Black Women and Colorism: The Dark Side

Abstract

For decades colorism has been an immense issue in the African American community. However, it is a topic that is often ignored because it is an issue that is specific to the Black community. Many forms of research on the topic of colorism have focused on Black women's experiences with colorism. However, my research will be focusing on the subjective and emotional distress that colorism has caused in dark-skinned Black women's lives. It is important for people, especially in the Black community, to be educated on how colorism affects Black women emotionally. My research examined how colorism affected Black women's emotional well-being. I argue that dark-skinned Black women are more likely to endure emotional distress from colorism. Through in-depth interviews with dark-skinned Black women, all who have experienced colorism, I found that these women experienced subjective and emotional distress from colorism.