Being Light-Skinned Can Lead To ‘Reverse Colorism’ In Many Parts Of The World
Racism is often debated, discussed and analyzed in politics, the classroom and the workplace.
But as a scholar of the politics of skin color, I see colorism as a form of prejudice that’s poorly understood and gets very little attention.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines colorism as “prejudice or discrimination especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin.” Western media outlets routinely assume that colorism refers to the preference for lighter skin in communities of color.
Yet this assumption betrays a Western bias. Yes, in places like the U.S., darker-skinned people can experience various aspects of discrimination.
But in some African communities, the U.S. and other parts of the world, light skin may also lead to prejud...
