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The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian

Shades of black

Colorism - the discrimination faced by darker-skinned people, often from within their own community - remains a taboo. Our reports, essays and first-person pieces looked at the roots and impact of this rarely discussed prejudice. A Guardian US series from 2019

4 December 2019

  • We explored this under-reported topic through the lenses of 27 black women – writers, photographers, activists, artists, and mothers – who reflected on the issue with personal essays, video, photography, and longform journalism.

    Support the Guardian – and help us start important conversations

    Shades of Black, our special editorial project on the problem of colorism, was funded with reader donations raised last year

2 November 2019

  • aurielle

    Tackling 'colourism': how our Shades of Black series exposed the race issue no one is discussing

    The Guardian US features editors Jessica Reed and Summer Sewell reflect on their series exploring the issues of self-doubt, hopelessness and – at times – privilege, associated with colourism

18 April 2019

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    Shades of Black: how readers responded to our series on the colorism taboo

    We asked readers if they had experienced colorism. We received a huge range of responses from people of color, both men and women, belonging to many different ethnicities

12 April 2019

  • Colorism happens in modeling, advertising, the big screen and the small stage. The industry is making progress, but challenges still exist

    In their own words: how dark-skinned women broke through the entertainment industry

    It happens in modeling, advertising, the big screen and the small stage. The industry is making progress, but challenges still exist

11 April 2019

  • ‘These days, Shiv is full of pride when it comes to to her skin.’

    ‘Do you sometimes wish you were black?’: how my child and I talk about race

  • “The white-washed media I had been consuming was reinforcing a form of femininity based on a European concept of womanhood.”

    I used makeup to appear lighter – until I redefined black beauty for myself

10 April 2019

  • Stacie and Frances

    How black mothers talk to their daughters about skin tone

    Photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis gathered women to capture the variety – and pride – in skin tone across all black women, and also between mothers and daughters.
  • Clarissa Brooks: ‘We were the only two the cops really put their hands on.’

    'Cops only tackled me and my friend': why a dark skin tone makes activism dangerous

    Black people often have anxiety around law enforcement. But when you’re a dark-skinned community organizer, Clarissa Brooks writes, it seems to give them a full pass to disrespect you and your work
  • ‘I didn’t want him to think I was colorstruck, but there was so much about his appearance that was a curiosity’.

    My hairstyle was 'ethnic', my skin dark: would my white husband's family accept me?

    Would they be surprised to see their son had brought home a black girl who did not represent the classic beauty standard, Vanessa De Luca asks

9 April 2019

  • Colorism is not just an American phenomenon; skin bleaching cream is sold in majority black or people of color countries throughout the world

    Why black people discriminate among ourselves: the toxic legacy of colorism

    You cannot separate the often painful stereotypes of colorism from misogyny and the sexual exploitation inherent in American slavery. To combat it we need to speak about it
  • dewanda 3.25

    From overlooked extra to Spike Lee star: how I beat Hollywood's colorism

    DeWanda Wise was offered roles of criminal, addict or prostitute. Then Spike Lee insisted on hiring an actor with her skin tone. Now she’s a leading lady
  • ‘I’ve never understood the role colorism plays in the cheap politics of desirability more than here, on the west coast.’

    'I was afraid to meet you this late': the shocking reality of dating other black women

    Aurielle Marie is reminded with every swipe that her body is an irregularity – and how exhausting it is to navigate relationships as a dark-skinned woman

8 April 2019

  • The Guardian’s ‘Shades of black’ series looks into the politics of skin color among black Americans

    Why we asked 27 black women to speak out on taboo of colorism

  • As part of our Shades of Black series, we invited eight women to talk about their experience of colorism in their relationships, careers and everyday life.

    5:55

    'People don't even look at me': eight black women discuss politics of light and dark skin – video

  • stephanie

    My toxic love affair with skin lightening creams

  • dream 4.1.19 (1)

    Why dark-skinned black girls like me aren't getting married

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