Colorism: The Politics of Skin Tone and How We Get Free

The essential primer on colorism, and how each of us has a role in dismantling skin tone bias.

Racism is easy to spot these days; we know its script, its favorite media tropes, its legislative tactics, and how it makes us feel. But there is another societal ill hiding in racism’s shadow: colorism. Colorism is a social hierarchy that favors people with lighter skin tones and stigmatizes people with darker skin tones. More than a debate on social media about who’s most attractive, colorism frays the fabric of our homes and communities and jeopardizes the lives and livelihoods of individuals most impacted. Dr. Sarah L. Webb’s Colorism arrives as a fresh perspective on how we move toward a world free from harmful stigma and discord—a more liberated, more loving world.

In Colorism, Dr. Sarah shows us how colorism goes unrecognized by most even as it contours our everyday lives. She leads us through cultural myths, client testimonies and her own personal stories to demonstrate colorism’s global stronghold on communities of color and white communities alike. She dissects how dating and pop culture can be hotbeds of discrimination. And she lifts the veil on how colorism can determine our access to:

• Education
• Work
• Social services
• Politics

Soulfully told and richly informational, Colorism rounds out with revisions we can all make to show up for one another. After all, bias may be based on what’s on the outside, but true healing starts from within.