11 Young People on Why They Are Confronting Colorism

Published: May 13, 2021

Where racism discriminates against people based on their racial identity, colorism discriminates based on the shade or tone of a person’s complexion. That means that this kind of bias can happen even among people of the same race or ethnicity.

However, colorism is not self-imposed. It’s informed by centuries of racism and violence that forced individuals to align themselves with whiteness to survive. We continue to see examples of it everywhere -- whether that’s in the fashion industry, Hollywood, or song lyrics. But even if you aren’t a model, actor, or musician, the detrimental effects of colorism are still wide-reaching. Studies have found that for those with darker skin, colorism can negatively impact your health, education, employment status, and more.

That’s why more than 40,000 DoSomething members have joined our Confront Colorism campaign to educate their friends on the history of colorism, how to spot it, and what you can do about it. Here are just 11 of those young people on why confronting colorism matters to them and why you should do it too.

1. DoSomething member Arianna, 18

“As an African American female I have noticed that sometimes African Americans or darker skinned people get treated differently than lighter skin people. Darker skin can be portrayed as a bad thing, or can have lots of bad stereotypes attached to it which can be very problematic. It seems that the colorism issue is worldwide from stories I have heard from people in other countries besides the United States. The truth is every skin color is beautiful and the whole spectrum of skin tones all over the world makes humans unique. Beauty is more than skin deep anyway.”

2. DoSomething member Omar, 17

“I believe everyone should be equal no matter your race or skin tone. Personally now that I have read about this topic it has opened my eyes that this is true and it’s happening. It’s all over the place [including how] more movies [feature] light skinned actors than dark skinned actors. This has to stop not only in movies but also in education, employment, justice, and etc. There should be no beauty standards when it comes to skin tones. This is an important topic that should be discussed more.”

3. DoSomething member Daliana, 17

“Colorism is very prevalent in my community. Living in Puerto Rico, I have heard many people make colorist comments without realizing that the things they are saying are wrong. Not long ago, one of the assistants at my dentist's office was telling me about another patient. She told me ‘Ella es bonita por ser negrita’ meaning ‘She is beautiful, for a black girl.’ I was confused and upset about this comment. I had never heard anyone ever say such a thing. I realized that the assistant doesn't realize her comment was wrong because of what our culture has said about darker skin tones for so long, but that doesn't make it right. Racism and colorism in Puerto Rico (and likely many other cultures) is internalized, and it is something I actively try to fight so that others can be more open minded and choose not to subscribe to disgusting and hurtful ideologies.”

4. DoSomething member Samuel, 18

“I consider myself to live in a bubble. A lot of people in my community prefer to believe that colorism does not exist where we live, but I've seen it exist firsthand. A lot of my peers are interested in advocating for social justice, and I legitimately think that sharing this quiz with them is a great way to spread awareness to something that might seem otherwise invisible to them.”

5. DoSomething member Zahlea, 18

“This campaign is important to me because I have witnessed people close to me become victims of colorism. I have also witnessed my own family members who are African American and darker skin themselves perpetuate not only colorism, but also texturism amongst each other. These are so damaging to the black community, especially for young girls and boys who internalize these toxic ideologies and begin perpetuating it themselves to future generations.”

6. DoSomething member Corey, 18

“I would like to do my part and help people acknowledge and fight against colorism. I would like to do my part as a person within a vast society to help dismantle an important issue. Nobody deserves to be mistreated, especially by the color/shade of their skin. We as a society need to focus not only on ourselves, but those around us. To stop an issue that has grown and been normalized for a long period of time. I have not experienced colorism myself, but that does not mean it doesn't exist; it is everywhere. I choose to not ignore it and do my share.”

7. DoSomething member Michelle, 16

“I have several friends who have struggled with colorism and many inappropriate comments about their skin color. It pains me to observe it happen and I want to educate myself on appropriate manners and more statistical evidence on the matter.”

8. DoSomething member Samantra, 16

“As a brown skin female, I have experienced colorism within my own community. I would really like for people to stop and think about what they do and say in regards to how it affects others. Years of being made to feel that my skin color makes me less than and less attractive than my lighter counterparts affects a person.”

9. DoSomething member Anika, 18

“As a person of color myself, I understand and have experienced the negative effects of colorism. I hope to stop this and avoid creating a sense of hate for those in the darker skin community. With all that’s going on in our world right now, we need to learn to love and embrace one another despite the color of our skin. It’s a matter of breaking the cycle of hate, and promoting awareness for the betterment of our community.”

10. DoSomething member Natalie, 17

“When people spread awareness to others about colorism they can be informed about it if they did not know about it before. Thus, leading to an increase of awareness so that people can stop it from happening and start to do something about it in their communities. These actions could then bring greater support for campaigns like this one. In addition, the more people are aware of colorism the more those individuals can promote the message of the inclusion of people with color. Also, to promote unity instead of marginalization and oppression.”

11. DoSomething member Asma, 23

“We live in the 21st century. A generation that has sources and options like no other. It just goes to show that if you don't teach something, you don't learn from the past and history becomes reality. It's important to learn from mistakes and move forward. We have to use our resources and our voices to make a difference in this world.”