9.4e Colorism

A problem related to racism is colorism, a preference for lighter skin tones, which involves prejudice and discrimination toward people with darker skin tones. Research on colorism in the United States finds that people who are racialized minorities with lighter skin tones experience better outcomes in various aspects of life, such as employment and health (Dixon & Telles, 2017). For example, Hargrove (2019) studied the relationship between health and skin color among African Americans and found that darker-skinned women had worse health than lighter-skinned women. Health was measured using several factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, waist circumference, and fasting glucose, and self-rated health (excellent to poor). This research concludes that colorism and sexism harm the health of darker-skinned women.

Photo 9.15

Colorism Is the Preference for Lighter Skin Tones