The Legacy of Colorism

I was not familiar with the word colorism until I saw this article, although I was aware of the concept to which I would learn that the word refers.



DeNeen L. Brown, the author of this piece, took the death of Michael Jackson as an opportunity to address the very serious issue that she calls "the crazy aunt in the attic of racism" through and examination of history, sociology, literature, and popular culture.

Here is the opening, and I high recommend reading the rest of the piece at the URL:

Through the Past, Darkly: The Legacy of Colorism Reflects Wounds of Racism That Are More Than Skin-Deep

By DeNeen L. Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 12, 2009

Colorism is the crazy aunt in the attic of racism.

It's best not to mention her in polite company. Or if you find it necessary to talk about her at all, do it in whispers among relatives and people who already know about her.

On June 25, when Michael Jackson died, there she was again: colorism, that sub-category of racism and prejudice based on skin color, staring us right in the face.

By the time Jackson died, he was perhaps whiter than any white man that you know. Those who looked at the constant stream of replayed televised interviews, at the pale skin, the thin lips painted red, the straight hair, saw in his face the psychological wound that has scarred so many in the black community.

You line up his album covers, from "Got to Be There" when he was 13 and brown with a big-tooth grin, to "Off the Wall," when he still had a beautiful nose and a big Afro, to "Thriller," when his skin was still beautiful brown, but his nose was smaller, to "Bad," when his nose was even thinner and his skin was white. You trace your finger over the transformation, looking for a clue as to why the lips changed, the nose became more upturned, the brown skin faded until it was bleached beyond recognition.

"He is an over-the-top manifestation of that undercurrent in the black community," says Alice M. Thomas, associate professor of law at Howard University. "If you are light, you are all right. If you are brown, you can stick around. If you are black, get back."

href="<$BlogItemURL$>"><$BlogItemTitle$>