Jul19

COLORISM AND THE BLACK WOMAN

Impact Hub, 10 East North Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland

White supremacy has manifested itself in many ways in the Black community, including the skin complexion hierarchy it has created - a hierarchy that makes light skin and physical features related to Whiteness more preferred, with dark skin and physical features related to Blackness less preferred. As a result, Black woman often do great harm to each other as they've dealt with the baggage each side of the fence presents. In "She's Such A Bright Girl: An American Story", author Petula Caesar describes being raised as a very light skinned African American girl in a household that instructed her to ignore everything that made her a Black person - from Black literature and music to language and activities. This discussion will specifically address the bullying Petula experienced as a child from dark skinned girls, and the bullying she learned they were also experiencing when she spoke to them as adult women. The discussion will also unpack how this particular manifestation of White supremacy damages relationships between women of color of all ethic backgrounds