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ThioroNdoye
CompII
Struck
25April,2016
Colorism
Inoursocietytodaythetermbeautifuloftentimesisassociatedwithhavinglighterskin.
WeseethistrendnotonlywithinAmericabutallaroundtheworld.Asadarkskinnedwomen
yourskincomplexionisoftenattimesseenasbeingexoticratherthanbeingnormal.The
conceptoflighterskinbeingmorebeautifuldatesbacktocenturies.Thetermcolorismrefersto
discriminationbywhichthosewhoareofalightercomplexionarefavoredoverthosewith
darkerskin.Weseecolorismallovertheworldandonnumerousmediaoutlets.Inthemodeling
industryespeciallyweseethetrendoflighterskinnedmodelsbeingthefaceofadvertisements
andontherunway.Thisisbecausealthoughwethinkthatwehaveevolvedtheharshtruthisthat
asasocietywestillgiveadvantagestothosewhoseappearancesisclosertobeingwhite.
Colorismissomethingthatisverycommonineverypartoftheworld.Colorismisaterm
thatisusedtodescribediscriminationagainstindividualswithadarkerskintoneamongpeople
withinthesameracialgroup(colorism).Itmainlystemsfromcolonialismandpigmentocracy.
InTheUnitedStatescolorismstemsfromslavery.Slaveownersonaveragegavepreferenceto
theslavesthathadalightercomplexion.Theadvantagesthatcamewithhavinglighterskin
wouldsometimesbethatthelighterslavesworkedindoorswhilethedarkerslaveswereoutin
thefield.Intheslavecommunitytheyeventuallystartedseeinglighterskinasbeinganasset.
AftergenerationsofAfricanAmericansseeingthiskindoftreatmentpsychologicallytheystart


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toacceptitasbeinganorm.Theystarttoassociatehavingfairerskintobeingmorehumaneand
theystartseeingracethroughthewhiteman'seyes.Lookingatracethroughthewhiteman'seyes
inthateraintimemeantthatthelighteryourskinwasthemoreinferioryouwereandthehigher
youwererankedinsociety.Pigmentocracyisasocialstructureinwhichclass,education,
occupationisdeterminedbythecolorofyourskin(colorism).Itisviewingpeoplewithadarker
complexionashavinglessvalue,itisgrantingthehigheststatusandopportunitytothosewith
lighterskin.
Eurocentricbeautystandardsisaglobaldisease(Tranchina).Thewomenthatwesee
representbeautyandsuccessinoursocietytodayisawhitewomen.WhenyoutypeBeautiful
womenintoagooglesearchbaryouwillbefloodedwithwhitesmilingfaces.Weseetheurge
towanttobeaslightaspossibleinplaceslikeChina,Africa,andeveninIndia.Incountriessuch
asindiaitisveryraretoseeadarkerskinnedactressbeingportrayedasbeautiful.Thelighter
skinnedactresswilloftentimesbethemaincharacterwhilethedarkerskinnedwomenwillbe
seenastheevilstepsisterforexample.Inindiayouwilloftenseefairnessproductsbeing
advertisedwhicharelotionsorsoapsthathavechemicalstomakeyouhavealighter
complexion.Havingdarkerskinsometimeswillabolishalotofopportunitiesforwomensuchas
goodmarriageprospectsandevenemployment.IntherecentyearshoweverIndiahasput
regulationrulesforthesekindsofadvertisementstonotequatebeingfairwithbeingbetter.
UnliketheUnitedStateshowevercolorisminindiadidnotstemfromslaverybutratherfromthe
castingsystem.Acastesystemisaprocessinplacingpeopleinoccupationgroups(colorism).
Castearearrangedinhierarchyorderwhichessentiallydetermineshowonesocietywillact
towardsanother.Thepeasantstypicallyhaddarkercomplexionfromworkingoutsideinthe


