Blog Post #1: Intro

When I conducted my interviews on colorism, I wanted to understand how people personally experience and interpret it, not just what we read in textbooks or see online. Both interviewees were women of color, which directly connects them to the issue. Because of that, their answers felt more personal and grounded in lived experience rather than just opinion. Their proximity to the issue clearly shaped how they spoke about it. Both were able to give real examples, like being stereotyped in public or noticing patterns in media. One thing that really stood out to me was how deeply rooted colorism is in history. Carmen connected it back to slavery and how lighter skin was historically associated with privilege, which I hadn’t fully thought about in that way before. It made me realize that colorism isn’t just a modern social issue, it’s something that has been passed down and normalized over generations. This idea is also discussed in sources like Thought.co   explanation of colorism...

For my primary research project, I plan to conduct an interview focused on colorism and how darker-skinned women are represented in society and media . Colorism is a form of discrimination where people with lighter skin tones are often seen as more desirable or socially accepted compared to people with darker skin. While this issue is frequently discussed in articles and social media, the voices that are most impacted by colorism are not always centered in those conversations. Because of this, interviews can be a powerful way to hear real experiences and perspectives. Who I Plan to Interview The people I plan to interview are two darker-skinned women who are around my age . I believe they would be the best people to interview because they likely have personal experiences with beauty standards, social media, and representation in modern culture. Many discussions about colorism are led by journalists or researchers, but hearing directly from people who experience it daily can provide mor...

       When people talk about racism in media, the conversation often focuses on representation in general whether people of color are included or excluded. But something that often gets overlooked in that conversation is colorism . Colorism is the discrimination based on skin tone, where lighter skin is treated as more desirable or acceptable than darker skin. This issue affects many communities, but it has especially impacted darker-skinned women in society. If you look at beauty campaigns, movies, and social media influencers, lighter-skinned women are often centered as the “acceptable” form of diversity. Darker-skinned women are either underrepresented or portrayed through harmful stereotypes. In many cases, when darker-skinned women are included, they are shown as aggressive, less feminine, or less desirable compared to their lighter-skinned counterparts.      A lot of people speak about representation, including journalists, brands, and celebriti...