“When I was like five years old I would pray to be light skinned…” Keke Palmer has experienced what many black girls and women alike go through in today’s society. Colorism, the act of passing judgment on a person based on the color of their skin predominately exists in the black community, but is not limited to just the one race. For black people in particular it has brought upon the belief that being light skinned attributes to being positive and dark skinned attributes to being negative. This is what makes colorism so dangerous. Colorism is a widespread epidemic that needs to be addressed. It causes self-hatred, invents negative stereotypes, and creates a divide among black people.

It’s a proven fact that children are influenced by the things around them. The media, their environment and even the people in their lives have a great effect on them. The effects of colorism can cause self-hatred and a lack of confidence in darker skinned children particularly. The media portrays dark skinned people as unattractive unsuccessful people with no future. Over time children will observe these patterns on television and perceive it as meaning that they aren`t good enough to achieve their goals or even make lighter skinned children believe that they are superior to their darker counterparts. These long lasting results can cause insecurities and make a child question their identity. That’s not even the beginning of it. That self hatred can stem into something worse such as using self infliction and possibly even alcohol as a form of relief from the pain. Are you okay with allowing colorism to take such a hold on you, or even worse someone you love?

Categorizing yourself as team light skinned or team dark skinned may not seem like a big deal especially when hanging out with friends but in reality its causing more harm than you could ever imagine. When you divide yourself using terms like those you create a barrier. It makes people think that black people aren’t one in the same as if you skin determines your life or more importantly your side. Although many don’t realize it humans seem to need to have a superior and inferior someone in charge of them. It stems back from being a child and having many people superior to you in your life. People can’t ever allow themselves to be equal to their companions there must be someone who’s better, always. This is what is happening in today’s society. Colorism is creating a divide in which one group; lighter skinned people are superior and placed on a pedestal compared to darker skinned people.

Some say colorism is just a state of mind and shouldn’t be taken seriously on account of the fact that it’s not changing society or the way black people think. This accusation is very untrue. If colorism was in fact not a severe epidemic then why is there such a dire need to be lighter? African stars like Dencia have bleached their skin, that’s when it gets worse. Every time a star or famous person bleaches their skin it captures hundreds of impressionable followers who want to be just like them, beautiful. It’s a vicious cycle, seemingly impossible to stop.

The stereotypical light skinned person is attractive, educated, and successful. Dark skinned stereotypes claim that people with darker skin are unsuccessful, unappealing, and unemployed. These stereotypes are the product of colorism. People make unfair accusations about each without evening knowing the victim just because of the hype around that stereotype. Stereotyping people can not only lead controversy amongst people of a different shade but can deter someone from being the best they can be. People hear these stereotypes and think I must be the description of a light skinned person or a dark skinned person. The indescribable amount of things that any person could achieve would be clouded by the ignorance of their peers.

Colorism is something that affects the everyday person. It allows people to believe that you are characterized by the color of your skin. It’s rapidly spreading across the world and influencing people. This causes a lack in confidence divides races into a superior class and inferior class and adds to negative stereotypes. Colorism is a negative action that should change. Who are they to say you are no more than your shade? Who are they to categorize you? They can’t and they won’t change who you plan to be and what you plan to accomplish. Fight back against being just a shade because you are more than what the eye can see.