Colorism In African American Culture

In this new integrated society, colorism has the greatest impact on the African American culture and community. People of color are discriminating against each other due to the fact of their skin complexion. Colorism is a major problem in society and the black community. This vicious system privileges light skinned people of color over dark skinned people in such areas as beauty standards in mass media, self-esteem in social media and education. Passed through generation after generation, it has been taught that light skinned has been the right skin since the 1600’s pre-slavery. After all, colorism has its roots in slavery. Colorism have been sowed in the black community and white America for centuries. Planted to racial miscegenation between the enslaved African woman and the white slave-owners, their offspring was obviously lighter. Considering

The media bombards society with the notions of good versus bad, acceptable versus unacceptable. In this case, light skinned versus dark skinned. The dispositions are evident in modern media racial bias in its portrayal of African Americans. Colorism in the media additionally enforces the belief that lighter skinned women are more appealing than dark skinned women. “If you are darker than a paper bag, then you not beautiful, you are not a woman,” Violas Davis, an African American actress, stated on the colorism in the media and Hollywood. Correspondingly, social media is another platform for colorism. The use of social media in the millennial age has certainly exaggerated its existence and influential impact on the insights of Black women. It is rare to see a dark-skinned woman on Instagram accounts for anything aesthetically related. India Arie, an African American singer stated, “It’s all based on Eurocentric beauty ideals: For example; Straight, blonde hair, blue eyes, aquiline nose, thin limbs, lighter skin…. for many this is just considered ‘beauty.’