Colorism
Vernesha M. Williams
Professor Alston
English 100 Honors
6 December 2014 The True Colors of Colorism
African Americans suffer from discrimination based off skin color. Colorism as defined in the Oxford English Dictionary is the act of being prejudice or discriminatory against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically against people of the same ethnic or racial group. (OED, n. 3.d.). Being African American I can attest to the hardships of being of a darker skin tone. Growing up my grandmother would say things such as “Be sure to marry light”. As a child I saw no harm I the comment until I became older and a victim of colorism. I knew I became a victim of colorism when I begin to be told that although I was darker than other individuals I was pretty. The root of this kind of bigotry runs deep throughout the country. The issue of skin color is still a big issue within the black race because in the times of slavery black people were treated differently according to their skin color. Skin color has always been used as a means of division in the African American community. Colorism emulates while supremacy because those with lighter skin have more advantages strictly based of the color of their skin. We as a culture say things such as “Black is beautiful”, but do we truly embrace the beauty we posse as whole.
Professor Alston
English 100 Honors
6 December 2014 The True Colors of Colorism
African Americans suffer from discrimination based off skin color. Colorism as defined in the Oxford English Dictionary is the act of being prejudice or discriminatory against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically against people of the same ethnic or racial group. (OED, n. 3.d.). Being African American I can attest to the hardships of being of a darker skin tone. Growing up my grandmother would say things such as “Be sure to marry light”. As a child I saw no harm I the comment until I became older and a victim of colorism. I knew I became a victim of colorism when I begin to be told that although I was darker than other individuals I was pretty. The root of this kind of bigotry runs deep throughout the country. The issue of skin color is still a big issue within the black race because in the times of slavery black people were treated differently according to their skin color. Skin color has always been used as a means of division in the African American community. Colorism emulates while supremacy because those with lighter skin have more advantages strictly based of the color of their skin. We as a culture say things such as “Black is beautiful”, but do we truly embrace the beauty we posse as whole.