No Longer Invisible: Understanding the Psychosocial Impact of Skin Color Stratification in the Lives of African American Women.
This article examines how skin color stratification, termed "colorism," affects the psychological well-being of African American women. Previous research has shown that the experience of colorism is pervasive within the black community and that black women have been culturally or personally affected by intraracial discrimination. This article describes a qualitative study that used focus groups to investigate the experiences of black women that were categorized according to their self-ascribed skin tone group. The findings indicated that women of different hues have distinctive experiences based on their skin tone, and that these experiences influence how they felt about themselves and interact with others. The article concludes with a discussion of practice, research, and policy implications.
College of Social Work, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, 1618 Cumberland Avenue, 314 Henson Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996-3333.
J Camille
JC
Hall
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D036301:Qualitative Research; D063505:Racism; D012880:Skin Pigmentation
black community; psychosocial impact; skin color stratification; women