Colorism
By colorism is meant using white skin color as the standard, colorism is the allocation of privilege and favor to lighter skin colors and disadvantage to darker skin colors. Colorism operates both within and across racial and ethnic groups. Colorism finds its roots in racism because, without racism, someone’s value and perceived superiority wouldn't be based on the color of their skin. According to Prof. Maisha-Maureen Auma Colorism is a racialized body politics. It evaluates bodies measured against an invented, idealized, and enforced white norm and places them in a hierarchy. Along this white-centric aesthetic, Black bodies are positioned and viewed as deviance on a daily basis.
“If you’re black, stay back;
If you’re brown, stick around;
If you’re yellow, you’re mellow;
If you’re white, you’re all right.”
The following links give an overview on the topic of colorism:
- What is Colorism?
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-colorism-5077380
People of color discuss the impact of 'colorism' l GMA
50 Shades of Black: My Experiences with Colorism | Amaya Allen | TEDxVanderbiltUniversity
How Can We Heal from the Shades of Colorism? | Dr. Sarah L. Webb | TEDxUofISpringfield