From the time in memorial, discrimination is a vice that has always existed, manifesting through various forms and contexts. One of the popular variations of discrimination that has stood the test of time is colorism. When tracing its occurrence in history, it is essential to note that colorism was and still is similar to racism, despite the fact that the former is associated with skin tone, while the latter is associated with racial preference. In both of the contexts, one underlining aspect that emerged is the preferential treatment of the whites over the colored individuals, with the last category being regarded as second-class citizens. An analysis of colorism will reveal its definition, how it as a vice has affected the African American community and other minority communities. In addition to this, the periodical will elaborate on how the ideology favored slavery, as well as its mode of existence in today's society.
Definition
Colorism, when defined in layman's term, refers to a form of discrimination against an individual or community, one that is based on color. An in-depth elucidation of colorism refers to the preferential or prejudicial treatment of a given (same-race) group of people or a community in collectively that is based on the skin tone or color depiction (Dixon et al. 410). A practical example of colorism would be when a venture accepts all kinds of employees, but solely refuses to hire African American individuals, irrespective of one's qualification.
Colorism and affected communities
When breaking down the context of colorism, it is interesting to note that people of a lighter skin color or fair complexion have always been perceived to be privileged when compared to people of dark skin tone. From an analytical point of view, the African American population represents the community that has been the most affected group, with the ideology. From the time of Slavery up to the modern day, African Americans are still subjected to prejudicial treatment based on their skin tone (Simpson 33). For instance, in America, the ideology of colorism has nurtured the emergence of longer prison sentences, fewer willing job prospects, smaller incomes, lower marriage rates, and education opportunities for the African Americans, an aspect that has been widely associated with the depiction of black American's heritage as unworthy (Keith, Verna, and Carla 8).
Other than the African Americans, it is vital to note that colorism has also affected a majority of the dark complexion minority communities such as Latinos, Hindus, Caribbean, and Hispanic communities among other marginalized groups. When breaking down the prejudice associated with colorism, there are several dimensions that emerge.
How are Dark skin tone individuals severely affected by Colorism?
First off, within the business environment, Colorism has nurtured a disparity in income as well as purchasing power. From an income perspective statics by Simpson (43), asserts that dark-skinned individuals have always been subjected to a lower pay when compared to their fair-skinned colleagues. For instance within America, fair skinned Hispanics were identified to always receive 5,000 more in their income when compared to dark skinned Hispanics, when executing the same task (Simpson 47). When focusing on purchasing power, it is disheartening to note that most skin tone biased sellers have been identified to spike up the price of commodities when they are selling to dark-skinned individuals, than when dealing with fair complexion or light skinned buyers. A good example would be the sales of automobiles in showrooms (Simpson 51). Winding up, most of the employment opportunities available today are accorded based on the colorism mentality, given that the dark-skinned candidates are awarded lower positions or none at all, while light-skinned applicants are awarded senior and executive positions within the hiring organization.
Secondly, colorism as a vice is responsible for nurturing the injustices that have been identified in the justice system. One of the injustices has been the high rate of incarceration amongst dark complexion individuals when compared to fair-skinned convicts (Branigan 26). It is interesting to note that the vice has been responsible for the emergence of discriminative vices such as racial profiling, an element that has nurtured the escalation of dark skin toned convicts when compared to light skin counterparts (Branigan 27). Winding up, most of the sentenced issued to the convicts have also emerged to be different, with dark-skinned convicts receiving a harsher sentence, while light-skinned individuals receive a fair reprimand for a similar crime committed (Branigan 29).
From the educational perspective, colorism has played a significant role in the past as a guiding factor that dictated the quality of education that was availed to both the fair complexion students, as well as their dark-skinned colleagues. Historically, children with a fair complexion were admitted to quality schools, while those with dark complexion were relegated to second-degree learning centers that offered sub-par education (Hunter 55). It is unfortunate to note that the vice still presents itself in the modern day whereby districts with a majority of minority and dark-skinned students receive insufficient financial support especially from federal and local governments to cater for public school education, while contrastingly schools that are defined by a high number of light complexion students are awarded a financial support that surpasses their educational needs (Hunter 57).
Colorism popularization and Slavery
When tracing the origin of the ideology, it becomes evident colorism was popularized by the ideology of Slavery. It was during the time that people with a fair complexion received preferential treatment when compared to dark-skinned individuals who were defined as unworthy and solely fit to live and serve at the mercy of their light complexion masters (Keith, Verna, and Carla 5). Additionally, amongst the slaves, it is vital to note that the African Americans with fair complexion were permitted to serve indoors and handle less gruesome domestic chores, while the dark-skinned slaves were sent off to the fields where they have delegated the responsibility of handling gruesome tasks (Keith, Verna, and Carla 6). Winding up it is vital to note that most of the kids who were sired by the white masters, and African American mothers, were generally offered more privileges than the rest of the slaves, thanks to the ideology of colorism. After the abolition of slavery, colorism became formalized within the societal perception, especially as most of the light-skinned African American constantly received opportunities and employment offers that were limited to the dark-skinned black population.
Winding up, it is evident that colorism as a vice stemmed from the historical context of slavery, a time where the white man was privileged for his fair complexion, at the expense of the dark-skinned counterpart. From that period up to date, it is inarguable that colorism still exists in today's society although the ideology is presently practiced in a passive mode. For instance, in today's era, beauty is still recognized and portrayed to be solely of fair complexion. Cumulatively, the ideology has played a crucial role in nurturing the exploitation of African Americans, as well as other dark-skinned minority communities, at the expense of the fair complexion majority.
Works Cited
Branigan, Amelia R., et al. "Complicating Colorism: Race, Skin Color, and the Likelihood of Arrest." Socius 3 (2017): 2378023117725611.
Dixon, Angela R., and Edward E. Telles. "Skin color and colorism: global research, concepts, and measurement." Annual Review of Sociology 43 (2017): 405-424.
Hunter, Margaret. "Colorism in the classroom: How skin tone stratifies African American and Latina/o students." Theory Into Practice 55.1 (2016): 54-61.
Keith, Verna M., and Carla R. Monroe. "Histories of colorism and implications for education." Theory Into Practice 55.1 (2016): 4-10.
Simpson, Chaniqua Darien. "Colorism Across Families: Skin Tone and Children's Perceived Relationship Satisfaction with Parents." (2015).
