Colorism: Jamaica's Achilles Heel

By Shannay Porter

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Beyond the rich culture and resilience of Jamaica, stands the often overlooked yet deep-rooted issue of colorism. Stemming from the island’s colonial past, colorism has since cemented itself in Jamaican society and created division among citizens.

Its history begins with the British who institutionalized a hierarchy based on skin color that divided and oppressed the enslaved. The light-skinned Mulattos were biracial children, who were the product of rape, and received a better quality of life than the dark-skinned Africans. They lived in better quarters, wore better clothes, and worked less strenuous jobs in the ‘Great House.’ These Mulattos acted as a buffer between the British enslavers and the enslaved Africans.

Following the abolition of slavery and the independence of Jamaica, skin color still had a heavy influence on relations within the country. Today this is recognized as colorism, and defined as discrimination based on skin color that occurs within a racial group.

Brianna Brown, a dark-skinned Jamaican, believes that people with lighter skin are placed on a pedestal in Jamaica. Witnessing colorism throughout her life greatly affected how she viewed herself and her skin tone. “I would say that at a point in time, I had the mindset that the lighter you are, the better you are, but I learned that that isn’t true. And it’s really just a very sad thing that is in our society that I think we really need to change,” she added.

Often the result of experiencing colorism is desiring to be lighter. Brown explained the results of her experience stating, “I think for a while I longed to be lighter or not be as dark or as deep in skin tone, and I think that’s a common thing that we face, you know, wanting to be lighter. Especially because of the treatment that we see that they receive, I think that’s the biggest thing, just because of how they are perceived and treated better…and they’re seen as more attractive. And so, I’d say obviously, no, I’m not of that mindset [anymore] but I’ve developed a deep appreciation for my skin.”

Isahai Johnson, a young Jamaican woman who has had her plight with colorism, explained that she constantly dealt with others having a negative perception of her because of her skin tone. “I became familiar with the term ‘pretty privilege’ in my late teens as I was searching for an explanation regarding the disconnect between the individuals that looked like me and those who possessed more Eurocentric features,” she stated.

By Isahai Johnson

Isahai Johnson

Johnson added that the standard of beauty in Jamaica is Eurocentric features. “My traits have never allowed me to be closely identified with the standard of beauty in Jamaica. I was always told that I need to bleach my skin, that the reason I was so dark was cause I was constantly in the sun or I’m not showering properly. In its entirety, I was undesirable, dirty, and just [existed] to be the punchline in a lot of jokes,” she explained.

Colorism has also had an overwhelming presence in Jamaica’s music industry where many artists are vocal about and advocate for skin-bleaching. However, in recent years the tides have begun to change. In October 2013, Vybz Kartel released the song “School” which advocated for Jamaican students to dedicate themselves to their education. He also spoke out against skin bleaching in “School” which was a significant change to his usual tune of encouraging it.

Most recently, artists such as Spice and Shaneil Muir have spearheaded the campaign against colorism in Jamaica with their music. In October 2018, the Dancehall Queen released her song “Black Hypocrisy” which empowered dark-skinned Black women and spoke out against racism.

Prior to the release of her song, Spice executed a stunt where she posted pictures of herself with lighter skin, lighter eyes, and blonde hair.

Her Instagram posts sparked controversy as her fans and the public reacted to the drastic changes.

Some individuals were supportive and understood the value of her message, while others were not. Nevertheless, the Grammy-nominated artist created awareness for not only her song but also the issue of colorism.

In 2022, Shaneil Muir released “Black Is Beautiful” to uplift Jamaicans and other Black people around the world.

Now 23 years old, Brown is more comfortable in her skin, and advises anyone facing colorism to understand that they are not defined by their skin. “It’s [only] a part of you and you should embrace it,” she stated.

She also encouraged Jamaicans to be more vocal about colorism. “One of the most important ways that we can combat colorism is by speaking up, and having the conversation more, talking about it, allowing more people to learn about it, and learn that, you know, it’s wrong. It’s not something that we should be doing because children are affected by it, adults are affected by it, and it doesn’t help anybody in the long run,” she expressed.

She continued to add, “So I think it’s important that we have the conversation and education about it from a very young age and [about] where we’re coming from. Jamaica is diverse, we are a melting pot, so it’s important that we embrace that diversity…or else we’re just gonna have a society that is very low in self-esteem.”

Johnson also emphasized that Jamaica should focus on educating the younger generation about their African roots. She explained that “encouraging [them to connect] their identity with their roots outside of slavery will have a significant turnaround; teaching young boys and girls that their ancestry didn’t begin with slavery. I just recently learned that a lot of heritage hails from the Akan tribe in Ghana, it’s empowering.”