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Confronting Colorism

An Examination into the Social and Psychological Aspects of Colorism

  • Chapter
Color Struck

Part of the book series: Teaching Race and Ethnicity ((RACE))

Abstract

If you’re white, you’re right, if you’re yellow, you’re mellow, if you’re brown, stick around, if you’re Black, get back,” (Parrish, 1944, p. 90). This crude expression, coined in the first half of the 20th century, vividly demonstrates two of the most salient aspects of colorism. The expression demonstrates that colorism is a hierarchically based phenomenon, and that darker skin serves as the absolute bottom rung in the hierarchically based colorism ladder.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Louisiana State University, USA

    Jahaan Chandler

Authors
  1. Jahaan Chandler
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Louisiana State University, USA

    Lori Latrice Martin

  2. University at Albany, USA

    Hayward Derrick Horton

  3. State University of New York, USA

    Hayward Derrick Horton

  4. University of Illinois at Chicago, USA

    Cedric Herring

  5. Texas A&M University, USA

    Verna M. Keith

  6. North Carolina State University, USA

    Melvin Thomas

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© 2017 Sense Publishers

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Chandler, J. (2017). Confronting Colorism. In: Martin, L.L., Horton, H.D., Herring, C., Keith, V.M., Thomas, M. (eds) Color Struck. Teaching Race and Ethnicity. SensePublishers, Rotterdam. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6351-110-0_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6351-110-0_7

  • Publisher Name: SensePublishers, Rotterdam

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-6351-110-0

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

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