Introduction
With the the recent incidents of police brutality, immigration, and ISIS, the world has been fixated on the topic of racism. Although there has been many reforms and debates done about racial issues including the civil rights act, the 13th amendment, and the end of apartheid, there still exists discrimination that is underlooked. There is underrated “ism” that is often not discussed in current events: Colorism. Simply defined, Colorism is a process where individuals, usually from the same race, are privileged on the basis of the color of their skin (Hunter 237). The term was first established in Alice Walker’s 1982 essay within In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Womanist Prose (Corbin 2). While formally titled in 1982 by an American author, colorism is widespread and has been seen across different
…show more content…
Slavery in the Americas started off with people of the same ancestry. However, owners started to rape their slaves. Without proper protection, the slave would give birth to a mixed baby (Webb). The mixed babies appeared lighter and although they were still slaves, they had multiple advantages compared to the other darker slaves: work opportunities, education, and moral treatment. The lighter skinned slaves often were able to work as house slaves, get resources to higher education and businesses (The Impact of African... 3). The only quality that helped them gain these privileges was the pigmentation of their skin. This wasn 't based on skill, knowledge, or persona. This starts to translate to the other slaves that being of whiter complexion is will help them prosper and stay alive. Therefore, this becomes a desirable trait for the slaves due to the simplicity of it. In the eyes of a slave, simple changes within skin directly correlates to better treatment and access to the white man´s community. They internalize this