS TO PONDER
- Why is colorism so widespread but not often talked about?
- How does colorism impact your community?
- What are the standards of beauty according to colorism? Where and how is this learned?
- Light is often used in media to represent what is "good", while darkness is often used to represent what is "bad". What effect can this topic have on someone who has dark skin? What effect can this have on someone with light skin?
- How does colorism support white supremacy?
Checklist
use this checklist to help this cause!
- Acknowledge that colorism exists through individual, institutional, and cultural encounters and that it occurs across races.
- Look at your own privileges! If you are of lighter skin complexion what does that mean in society and how does this affect how people see you?
- Learn about dark skin people's experences with colorism.
- Have difficult conversations about the implications of colorism.
- Identify and define words that might cause skin-tone trauma and be aware of how those words might affect others.
- Believe others when they are open about trauma implications of colorism they are experiencing.
- Remember to be an ally, speak up or question when you see scrutiny and microaggression against dark skin people, both online and offline. Speak with the person who is being subjected and ask how they’re feeling.