Black people have and always will be separated, belittled and categorized by their skin complexion. Slavery was the onset of “colorism” among Blacks and has continued to play a role in every single Black person’s life to this day. Whether they were aware of it or not. Preferential treatment based on skin complexion even plays a role in our judicial system. A recent study of women prisoners in North Carolina found that lighter complexioned Black inmates served less time than darker ones.

Clutch Magazine reports-

“The Impact of Light Skin on Prison Time for Black Female Offenders,” by Jill Viglione, Lance Hannon, and Robert DeFina of Villanova University, used a sample of 12, 158 women who were imprisoned between 1995 and 2009. Those who were perceived to be light skinned received sentences that were, on average, 12% shorter than their darker counterparts. The amount of actual time served was approximately 11% less. According to The Minority Brief, the study authors controlled factors including prior record, conviction date and weight; they also considered if the woman in question was serving time for robbery or homicide, which tend to carry long sentences.”

Am I insulted by this? Yes. Am I disappointed in our society over playing into the age old “black is bad, while light is good”? Yes. Am I shocked about this news? No. Black people express preferential treatment and separation within our own race. Some Blacks have been known to treat individuals with lighter skin better or different than those with darker complexions. We purposely try to have children with lighter complexions because we know that they will be treated better by society. We see people with lighter complexions as generally being more attractive. If even we have succumb to this thinking then how can we expect individuals of other races not to? It is the same reason why people of Indian and Hispanic background are now lightning their skin with bleach in order to be more accepted by the masses. The masses who still believe that dark is bad or evil. This has been ingrained in our culture and passed on over several generations, across all races.

Is it possible that we can ever erase “colorism? from our society?