If you were asked to stand in front of a large audience and explain what is colorism and all that it entails, could you do it? For a large majority of people, the answer is simply no, followed by what is colorism? The Merriam-webster directory defines colorism as prejudice or discrimination, especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin. Some common questions when pertaining to this controversial topic are; Isn’t it just racism?

Is this a new made-up word? Is it really discrimination or just preferences? When in reality none of these questions are important and no one ever asks the most important question of all. What is it like to experience colorism? This is the question to ask when trying to understand more about colorism and its lasting effects. Unfortunately, as a dark skin black woman, I have had the unwanted luxury of experiencing colorism first hand since birth.

 It’s safe to say, I’m no stranger to being discriminated against and flat-out insulted because of the color of my skin. It’s important to note, all of these statements were made by other people of color, just those of lighter complexions. That is Colorism. 

Colorism has long been linked to restrictive beauty standards. Those who embrace colorism not only tend to value lighter-skinned people over their darker-skinned counterparts but also view the former as more intelligent, noble, and attractive than dark skinned people.

While colorism is often thought of as a problem that exclusively afflicts communities of color, that’s not the case. Europeans have prized fair skin and flaxen hair for centuries, and blonde hair and blue eyes remain status symbols for some people. When the conquistadors first traveled to the Americas in the 15th century, they judged the Indigenous peoples they saw on their skin color. Europeans would make similar judgments about the Africans they enslaved. Over time, people of color began to internalize these messages about their complexions. Light skin was deemed superior, and dark skin, inferior. In Asia, though, fair skin is said to be a symbol of wealth and dark skin, a symbol of poverty, as peasants who toiled in the fields all day typically had the darkest skin.

Colorism isn’t easily defined because it’s not respected as a real problem. It is deemed less important when compared to heavy prejudices such as racism or sexism. How can something greatly shape my life and millions of people of color and not be deemed a serious societal harm? Although I can’t give the definition of colorism from a webster dictionary off the top of my head, I can share my experiences. The small, yet sequential moments in my life where the deepness of my complexion impacted how others perceived me and went on to have lasting effects that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life.