“You Can Put a Price Tag on Complexion”: Understanding Colorism Among African-Born and African American Black Men in America

This study explores how young Black men talk about colorism and identity. Few studies have investigated how men of color make meaning of colorism. Providing an open-arena for dialogue about colorism, we conducted two focus groups to examine the perceptions of colorism among young African American an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Spectrum (Bloomington, Ind. : 2012) Ind. : 2012), 2023-04, Vol.10 (2), p.51-71
Main Authors: Jam, Alma, Hearn, Gesine K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
African cultural groups
Apartheid
Assimilation
Black people
Civil rights
Civil rights movements
Consciousness
Focus groups
Identity
Men
Minority & ethnic groups
Race
Racial discrimination
Racial identity
Segregation
Skin
Skin color
Social mobility
Society
Upward mobility
Women
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Summary:This study explores how young Black men talk about colorism and identity. Few studies have investigated how men of color make meaning of colorism. Providing an open-arena for dialogue about colorism, we conducted two focus groups to examine the perceptions of colorism among young African American and African-born Black males. One focus group consisted of African-born Black men, the other consisted of African American Black men. Participants were recruited from a public four-year research university in the northwestern region of the US and ranged in age from 18 to 25. Findings indicate that to this day, young African American and African-born Black males are significantly impacted by their skin tone in their pursuit of access and opportunity in society, and just like women of color, skin tone influences their relationships, identity, and social mobility.
ISSN:2162-3252
2162-3244
2162-3252
DOI:10.2979/spectrum.10.2.04