Shades of prejudice explored in ‘black-ish’

The breakthrough representation of minorities in Hollywood blockbusters has ignited an often-overlooked discussion about whether prejudice centers not only on the color of a person’s skin but also the shade.

“Colorism,” the idea that light-skinned minorities are given more privilege than their darker-skinned peers, is a centuriesold issue that many insiders say remains pervasive in the entertainment industry.

The instant reckoning of social media has brought prominence to the issue, and on Tuesday the ABC sitcom “black-ish” — known for tackling heavier topics — confronted it.

In the episode “Black Like Us,” parents Dre and Bow (Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross) are appalled to see that daughter Diane (Marsai Martin) appears darker in her poorly lit classroom photo — outrage that sparks a tense family conversation.

“We felt that this was the year to just put it on our shoulders and see what we can do and hope, at the very least, we can get people to talk about it openly,” co-showrunner Kenny Smith said.

Executive producer Peter Saji — a lightskinned, mixed-race man — wrote the episode, drawing from his own experiences as well as research.

“There is a lightskinned privilege that I never really wanted to admit I felt or experienced,” he said. “I sort of grew up, ‘Oh, we’re all black. We all experience the same struggle.’”

When movies and TV shows fuel talk about colorism, they often do so unintentionally.

In 2016, a furor erupted over a trailer showing actress Zoe Saldana portraying singer and activist Nina Diane (Marsai Martin) and her mother, Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross), in the “black-ish” episode that aired Tuesday night

Simone. Saldana’s skin was darkened, and she wore a prosthetic nose.

When images from “Ralph Breaks the Internet” came out last year, Princess Tiana, Disney’s first black princess, seemingly had a lighter complexion and sharper features.

Anika Noni Rose, who voices Tiana, met with animators to discuss how important it was that dark-skinned girls see themselves represented. The studio also consulted the civil-rights group Color of Change.

“They had to spend some real money to actually fix this,” said Rashad Robinson, Color of Change’s executive director. “They recognized the problem, they listened and they worked to change it.”

The issue isn’t unique to black people. In the Bollywood film industry of India, the starring roles tend to go to lighter-skinned actors, many of whom endorse products promoting fairer skin.

The movie “Crazy Rich Asians” left some Asian-americans disappointed by a lack of brown- or darkskinned actors.

Meanwhile, “Roma” director Alfonso Cuaron drew praise for casting Yalitza Aparicio in the lead role of an indigenous maid. The character is more at the forefront than her lighter-skinned Mexican employer.

For AfricanAmericans, bias toward lighter-skinned people dates back to slavery.

Skin complexion sometimes determined the types of jobs slaves were assigned or whether, post-slavery, they were worthy of receiving an education.

“It’s part of white supremacy, or holding up whiteness over other backgrounds,” Robinson said. “It has deep implications — historical implications — in the black community, from beauty standards to professional opportunities to how families have treated one another.”

The issue also affects the music industry.

Mathew Knowles, who managed daughters Beyonce and Solange and Destiny’s Child, said it’s no accident that most of the recent top-selling black artists — Mariah Carey and Rihanna included — are lighterskinned. Beyonce, he said, often received opportunities that darker-skinned artists probably wouldn’t.

“There’s another 400 who are of a darker complexion ... who didn’t get a chance at Top 40 radio.”

Knowles, himself darker-skinned, said his own mother instilled in him that darker-skinned women were less desirable, but he thinks the perception is starting to shift.

“We have to have social courage to speak up about this stuff and stop being quiet about it,” Knowles said.

Smith, the “blackish” co-showrunner, agrees: “With anything, it’s always best to have a truthful conversation.”