Page 38 - Urban Kapital Magazine Autumn 21

COLOURISM!

THROW YOUR SHADE

Article by: Natasha Magubane
South Africa writer.

A quick search on Google shows that colour-
ism can be defined as ‘prejudice or discrim-
ination against individuals with a dark skin
tone, typically among people of the same
ethnic group or racial group”, but have we
really found the real definition of colourism?
Many people of colour (popularly written
“POC”) often shy away from speaking of and
defining colourism because of the controver-
sial nature of the subject.

We sat down with three black South African
women to discuss the topic of colourism with-
in the African family setting, corporate South
Africa as well as the influence of colourism in
body modification. FEATURE

1. How would you define colourism?
I have never really experienced colour-
Wakhile Zimu: It is favouritism of certain ism in our family as there are various
skin tones. As a black woman; I come across shades and tones. I have, however
many shades such as dark skin, light skinned experienced a lot of body shaming. I
and medium toned women and often times have also learned that one becomes
the lighter skin tone is associated with good more self-conscious once exposed to
things. Women with lighter skin tones are re- the world; where people have different
garded as more beautiful. opinions and perspectives about which
skin tone they find appealing to them
Ayanda Gumede: Colourism is basically dis- or not.
crimination based on skin type, especially
within a racial or ethnic group; it is favouring
people with lighter skin tones over those with
darker skin tones. Ayanda Gumede: I come from a
rather large family with cousins of
different tones; sometimes
Kamohelo Maphike: It is when people of a parents will be oblivious to how
certain shade or tone are treated better than they seem to have something nice
others. This is usually when lighter skinned and positive to say to the lighter
people are treated with privilege over darker toned children as opposed to the
skinned people. It is prevalent in the African darker kids in the family.
society.
I honestly think that family
2. How are different shades/skins members are not aware of their
tones treated within your family during family treatment and practice of colou-
gatherings? rism towards children.

MAGAZINE // 38 Wakhile Zimu: There are different shades in
my family, my mom was a dark skinned wom-
an but my sister and I took our father’s light
skin tone.