colorism

noun

col·​or·​ism ˈkə-lə-ˌri-zəm 

-lər-ˌi-zəm

variants or British colourism

: prejudice or discrimination especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin

Under this system of colorism—the system which prevailed in my childhood in Jamaica, and which has carried over to the present—rarely will dark and light people co-mingle. Rarely will they achieve between themselves an intimacy informed with identity.

—Michelle Cliff

What writer Alice Walker defined as colorism, the preferential or prejudicial treatment of same-race people based on skin color, continues to this day. And as she once wrote, unless we exorcise it "we cannot as a people progress. For colorism, like colonialism, sexism and racism, impedes us."

—Itabari Njeri

Examples of colorism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

However, with Amandla Stenberg, a biracial actor, cast in one of the lead roles, the film has already sparked a debate on colorism — one that threatens to overshadow a larger conversation about African storytelling in the mainstream. —Susan Akyeampong, refinery29.com, 13 Feb. 2025

The film offers a unique perspective on Haiti’s ongoing security challenges by drawing from its vexing reality: political and police corruption, foreign election interference, colorism, homophobia and the cynicism of those who are vying for political power. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2025

However, the series faced controversy over its handling of colorism and classism. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025

Social media reacted with mixed commentary about the sensitive topic of colorism. —Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

color entry 1 + -ism, after racism

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for colorism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism