Colorism and Racial Identity Development in Black/African American Women: An Autoethnographic Perspective

Abstract:This paper examines the phenomenon of colorism within the Black community, as well racial/ethnic identity development as impacted by colorism. Colorism is defined as bias which exists based upon an individual's skin tone as compared to others of their particular race (Russell, Wilson, & Hall, 2013). Color plays an important role in racial and ethnic identity development, although it is seldom addressed either empirically or conceptually. This paper examines the historical context and current implications of colorism as it relates to identity development, and identifies areas of focus related to clinical practice and future research.