COLORISM
How Casting Decisions Expose Preference for Light-Skinned Black People
Representation should consider skin color, not just race
In a society that places whiteness on a pedestal, proximity to whiteness is valued. This may explain why light-skinned Black people are often cast to play roles even when their physical appearance strays significantly from the original character or historical figure. As an illustration of this point, Zoe Saldaña, an Afro-Latina actress with mixed ancestry, played the role of Nina Simone, a singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist, in a 2016 film. While the actress is a person of color, her skin tone is noticeably lighter than the woman she aimed to portray. Make-up artists applied dark foundation on her face, neck, forearms, and hands, a strategy reminiscent of the blackface White actors donned during their minstrel shows. While Saldaña initially defended her role in the film, she apologized in a 2020 interview, saying, “I should have never played Nina,” aknowledging that “somebody else should tell her story.”
Colorism is hard to tackle because it requires Black people who have endured racism collectively to acknowledge prejudice is not evenly experienced. This concept is better understood as a spectrum where those with light-skin complexion and less pronounced…
