Table of ContentsThe History of ColorismColorism in 1990 Compared to Colorism in 2019ConclusionWorks CitedColorism, also known as skin color bias, has been one of the greatest impacts on African American culture and its community. It is heartbreaking to face discrimination within our own ethnic group, as well as every other group in the United States. Colorism dates back to slavery and has continued to be passed down from generation to generation. The idea of ​​lighter skin is better than darker skin is deeply ingrained in our culture. We see colorism in our daily lives in the media, at school, in relationships and it helps form judgments. Just like gender, a person's skin tone is a visible physical trait that others immediately notice during social interactions and use to form judgments” ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles /PMC4365794/) Colorism helped in the mulatto hypothesis, shaped the way African Americans view color, and the way colorism is represented today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The History of Colorism Colorism is a subcategory of racism and is known to be a global cultural practice. “Colorism is a form of racial discrimination based on the tone of an individual's skin, generally favoring lighter skin. This can occur both within a specific ethnic group and between ethnic groups. (https://www.dictionary.com, 2019) Outside of the United States, colorism is more about class than white supremacy. There, the idea that light skin is superior to dark skin may have come from the fact that the ruling classes generally had lighter complexions than the peasant classes. In the United States, colorism is rooted in slavery. Slave owners generally gave preferential treatment to slaves with lighter complexions. Lighter-skinned slaves, also called “house slaves,” were assigned domestic tasks like cooking, cleaning, and childcare. While dark-skinned slaves, known as “field slaves,” were forced to work outside in the fields from dusk until dawn and live in shacks. House slaves were often given more respect and privileges than a field slave. They received better food and clothing, could live with the plantation owner, and were even allowed to receive an education from the women of the family. Sometimes domestic slaves were treated as “master’s children,” as they often were. Slave owners frequently raped female slaves, creating a lighter-skinned child, then commonly referred to as mulattoes. Although slave owners did not officially recognize their mixed-race children, they did grant them privileges that dark-skinned slaves could not enjoy. As a result, light skin became considered an asset in the slave community. “As part of these special privileges of having a lighter complexion, being light-skinned was considered an asset to the slave community, while darker skin was a liability. This created an intimate tension within the black community over generations. (https://sites.wp.odu.edu)After slavery, colorism did not end in the United States. This continued the debate that light skin was more valued than darker skin andultimately led to the Doll Test conducted in the 1940s. Two African-American psychologists, Kenneth and Mamie Clark, conducted the Doll Test to test this theory. As part of the experiment, the Clarks handed four dolls to black children. The dolls were identical except two had dark skin and two had light skin. The Clarks asked the children questions such as: which dolls were "nice" and which were "bad" and "which doll is most like you?" Test results showed that the majority of black children preferred white dolls over black dolls, with children saying that black dolls were "bad" and that white dolls were most like them. “For the Clarks, these tests provided strong evidence that forced segregation marked African-American children with a badge of inferiority that would last the rest of their lives. (https://www.nps.gov)Other theories attacked by black social scientists was the brown paper bag test. The brown paper bag test was a form of discrimination in the United States. A standard brown paper bag was used to determine whether or not an individual could receive certain privileges. “Only people with a lighter skin color or the same color as the bag were allowed to join certain social organizations, fraternities and sororities.” (https://www.newhavenindependent.org, 2014) This in-house test helped substantiate the mulatto hypothesis that light-skinned, primarily mixed-race children and adults were allowed to obtain an education where Dark-skinned African Americans could not. The mulatto hypothesis was the idea that biracial individuals were superior to blacks because of their white ancestry, but they were inferior to whites in society. Colorism in 1990 compared to colorism in 2019. The media not only creates tension, it also creates stereotypes within society. African-American community. Most complex color stereotypes are formed by media observations and negative discrimination over the years in American society. For example, the television sitcom “Martin,” Martin is a respectable classic, of which many still enjoy watching reruns, but one cannot help but point out the aesthetic that speaks to a harsh reality within the black community. Gina (played by Tisha Campbell) was Martin's love interest. “Light-skinned women are more likely to appear in and be the love interest in music videos by famous black artists.”( https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1547&context =law_globalstudies)Gina had light skin, is considered beautiful, kind, silly, and is one of the main faces of the series. Pam (played by Tichina Arnold) was simply Gina's best friend, who has darker skin, is seen as loud, confrontational, annoying, while still being attractive but less beautiful. Throughout the series, the relationship between Martin and Pam is playful and combative as both parties make fun of each other. These jokes seem to turn more into insults as Martin constantly refers to Pam's "bad attitude", "mean face", "shots"; while also viewing her as an animal and the kind of woman who scares men away. On the other hand, Gina doesn't have jokes directed at her about her dress, skin, and hair and Pam is deliberately attacked because she is darker than Gina. These depictions of her further show a divide between light-skinned and dark-skinned black women. Although Martin himself has the skin/.