Recently I had the privilege of spending the day conversing on a variety of topics with rising policy experts and political progressives, who also happen to be people of color. One of the guest speakers and conversation leaders was from South Africa and she spoke with us about a variety of themes from the apartheid and post-apartheid era and the transition moving from one to the other. An interesting conversation thread was about the “born free generation”, a generation born in 1994-1995, in post-apartheid South Africa now in university and beginning to enter the work force. This generation has no experience living under apartheid and exist in a society more prone to possibility and hope despite the devastating influence the legacy of apartheid still exerts on South African society; from lack of economic opportunity, (and opportunity in general), too little to no social mobility especially for “black” South Africans and to a lesser extent “colored” South Africans.
There were many interesting topics in the larger discussion, but one that resonated with me, because of the parallels with U.S. society, was that of “colorism” and the fact that it is still skin color in terms of hue and even whether one wears their hair natural or not, that affects one’s access to opportunity, the way in which they are perceived by society in terms of aesthetic appeal, and overall racial self-esteem. An interesting point, though it is no secret, is the stratification in South African society (a legacy of the Afrikaners), continues to be perpetuated by people of color themselves against one another; sometimes even more flagrantly than it was by the antiquated apartheid institutions that were created to divide. This last bit is especially upsetting because I see the same thing occurring right here in the states, every day, the socio-cultural stratification and separation of “black people” by the color of their skin is maintained and culturally enforced by other “black people”.
I know, you’re going to say it is 2015 and these things should no longer be an issue in a post-racial society where everything is equal, so why am I still harping about old sh*t. Well I am here to tell you (unfortunately) the distressing adage; “If you’re black get back, if you’re brown stick around, and if you’re white you’re alright” still applies. What I want to discuss in more detail is how we perpetuate this unnecessary stratification upon ourselves as people of color and to identify ways to overcome these useless barriers to move us further down the path toward greater inclusion and a broader appreciation of blackness. A first step is to define colorism. My understanding/definition of colorism is: the discrimination in which someone is treated differently based solely upon the color of their skin due to the social meanings and assumptions attached to their complexions.
Here are a few ways to resist and end the perpetuation of (self-inflicted) colorism:
- Acknowledge: The first thing we can do is acknowledging the fact that colorism exists and then consciously choose to resist it and to actively not perpetuate it.
- Reject: We need to shift the paradigm to one of acceptance based on the understanding that we are all black and yes we are all beautiful, despite living in a racialized society that intentionally teaches us not to love the skin we’re in and denies us the ability to understand and appreciate our inherent value as people of color.
- Conscious vigilance: The best way to resist colorism is to avoid it. Reduce the amount of time you spend watching T.V./movies, especially those that reinforce and promote European notions of beauty. Instead surround yourself with positive images of people of different ethnicities, especially those of African heritage at work, at home, and on social media to reinforce different and equally compelling standards of beauty.
- Think before you speak: Avoid saying things like “she is pretty for a dark-skinned girl” or “he thinks he’s cute because he’s light-skinned”. Statements like these reinforce the most negative aspects of colorism by deeming dark-skin unattractive and light-skin more appealing. Bottom line: Never denigrate or put down anyone based on their skin color.
- Model “good” behavior: Be alert to favoritism in the treatment of children in your circles based on skin color. If you are a parent, read books/stories with your children that feature children of color, again especially those with African backgrounds. Teach your children it is socially unacceptable to bully, exclude, insult, or disassociate yourself from someone else based upon their skin color.
As the saying goes, we need to “be the change we want to see”; and in this case, I couldn’t agree more. We cannot expect society at large to suddenly change overnight or to suddenly understand the position people of color are in; their privilege and lack of context simply blinds them to it. However, we can begin to make the necessary changes in our daily lives and in the lives of those closest to us by following the steps outlined here (and others) to end yet another vicious and oppressive cycle for our own immediate betterment.