Colorism in Hollywood
Over the past few years, the Black Girl Magic movement has exploded onto the movie and television screens across the country. Although it's a huge step for on-screen representation, there's just one problem: This representation tends to be limited by Hollywood's colorist problem. Young female blackness displayed on the big screen does not represent the range of blackness seen in today’s society. Based on American media, an outsider could rightfully assume the vast majority of black women in this country are light-skinned, which is not the case. Despite the rise in diversity on film, many Black girls are not still not seeing many actors who look like them on-screen.
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To be clear, Hollywood’s issue of colorism is not the fault of light-skinned actresses. They are not the ones perpetuating the belief that a Black woman must have light skin and straight or curly hair to be cast as a leading lady. The fault lies with Hollywood producers and casting agents who refuse to push the boundaries and cast young, dark Black women in important movie roles — including roles that were made specifically for them. They choose to endorse an incredibly narrow selection of Black women, yet at the same time, want to receive accolades for achieving diversity and representation on-screen.