Colorism in The Wage Gap
As we open the door for conversation on colorism, it is important to remember that this is a safe and welcome space for all. #TheColorConvos
By now, most of us are familiar with “the wage gap” that exists between men and women. However, this data is somewhat misleading. The wage gap between men of color and white men is about 30%, meaning that for every dollar a white man makes, a man of color makes about 67-70 cents. The wage gap for women of color is wider. For every dollar a white man makes, women of color make anywhere from 54-62 cents.
However, the wage gap is even greater for darker skinned people of color. Harmful ideas about skin tone that we’ve discussed over the past few weeks are absorbed by the masses, and then unconsciously (consciously in some instances) applied in real world scenarios.
Studies have shown that potential employers prefer light skinned over dark skinned applicants, regardless of credentials. Studies have also shown that light-skinned African Americans are significantly less likely to be arrested than their dark skinned counterparts, and when they are incarcerated, are likely to have shorter sentences.
This means that darker skinned people of color actually have a smaller window of opportunity for success, and feeds into the ideas that dark skinned people have less access to wealth and power.
“We’re all black!” How can we have a productive conversation with those who may not see the effects of colorism or “light skinned privilege?” Are there ways we can uplift people who are affected by colorism in economic based scenarios?
