colorism

American  

[kuhl-uh-riz-uhm] / ˈkʌl əˌrɪz əm /

especially British, colourism

noun

1. differential treatment based on skin color, especially favoritism toward those with a lighter skin tone and mistreatment or exclusion of those with a darker skin tone, typically among those of the same racial group or ethnicity.

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Usage

What does colorism mean? Colorism is a form of racial discrimination based on the shade of an individual's skin tone, typically favoring lighter skin. It can occur both within a specific racial or ethnic group or across groups.

Etymology

Origin of colorism

First recorded in 1960–65; color (in the sense “skin complexion”) + -ism ( def. )

Example Sentences

And you talk about the colorism, you talk about that and what it looks like.

From Salon • Mar. 16, 2024

Nyani Nkrumah on her first novel, “Wade in the Water,” as well as colorism, upending the white-savior story and her upbringing in the U.S. and Africa.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 13, 2023

Actress Angelica Ross fought racism, colorism, and transphobia on her way to stardom.

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2023

That awe became a throughline, one that took many forms during Nachume’s career — landscapes, abstractism, linework, encaustic wax, colorism.

From New York Times • Jun. 16, 2023

Through the Black Girl Think Tank, Frazier said participants identified six key areas affecting Black girls’ mental health: colorism, bullying, body shaming, lack of conflict resolution skills, depression and LGBTQ+ issues.

From Seattle Times • May 23, 2023