Synopsis
Summary
This is the first book by an author in the UK to tackle the issue of colourism – the process of discrimination based on skin tone among people of the same ethnicity, which values light skin over dark complexions. Colourism is a form of internalised racism brought about by the devaluation of people of African descent through the domination of European hegemonic culture perpetuated through the process of white supremacy. This book traces the evolution of colourism within African descendant communities in the UK, USA, Jamaica and Latin America from a historical and political perspective and examines its present impact on the global African Diaspora.
Contents
· Introduction
1. The Origins of Colourism
2. Colourism in the USA
3. Skin Tone Hierarchies in Jamaica
4. Racism and Colourism in the UK
5. Pigmentocracy in Latin America
6. Human Evolution and Skin Colour
7. Whiteness and White Supremacy
8. Blackness and Black Identity
9. Conclusion
