In 2018, a study stated that dark-skinned African Americans have an almost 66% chance of incarceration in their lifetimes, compared to 36% of African Americans of all skin tones. That’s a significant number, but the institutional impact of colorism doesn’t stop at jail.
For Black girls especially, colorism paves the way there as well.
According to a 2013 study, dark-skinned Black girls are three times more likely to be suspended from school than light-skinned Black girls with similar grades and experiences at home. Suspension is a key part of the school-to-prison pipeline. But why does this happen?
From home to campus, parents, teachers, and administrators often approach darker-skinned Black girls believing they are less intelligent, attractive, and well-behaved.
That mindset impacts not only children’s self-esteem but also how adults in their life choose to discipline and invest in them.
Authority figures project attitudes, laziness, and adultification onto all Black children, but dark-skinned Black girls especially. And when you add other factors dark-skinned students may experience, like fatphobia, disability, and economic status, it gets worse.
The cycle of colorism and criminalization impacting Black girlhood needs to end. And though it’s great that recent data affirms some of these experiences, so much isn’t accessible or hasn’t been studied yet. Still, we can always personally reflect and listen to the experiences of those around us.