COLORISM REVEALS MANY SHADES OF PREJUDICE IN HOLLYWOOD
The breakthrough representation of minorities in Hollywood blockbusters has ignited a frequently overlooked discussion about whether prejudice isn’t just about the color of a person’s skin, but the shade.
“Colorism,” the idea that light-skinned minorities are given more privilege than their darker-skinned peers, is a centuries-old concept 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 not shying from heavier topics, confronted it.
In the episode “Black Like Us,” parents Dre and Bow (played by Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross) are appalled when they see that daughter Diane (Marsai Martin) appears darker in her poorly lit classroom photo. Their outrage sparks a tense conversation within the family.
“We felt that this was the year to put it on our shoulders and see what we can do and hope we can get people to talk about it openly,” said showrunner Kenny Smith.
Executive producer Peter Saji wrote the episode. A lightskinned, mixed-race man, Saji drew from his own experiences, as well as research.
“There is a light-skinned privilege that I never wanted to admit I experienced. I grew up ‘Oh, we’re all black. We experience the same struggle,’” he said.
More often, when movies and television shows ignite conversations about colorism, it’s unintentional.
In 2016, a furor erupted over a trailer showing actress Zoe Saldana portraying singer and activist Nina Simone. Saldana’s skin was darkened, and she wore a prosthetic nose.
When images from “Ralph Breaks the Internet” came out last year, it appeared Princess Tiana, Disney’s first black princess, had a lighter complexion and sharper features. Anika Noni Rose, who voices Tiana, met with animators and spoke about how important it was that dark-skinned girls see themselves represented.
“They had to spend money to fix this. They recognized the problem and worked to change it,” said Color of Change executive director Rashad Robinson.
The issue isn’t unique to black people. In India’s Bollywood film industry, the starring roles tend to go to lighterskinned 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 dark-skinned actors.
Meanwhile, “Roma” director Alfonso Cuaron received praise for casting Yalitza Aparicio in the lead role of an indigenous maid. The character is more at the forefront than her lighterskinned Mexican employer.
The problem also exists within the music industry. Mathew Knowles, who managed daughters Beyoncé and Solange and Destiny’s Child, said it’s no accident that most of the recent top-selling black artists are lighter-skinned, like Mariah Carey and Rihanna. He said Beyoncé often got opportunities that darker-skinned artists probably wouldn’t.
“There’s another 400 that are of a darker complexion ... who didn’t get a chance at Top 40 radio,” Knowles said. “They got pigeonholed that they were black, and they got pigeonholed in just R&B, black radio stations.”
Knowles, himself darker skinned, said his own mother instilled in him that darker skinned women were less desirable. It’s a perception that he thinks is starting to shift.
“We have to have social courage to speak up about this and stop being quiet about it,” Knowles said. “The only way we change is to be uncomfortable and truthful about our feelings and beliefs.”
That is a strategy that “black-ish” showrunner Smith also agrees with.
“As with anything, it’s always best to have a truthful conversation,” Smith said.