An episode from The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder about Dijonay being rejected from a sorority early recruitment program due to a colorist house mother. (Photo credit: Disney)
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder has taken on the topic of colorism, and fans have had mixed reactions. Still, the show has helped start more conversations about colorism and how it shapes the way Black women see themselves.
Alice Walker, the author of The Color Purple, first used the term colorism in 1982. It means giving unfair treatment or preference to people of the same race based only on their skin color. Colorism usually happens within a racial group, but it comes from the larger problem of racism in society. In places like America, where lighter skin is often seen as better, people with lighter skin are sometimes viewed as more beautiful, desirable, or acceptable by those who hold those beliefs.
Colorism is not just about looks. It can also impact job opportunities, relationships, and family life. Since colorism comes from racism, women of color—especially Black women, as discussed here—deal with both colorism and racism in their daily lives.
This post focuses on Black women, but colorism affects women of color across America and worldwide. For example, there are many skin bleaching creams in places like India and Africa, and in East Asian countries, lighter skin is often seen as the beauty standard. Much of today’s colorism comes from European colonization.
A 2013 study by Lauren A. Fultz of Wright State University sought to delve deeper into how Black women of varying complexions are affected by colorism.
The lighter-skinned women in Group A said they felt their achievements were not taken seriously or were devalued “due to complexion and perceived attractiveness, resulting [in] negative assumptions made about character.” They wanted to be seen as individuals, not stereotypes. They also shared how their relationships with others could be affected by their skin tone.
The darker-skinned women in Group C talked about growing up feeling “unattractive or invisible,” and said their beauty was judged by their skin tone. Some remembered hearing comments like, “Pretty for a dark-skinned girl.” They also spoke about childhood trauma linked to their skin color.
Group B, made up of women with medium skin tones, mentioned issues that are not often discussed. They said they sometimes felt “ambiguous or unclassified” and often acted as the “peacemaker” between lighter and darker-skinned friends. Some also shared that they wished to be either lighter or darker at different times in their lives.
During the discussion, each group learned more about what the others went through and realized they had more in common than they expected when it came to colorism. All three groups felt their skin tone influenced their dating lives and relationships. They also all felt invisible at times because of colorism.
According to the study, “During the group discussion, every woman that participated in the group had an emotional reaction, reinforcing that colorism and skin tone discrimination have profound impacts on one’s emotional and psychological well-being.”
All of the women shared a sense of pain and related to stories about trauma, family members who were “color struck,” and being treated differently because of their skin tone.
Most importantly, the women realized that colorism affects all of them, no matter what advantages they thought others had. Some women in Groups A and C admitted they were not aware of the struggles faced by the other group.
I see myself as part of Group B, and I learned a lot about myself from reading this study. Like others in that group, I sometimes feel unsure about where I fit in because of my skin tone. Being in the middle, my struggles can feel less important, even to me. Still, I also relate to some Group A experiences, like being exoticized for my hair or being told I didn’t look Black or looked “mixed.” As a kid, it was uncomfortable to hear that some people, even within the Black community, thought Black people were only beautiful if they looked “exotic.”
After their conversation, the women focused on ways to build resilience, like encouraging therapy to heal childhood wounds and speaking up for darker-skinned women who may face more challenges. They also realized they could find unity and support in each other.
As the study states: “Overall, as Black women of any shade, they consider themselves to be survivors as a being a minority in this culture comes with its own set of challenges.”
Shows like The Proud Family can pique people’s interest in learning about colorism and its impact. They can also start conversations among family and friends about how skin tone affects their lives. This is an example of media literacy in action.
If you want to learn more about media literacy, you can download my free e-booklet, The First 5: Five Thought-Provoking Media Literacy Starter Questions.