As defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, colourism is the prejudice and unfair treatment of members of a particular racial group who have darker skin than others within the same group. Even before I was aware of the academic definition of colourism, I interacted with it socially. 

For as long as I can remember, I have known about skin bleaching — the use of products like soaps, creams and pills to get a lighter complexion. In high school, I knew people who used these products despite the number of health risks, like numbness, high blood pressure and the development of skin cancers. 

Alongside this, I remember how often my relatives emphasized that my older sister was “Black” while my younger sister and I were not. Racially, we are all Black, but this term was used to refer to her darker hue. 

As I have grown older, I have realized that this was not just an issue in Zimbabwe, but among many minority communities around the world. Brishti Basu wrote about how, when she visited India, she noticed the prevalence of these skin tone ideas. Lighter skin was advertised as preferential to darker skin, and skin-lightening products were all over. In the U.S., DaniLeigh wrote a song which Highsnobiety titled a “colorist anthem.” 

There are cues present in conversations, music and television that tell girls and women of darker skin that they are inherently inferior to their lighter-skinned counterparts. This has severe impacts on the self-worth of women.

Additionally, colourism has economic consequences. Women have written about experiences in the workplace where they have been passed up for opportunities because of their darker skin. 

Unlike other forms of oppression, colourism is rarely spoken about or focused on, and in many families it is not taken seriously. I think that because of the general public’s limited education on the issue, many women and young girls feel pressured to change their appearance to be better received by society. Instead of the world changing its biases against women with a darker hue, women are changing their beautiful skin to fit into the “standard.” As of 2023, the global skin lightening market was estimated at $11.2 billion USD, and it is expected to reach $16.14 billion USD by 2030. 

I believe that we should all educate ourselves on colourism. While minority communities are usually well educated on matters of racism, I feel that they often lack understanding of colourism and its impact on women within minority communities. I think we have to unlearn the idea that having fairer skin equates to being better and instead learn that every hue is beautiful. 

The more we make the effort to educate ourselves, the more effectively we can oppose colourism. When people speak from a place of ignorance, they unknowingly contribute to the idea that people’s skin colour determines their social worth. 

I am so grateful I grew up in a home where my parents emphasized that each of their children was created perfectly, and despite the outside pressure, my sisters and I know we do not need to change anything about ourselves. I hope that girls within minority communities can grow up in a society that advocates for them in the same way my parents did for me and my sisters.