Colourism
11:07COLOURISM
ˈkʌlərɪz(ə)m/
noun
- The prejudice and discrimination against individuals of a darker skin tone, typically among the same ethnic group.
I have been looking into colourism which is prominent in both black and Asian communities. Colourism is very insidious and is something that a lot of people of colour will experience or witness.
I think a lot of people try to downplay colourism, claiming ‘it’s just banter’ but how can we joke around at the expense of young Asian and black girls bleaching their skin and hating their reflection. A lot of young girls and boys, including myself at one point, have felt inadequate purely because they can’t live up to society's standard of beauty. I’m sure I’m not the only black woman who is tired of hearing ‘you’re pretty for a black girl’, ‘I don’t usually go for black girls but...’ or being completely overlooked and ignored when out and about with mixed race girl friends *rolls eyes*
Colourism is a legacy of slavery that placed lighter skinned/ mixed race slaves above darker skinned slaves. Colourism has even been exported to Asia and Africa. There are people who want to marry someone light skinned or white so their babies can have ‘good hair’ and light skin. Essentially they want to breed the black out because they’re afraid that their children will go through what they have experienced being dark skinned, so they think this is the best way to protect them against discrimination. In developing countries being light skinned can be seen as the route out of poverty.
Black girls are being celebrated especially with hash tags such as #blackgirlsrock and #blackgirlmagic. It’s so beautiful to see an abundance of melanin on my phone screen! I would love to see the same for Asian women.
So perhaps 2016 can be the year colourism ends. Whilst we may differentiate against each other racism does not. We're all dark men and women. So lets stop this prejudice and discrimination in our own communities. Everyone should be comfortable in their own skin.
''Don't let the glaring whiteness blind you from the beauty that you are''
Your melanin pops severely.
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