By Dr. Akilah Cadet
Colorism upholds values of white supremacy. -Adaeze Cadet (wise words from my twin sister)
Colorism is discrimination based on skin color. People with darker skin do not have the same privilege with people who have lighter skin. As a Black woman I know my light skin gives me more unearned privilege. You know where this privilege in America comes from? Slavery! Here's why:
Enslaved Black people were raped by enslavers (men and women forced these traumatizing assaults) resulting in pregnancy. On the plantation the lighter skinned children, men, and women as a result of rape would work in the home. Lighter skin was more appealing to white people. It was also a way for enslavers to keep their children close and/or protect them from more violence in the field. This caused a divide in the Black community. Darker skinned Black people were outside doing back breaking work and brutality assaulted, maimed, and murdered. And lighter skinned Black people were inside doing domestic work (harmed too but not the severity of Black people outside). This was the start of a form of control. White people put Black people against each other through the separation and status of skin color. They determined who deserved more privilege as a direct result of their own privilege.
Black people who had a white mother were free in some states as the mother's status was given to the child. Some of these children would go on to be notable Black people due to their privilege. With the end of slavery due to the Thirteenth Amendment (Emancipation Proclamation was just the beginning y'all) it was a start of the Jim Crow era in America. During that time Black people with lighter skin received job opportunities that were off limits to Black people with darker skin. So much so Black people looking for jobs would advertise they were light skinned. All for white comfort.
Upper/middle class Black communities began to develop due to light skin privilege. They had better jobs, education, more opportunities, and more wealth than Black people with darker skin. This led to the brown paper bag test, where Black social circles would require Black people who wanted to join to be the color of a brown paper bag or lighter. Darker skinned Black people were not given the same opportunities due to their skin color from lighter skinned Black people and white people. Once again they had more laborious jobs and were viewed more as a threat for white people.
Today you see colorism with Black people play out with fashion, movies, beauty, advertisements, celebrities, whitening creams (yes in 2020 Black people lighten their skin) and more. Lighter skinned women even get shorter prison sentences then darker skinned women. Colorism is prevalent. Quite frankly it's why people listen to me about anti-racism. My light skin, light eyes, and more are aesthetically pleasing for white people to learn and unlearn. I'm honored, I truly am, AND I'm aware of my privilege AND use it for good.
The more there is a divide among Black people the more control white people have.
White people have more dominance and can maintain white supremacy.
They want us to do the work for them.
This division is the very reason why people are criticizing Beyoncé for Black is King. Beyoncé is light skinned like me. She is viewed as not having the lived experience of a darker skinned Black person. NO ONE can determine someone else's Blackness. Even with my light skin I'm still turned away, passed over, overlooked, ignored, viewed as less than, and the list goes on. Black is Black. Black is King.