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fields,theprivilegeofcasteallowedpeoplethatwerelightertostayindoorsandnotendureany
physicallabor.ThisisalsoatrendthatisseeninbothChinaandamajorityofAfricancountries
associatingwhitenesswithperfectionandbeingpure.
InAfricaaplacethatisfullofdarkercomplexionpeopleweseecolorisminfullaffect.It
hasbeeninternalizedbythepeoplethateuropeanaestheticsarenotonlymoredesirablebutalso
havemoreprivilegesinsociety.Itissomethingthatwasnotcreatedbythembutthroughout
historyhavecometooperatefromit.Whenyouseewhoisconstantlyinpowerandwhois
consideredtobebeautiful,throughobservationyoustarttomentallymakenoteonwhatraceis
inferior.AsseeninIndiaLightingproductsarealsocommonlyusedinAfrica.Millionsof
Africansusebleachingproductsinordertomakethemselveslookaslightaspossible.Onein
ThreewomeninAfricableachtheirskin.Wheninterviewsastowhyshebleachedherskina
youngAfricanmusicianreplyIvebeenblackanddarkskinnedformanyyears,Iwantedtosee
theotherside.Iwantedtoseewhatitwouldbeliketobewhiteandhappy.Someofthedangers
thatareassociatedwithusingthisproductincludeskincancer,andbloodcancers.Thepeople
usingtheseproductsaremorethanawareoftakingtheriskbutaslongastheyaregettinglighter
theywillacceptanysacrificethatcomeswithit.WhenanAfricanmanwasaskedwhyhe
bleacheshisskinhisresponsewasIlikewhitepeople.Blackpeopleareseenasbeing
dangerousthatswhyIdon'tlikebeingblack(Filhani).
Blackmodelsintheindustryespeciallyfacealotofdiscrimination.Whenyouattenda
fashionshowitisnotuncommonatalltonotseeasingleblackfacewalkingtherunway,infact
itisalmostsomethingthatisconsideredtobenormal.Thetypicalpercentageofwhitemodelson
arunwayshowis78%,blackmodelsas4.9%,asiansbeing5.4%,andlatinosasbeing


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2.12%(10percentofblackmodels).Mostofthedesignerswillchooseablackmodeltobeintheir
showtogiveitanexoticappearance.ThetermBlackmodelsmatterhasbecomeapopular
phrasetohearinthemodelingindustry.Thehashtagwentviralafterbeingusedbyseveralblack
models,anditwastobringattentiontotheobviouslackofdiversityontherunway.Onceablack
modelmakesitpastcastingtheyseethediscriminationandlackofprofessionalismbackstage.
Manymakeupartistwhoworkfortherunwaydonotknowhowtoworkwithdarkskinned
models.Theyoftenasktheblackmodelstobringtheirownfoundationshadewhereastheonly
thingthewhitemodelhastobringisherself.Lessthan10%ofthemodelsthatwalktherunways
atthe2015fashionweekwereAfricanAmerican.The2015fashionweekincludedanastonishing
numberof373showswhichhad9,926modelstowalktherunway.TheshowswereheldinNew
YorkCity,London,Paris,andMilan.OutofallofthefourcitiesNewYorkcameouttopforthe
mostdiversehaving10.7%Blackmodelsontherunway.BigdesignerssuchasErdem,Saint
Laurent,andArmanihadonly2blackmodels(essence.com).Althoughovertheyearsthe
numberofAfricanAmericansbeingfeaturedatfashionweekhassignificantlyimprovedthe
statisticsstillprovesthatalotofworkneedstobedone.
Ina2008thebeautybrandLorealsignedacontractwithBeyonceinorderforhertobe
thenewfaceoftheircompany.However,thecompanywaslaterunderattackaftertheyediteda
photoofBeyoncemakingherappearlighterthanshereallywas.InthephotoBeyoncewasmade
tolookafewshadeslighterthanhernaturalcomplexion.Shewasnottheonlycelebritytoget
claimslikethismadeagainstthem(everydayfeminism).Inthe2015KerryWashingtondida
photoshootwithInStylemagazine.Itcauseabigcontroversywhichforcedthemagazineto
releaseastatementapologizingandledtoKerryherselftweetingaboutthesituation.Theactress


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KekePalmeralsospokeupabouttheissue.Shediscussedherownexperienceaboutwantingto
beofalightercomplexion.ShesaidWhenIwaslike5yearsoldIusedtopraytohavelight
skinbecauseIwouldalwayshearhowprettythatlittlelightskingirlwas,orIwouldhearIwas
prettytobedarkskinned(GlobalColorism).
ModelssuchasNykhorpaulandMulanIjothavespokenabouttheracialissueinthe
modelingindustry.Theyaddressissueslikeagentsnotwantingtobookthembecausetheirhair
istoocurlyandkinkyforthemtoworkwith.NykhorPaulinalonginstagramranttalksabout
makeupartistunprofessionalismandthatsheistiredofapologizingforherblackness(Colorism).
AgentshireAfricanAmericanmodelsinorderfortheirshowtoappeartobemoreexotic.Asa
blackmodelyourchancesofhavingmorejobsarisewhenyouhaveanexoticfactoraboutyou,
whichcanmeanbeingbiracialorstraightfromAfrica.Asthemodelsnotedintheindustryin
ordertobeconsideredabeautifulblackgirlyoumustbringanexoticfactorwithyou.Ablack
womenthatisjustAmericanislessdesirablethanablackwomenthatisfromNigeria,for
example.Thesewomenaremoredesirableintheindustrybecausetheydonotfitwiththe
mainstreamimages.TheonlywaythatBlackmodelswillbefeaturedmoreonrunwaysiswhen
whitefeaturesarenolongertheidealbeautystandardsworldwide.


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