Euro-Americans Favoring People of Color: Covert Racism and Economies of White Colorism

Abstract

African American colorism in the United States is often viewed as an intraracial problem in which prejudice and discrimination are relegated to the scope of internal issues. What is often lacking in the discourse on colorism is the interracial component of intraracial hierarchies—referred to as White colorism. Colorism is not a phenomenon that originated within the Black community. Rather, it is a result of European American practices that further divided Blacks according to skin color. The historical underpinnings of colorism include colonialism and slavery, yet these ideologies continue to inform racism today. This article explores how colorism was established and is now sustained by Whites in various capacities, including social and economic spheres. Additionally, racialized dichotomies, borders of Whiteness, and Black consciousness are considered to demonstrate the intersection of historical racism and current racial rhetoric. Last, the effects of White colorism on Black achievement status, including education and employment, is elucidated through an analysis of data and literature.