Below is a short discussion inspired by Episode #1, "Colorism", on the Red Table Talk podcast.

What is colorism? It’s when people of the same race discriminate against each other based on their own skin tone. It’s particularly a major issue within the Black community. Black people have had to deal with this on top of other forms of discrimination directed against them, such as racism, xenophobia, and white supremacy.

Jada Pinkett Smith and her panel of fellow Black women talked about their own experiences with colorism within the Black community and how this reflects the stories of many Black women. They’ve been seen only by their skin color, either as too light or too dark. Some people have even attributed their personalities to their skin tone. Because of this, they’ve been driven to over-compensate for it – even going so far as to try to erase their Blackness altogether by bleaching.

Colorism has created some serious issues within the Black community.

• Black people who are victims of colorism develop distrust towards their fellow Black people.
• As lighter-skinned Black people are favored over those with darker skin, the playing field of relationships and professional opportunities is tilted by the superficial standards of skin color.
• Black people may begin to base their self-worth on their skin tone. Women particularly are encouraged to bleach their skin to appear more “beautiful.”

Discrimination based on color from Black people towards other Black people clearly destroy their very own community. When left undiscussed, this issue will remain unresolved and can cause irreversible damage. It becomes necessary then to begin having real conversations about colorism.

the distilld lessons (extended)

Here are the distilld lessons from Episode #1, "Colorism", on the Red Table Talk podcast.

Racism. Xenophobia. Misogyny. White supremacy. These are some ways people discriminate against those from different minorities. But there’s another type that pits Black people against each other: colorism.

Colorism is when people of the same race discriminate against each other based on their skin tone.

Colorism is when people of the same race discriminate against each other based on their skin tone.

Colorism is rooted in slavery. Slave owners would give preferential treatment to lighter-skinned Black slaves.

There was a time when Black people talked about their heritage in ways that do not highlight them being Black – even going so far as to dilute their Blackness.

A Black woman was told by her friend, a Black man, that she was too dark to marry an NBA player.

This started her issues with colorism. Being told she was going to find it difficult to marry because she was too black hurt her self-esteem.

A Black female academic who both experienced and studied colorism made a TED Talk calling out the offensive casting calls for the movie Straight Outta Compton.

She found that the movie’s casting calls split women into four categories from “A” to “D” based on their skin tone and build.

“A” girls were for the “hottest of the hot”, “B” girls were lighter-skinned and shapely Black women, “C” was for “medium to light-skinned” women with natural hair, and “D” was for plus-size, dark-skinned Black women.

Colorism can cause people to resort to skin bleaching. It’s the practice of using products to lighten dark areas of the skin to achieve an overall lighter complexion.

Various studies have estimated high usage of skin bleaching agents in countries with predominantly darker-skinned people. This is despite many documented harmful effects, such as acne, dark marks, and even skin cancer.

We have to leave colorism behind. It’s nothing but a form of social control that pits people of the same community against each other.

Applying it

• Be aware of your own perceptions. A lot of the time, these perceptions are subconscious because they are so deeply ingrained in us. Recognize where you might have flawed opinions. Learn to correct them.
• Learn to love the skin you’re in. When you’re comfortable with how you look, you will appreciate yourself, and so will your community. The people around you will see that beauty comes in different forms and colors.
• Encourage the beauty in other people. It can be what you find beautiful about their looks, their work ethic, or their values. When we do this, we empower them to bring it out more.
• Enrich the conversation in your community. We can shift our focus from shallow aspects like skin color if we tackle deeper issues, such as our history, our policy, or our shared values.
• Acknowledge the history behind the movement. Colorism is rooted in slavery. Only by understanding its history can we begin to move past it.

For a more in depth conversation, the distilld lessons (extended) are here.