Colorism is not as fully addressed as racism and we could better as a society. Colorism is often described as discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.
However, what stands out in this definition, is that the discrimination is within people of the same ethnicity and race. Colorism has affected our psychology and influenced our opinion on standards of beauty, wealth and even privilege.
But how did we end up discriminating against our own? There are stories, experiences and even deaths as a result of colorism. In most cases, individuals who are lighter in complexion, are automatically termed as good-looking, whereas, individuals who are darker in complexion are often believed to be fairly beautiful or have a compensation from not being relatively being good- looking.
However, colorism has a history. Colorism dates back to the enslaving period which is regarded as one of its first forms. Slave owners would prefer lighter skinned individuals to work in their houses because of the stereotype that these individuals had a softer character and were relatively civilized as compared to dark skin toned individuals who were often believed to be rugged and tough. Hence, dark skin toned individuals worked outside in farms and fields.
As a result of lighter skin individuals working in the white’s houses, they were taken advantage of by their slave white owners who would sexually assault them and therefore had children with them. Children who were a product of these cases, had lighter skin which favoured their societal positions and standards.
Colorism today is however not experienced as it was in the 18th century. Colorism is mostly experienced on gender grounds. Both genders are harshly discriminated against on this topic as opposed to other sensitive issues where the male gender is usually the scapegoat. However in this case, it is reverse colorism when talking about the male gender.
In today’s society, a female who is dark skinned is harshly judged and discriminated against compared to the light skin toned. There is a standard she must meet in order to be regarded as beautiful. There are also certain features she must have on other parts of the body to compensate for her facial appearance of not being pretty enough.
However this might not be the case for a light skinned female. Light skin females are automatically pretty because the color itself is appealing. This is the stereotype we are moving around with as a society.
I myself have experienced colorism and funny enough I have experienced it first-hand from individuals who have the exact skin tone as myself. There is this one time I was in high-school and my sister who has a lighter complexion had come visiting. After the visiting period was over, this one girl whom I had never interacted with, came up to me and asked why I was as dark as I was and wanted to know what was wrong with my skin and went on to ask why am I not as beautiful as my sister. She even wondered how we were related.
This is just but one of the experiences I have had of being discriminated against because of my skin tone. Apparently my skin has given a lot of people something to comment on, including my own relatives. The judgement is ongoing even up to this level. It’s as though being a natural dark skin is a disability.
We have seen celebrities being harshly compared and discriminated against. Lupita Nyong’o who has always been Kenya’s pride and gem, has faced colorism and even explained how uncomfortable it made her to a point where she wished she woke up to a much fairer skin. In one of her speeches, Lupita says growing up she was always teased and taunted about her night-shaded skin.
She says ‘"y one prayer to God was that I would wake up lighter skinned. The morning would come and I would be so excited about seeing my new skin that I would refuse to look down at myself until I was in front of a mirror because I wanted to see my fair face first and every day I experienced the same disappointment of being just as dark as I had been the day before."
On reverse colorism, discrimination is channelled towards the lighter skinned individuals. In most cases, the male gender is always the victim. In today’s society, being a light skinned male is associated with being a softie or weakling. There are even instances where these individuals are considered homosexuals. Society takes pride in being a dark-skinned male. These males are considered strong and able and manly hence taken seriously.
Meghan James, who is a famous model and reality television star, on a podcast with Monaleo, an American rapper and singer-songwriter, claimed to have been bullied by dark-skinned women throughout her life. She went on to add that darker-skinned male rappers, have it easier than light-skinned male rappers, specifically, Drake.
Colorism is not given much attention. The society expects all of us to find a ground in the midst of the chaos being created by them. Continuous hate and criticism on one’s skin tone has become a norm.
It may look as if it is simply making fun and saying something about a person, while in reality, these comments run deep into people’s esteem. I don’t think we get to decide how to be born or look like. We don’t get to choose the color on our skin. Embracing each other’s differences is what makes us human.
The Writer, Agatha Nafula is a Third Year Journalism Student at Chuka University.
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