The #Unfair & Lovely Response to ColorismThe Unfair & Lovely campaign is combating the colorist propaganda set in place by deep socio-historical conditions that stem from Imperialism, Colonialism and Slavery. These social conditions go back hundreds of years, and created racial tensions which provided the breeding ground for colorist attitudes. These attitudes first began to permeate in India through the introduction of the caste system which still negatively impacts dark skinned communities today. Colorist attitudes in African American communities permeated from Colonialism in Africa and Slavery in the United States. This aspect of my research explains the negative connotations towards dark skin which were permeated during these time periods, and explains the lasting impact from these attitudes that can still be seen in both countries today.
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What is Colorism? |
Colorism by definition is prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group. This prejudice leads to a favoritism towards a lighter complexion, which creates the narrative that the lighter your complexion the more desirable you are as a person. (Hunter 2007)
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Colorism: India |
Colorism in India began with the caste system. This lead into the early separation of individuals based on skin tone. The highest class the Indo-Europeans, being the most fair; and the untouchables or dalits(lowest class), being the darkest. The narrative constructed by the caste system, creates the idea that the Indo-europeans are desirable because of their appearance, which connotates wealth/nobility. Over hundreds of years this narrative has developed into a desire to appear lighter within dark skinned Indian communities. Leading into the modern phenomenon of skin bleaching via use of Fair & Lovely products. (Glenn 2008)
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Colorism: US |
Colorism in the US is rooted in the effects of Colonialism and Slavery. Racial attitudes surrounding dark skin complexions developed in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries in the United States and constructed an extremely negative connotation for dark skinned African Americans within those time periods. The impact of these attitudes is seen today in the bleaching syndrome, which is a phenomenon described as the desire for African Americans to assimilate into the dominant culture of their society. Essentially the syndrome shows that many African Americans internalize light skin as the ideal representation for total assimilation into the dominant majority culture in America(white-anglo saxons). And this impacts African American communities by affecting their interaction style, language use, and behaviors(use of skin bleaching products). (Hall 1995)
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The Consequences |
There are health risks that stem from using skin bleaching products. Some of the less well known products tend to contain a dangerous chemical known as hydroquinone which has been known to ochronosis(a yellowing condition in the skin) and mutagenicity(chemical induced genetic mutations). In comparison Fair & Lovely claims to use only vitamins and natural products in their lotion. Despite this claim, traces of mercury have been found in their product through laboratory tests on rats, and they have shown signs of neurological damage and kidney disease. Scarier impacts of the Fair & Lovely propaganda are the new product line of washes and lotions that Fair & Lovely has released and marketed which claims that you can lighten the color of your vagina. (Glenn 2008) (Nico 2009)
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