WHAT IS COLORISM?
Colorism is prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic-racial group. My opinion on colorism is that it is not right that people are treated differently just because of their skin color.
WHY WE SHOULD STAND AGAINST COLORISM?
We should stand against colorism because girls with melanin are treated differently from non-melanin girls. There are several solutions to combat colorism. The first option is that people of color need to be treated the same way as anyone else. As Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. said, “we should not be treated based on the color of our skin but by the content of our character.” Another solution is for activists to join together and spread the word on this hate. They can visit neighborhoods, communities dominated by black citizens, schools, and libraries to educate adults and children on colorism and how effective it is.
EFFECTS OF COLORISM?
This discrimination affects everyone who is black. It impacts self-esteem, it influences beauty standards and can affect relationships. Colorism has proven to be a social problem. It has proven to be a struggle for celebrities like Spice, a Jamaican dance-hall artist who sheds light on this issue in her song Black Hypocrisy. Spice’s song talks about how her “black” is beautiful and she shouldn’t be hated for her dark skin tone. She urges women and men to love and celebrate their natural skin tone. In countries like Jamaica, bleaching of the skin is highly praised because it is preferred. The effects of colorism are very harmful because it decreases confidence and can sometimes lead to suicide.
HOW IS COLORISM DAMAGING TEENAGERS?
Colorism is harming teenage girls because it’s impacting their psychological well-being, their physical and behavioral health. The growing issue is resulting in females risking their lives to bleach their skin. Studies have shown that skin lightening contains harmful chemicals that may increase the risks of cancer.
