Uncovering and removing the shame associated with having dark skin.
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—–Colorism is discrimination based on skin color, a phenomenon that continues to divide peoples to this day. In India, colorism is not merely an implication of beauty, but rather a disorderly idea which glorifies having light skin, associating it with status, intelligence, power, and privilege.
—–Why is it important to bring awareness to this issue? Well, have you experienced judgment merely because of your appearance? Or been placed in a category of being unattractive or unworthy because of the color of your skin? In countries like India, girls are told from a young age that their dark skin may unfortunately be a contributing factor to the reason why they can’t get married early, or get a job as easily as someone who is a few shades lighter than them. Brands like Fair & Lovely, a multi-billion dollar company, equate a lighter skin tone with happiness, desirability, and in today’s era, these companies hide behind feminist ideas such as empowering career oriented women to pursue their ambitions. It’s time to encourage a change in this type of convoluted thinking and remove the shame associated with having dark skin.
—–In this video, we see a young woman conflicted between pursuing a career of her own and getting married under the wishes of her parents. Once she starts using the tube of Fair & Lovely given to her by another woman (Yami Gautaum, model and actress), she decides she is in fact going to pursue her own desire of getting a job. The message: Fair skin is a prerequisite for making your own decisions.
—–Growing up, I was told not to play out in the sun for too long for fear of darkening my complexion. In one instance while I was in elementary school, a boy asked me why I was “so dark”. I didn’t know how to respond, because I didn’t think that I would ever have to defend my physical appearance. As I’ve grown older, my skin color has become something that I embrace and love; however, I understand that there are still many women and men in my own community and in communities around me, who are insecure about the color of their skin. Thinking about going back to visit India this summer also has me on edge about the type of comments I may receive from some family members. But as ridiculous as it may sound, I almost don’t blame them. This type of thinking has been ingrained in their minds since birth, essentially. Their society revolves around the idea that the lighter one’s skin, the more beautiful and valuable they are. While living in such a society, it’s practically impossible to escape from that mindset.
—–In India, colorism is a complex issue. Some argue that colorism predates colonization, while others claim that it is a result of European imperialism and ethnocentrism. These are not the only factors that one must account for when trying to understand this issue. The North-South divide and the caste system also contribute to this intricate phenomenon. This is not merely a “surface level” problem. People are placed into categories of status and privilege based on their skin color. The closer you are to the white man, the more worthy, valuable, and privileged you are.
—–In a country where the majority of the population has dark skin, it seems a bit absurd to try and encourage people to lighten their skin, yet countless companies invest ridiculous amounts of effort, time, and money to do exactly this. What’s even more frustrating is that these fairness creams are not even as effective as they claim.
—–It’s important to recognize that India is not the only country where this is common. Colorism is prevalent everywhere, from Thailand to Sri Lanka, Pakistan, China, Japan, South Africa, the United States, etc.
—–In the Indian film and music industry, it is very rare to find dark actresses in a main role. In fact, darker actresses are often cast as the villain or comedian. The portrayal, or lack thereof, of dark-skinned women is disheartening. If, in fact, the lead actress has a dusky complexion, makeup artists often make them appear lighter.
—–The effect of colorism is not only a sense of inferiority amongst people of the dark-skinnned community, but will eventually lead to an overall decline in one’s mental health. This results in anxiety, eating disorders, concerns about career and marital success, and even social popularity.
—–However, in today’s modern world with the somewhat increased spread of awareness and the development of discussions on social media sites like Twitter, there has been an uprising. The idea that “light is right” has been challenged by campaigns such as Dark is Beautiful lead by Indian actress Nandita Das.
—–Another movement on Twitter has the hashtag #unfairandlovely and is bringing light to the impacts of color prejudice. Pax Jones, a 21-year-old photographer from Texas, launched Unfair and Lovely, a campaign celebrating dark-skinned women. Her photos feature sisters Mirusha and Yanusha Yogarajah. “‘Mirusha’s experiences of being dark and South Asian helped me conceptualize the critical intersection that colorism rests at between various communities worldwide,’ says Jones, who is a black woman” (SELF Article).
—–On Instagram, the forces behind Unfair and Beautiful have teamed with Reclaim the Bindi, a campaign targetting cultural appropriation. These movements are drawing attention to the injustices faced by dark-skinned women in communities everywhere, while celebrating beauty of all skin tones.
It’s important to talk about the effects of colorism, as it continues to affect people to this day. A lack of public debate will only lead to continued marginalization, discrimination, and societal beliefs all deeming those with dark skin as less valuable. Though campaigns like Dark is Beautiful and Unfair and Lovely are not enough to fully transform Indian society and other communities, it is important in creating a public conversation. If we fail to take this issue seriously, the consequences will be deplorable. Though some argue that companies like Fair & Lovely are only doing what every other cosmetic company is doing, which is creating in women a sense of inferiority so that they are inclined to buy more products, the reality is that this issue is simply much deeper than that. If mental health is an issue that is receiving more awareness today, colorism, a phenomenon that leads to a decline in mental health, should also be a topic of concern.
“Knowledge is power – the more we inform others about the deep roots and lingering impact of colorism, the closer we come to creating a world that celebrates beauty in all form.” – Natasha Sharma for Dark is Beautiful