Essay On Colorism And Racism

895 Words2 Pages

Throughout society today, colorism and racism play a huge role in many lives. Though the similarities between the two may confused individuals, there happens to be a difference between colorism and racism. Racism is the belief that all members of each race processes certain characteristics or abilities specific to that race. Gloria Yamato says, “Racism is persuasive to the point that we take most of its manifestations for granted believing, “That’s Life” (Yamato 65). Racism can vary seeing as though you could be a specific type of racist. The four different types of racism that exist today are the “aware/blatant, the aware/covert, the unaware/unintentional, and lastly the unaware/self-righteous” (Yamato 66). Colorism is prejudice and discrimination against individuals with a darker skin tone. Colorism typically happens between individuals of the same ethnic and racial groups. In society today, colorism exists due to the accumulated experiences of racism, “which can generate questions and doubts in the minds of people of color about their place in a predominately white society” (Osajima141).
Throughout this semester, one question that has come to mind was, “Why does colorism exist between the black community?” This question I had a little insight about, but learned more about it
“She’s pretty for a dark skinned girl”, “Light skins are winning” and “dark skins females look like burnt French toast”. These are a few examples I found while doing research, of what black men, say about their own black women in society. Not only do whites make blacks feel less, but individuals of the black community put each other down as well, by failing to realize being black is one. Being black should not have its own racism of light skin and dark skin. Society and media play a huge role as to why this colorism between different shades of black

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