On episode 42 of the podcast (the final episode of Season 4 by the way), I’m giving a lesson on colorism – that is the preferential treatment given to others based on the color or shade of their skin. At this pivotal moment in American society, as people grapple with dismantling racism, it is critical that folks understand that racism has a crafty cousin named colorism. And the truth is, if we don’t recognize the role colorism plays in maintaining a white supremacist society, then the fight to dismantle racism will never be won. If you want to slay the dragon, you have to kill all her helpers too. So, stay tuned for my primer on Colorism, taught in five easy lessons.
But before we get to the conversation on colorism, I’m taking a meltingpot minute to honor Juneteenth Day, aka Black America’s Independence Day.
Please read my post from last year for more information about Juneteenth Day, including ideas about how to celebrate it. You can also check out this recent article that offers ways to honor Juneteenth during a pandemic and today’s current social upheaval. And if you still want to learn more, visit the official Juneteenth.com website.
Additional Resources on Colorism
Colorism is a complicated topic that effects many communities in a multitude of ways. It would be impossible to cover the entirety of colorism in one podcast episode so here are some additional resources to learn more.
Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families is the book I wrote that examines colorism in African American, Latino, Asian American and Mixed Race communities and families. To learn more about the book, check out the review in the New York Times.
Anthropologist Nina Jablowski’s fascinating book, Living Color: The Biological and Social Meaning of Skin Color, explores the history and meaning of the variation of skin color in the human species.
Follow the hashtags, #stopcolorism and #darkandlovely on Instagram and Twitter to learn more about current campaigns that target anti-dark skin bias.
Check out this massive Goodreads list of books about colorism.
Here are two videos I created that featured two people – one Latina and one African American – who grew up in a families where colorism was an issue.
- Please don’t forget to leave a review and/or a rating of the My American Meltingpot Podcast on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
