Survey Research

My research plan is survey research. My plan for this type of research is to get a group of people at separate times and give them three pictures of people per question. These people will not be celebrities. They will be three different people with different looks and different skin tones. I will ask my client a question such as "Who committed the murder?" "Who is the most successful singer?" and "Who is the most attractive?" These types of questions will be answered by my client by choosing one of my three pictures that I give them to choose from. These answers will hopefully be consistent in terms of getting a solid result. I hope that my clients stay away from any form of colorism, and speak their true opinion that is not based on someone's skin color. I think this strategy and research plan will be successful because I am getting opinions from all different people; not only one specific group. I am getting results from young people, old people, girls, boys, men, and women. 

My Suggested Research Method

My suggested research method for colorism involves asking questions, and many of them to the students in paper form. My plan is to give them ten questions which will include pictures of people with questions of "Who wore it best?", "Who do you think is most famous?", "Who committed the murder?",  or "Who do you think is prettier?" In every question I will put in three pictures of people of all different skin tones. The majority of the most common circled answers will dictate the students' overall opinion and viewpoint on colorism without them even really knowing it. This type of research method is survey research because it involves me asking people questions and them answering it with their opinions and thoughts. I believe this is the best research method to use for the topic of colorism because I am showing the students three pictures: people of all different races and skin tones. They will only be able to choose one person per question. I think their answers will indicate their individual views on colorism, even though it is not intentional. This research method will be interesting as to seeing what results we end up with as a class!
 We will end colorism!

What Will You Do To Make The Change?

Colorism is a large issue all around the world. Colorism is discriminating an ethnic group based on skin color. Even though many people say colorism has died down, it is still lurking around and common. Many people first experience the act of colorism at a young age and it carries on into their adulthood. In this video, An Education on Colorism with Kiara Lee, she discusses how people who are dark skinned are treated so much differently than those who are light skinned. People with dark skin are called multiple degrading names and are continually judged by their peers. Beginning at a young age, dark skinned children may experience rejection or discrimination simply because they appear "different". Human beings are visual people, and this is how we are able to judge others based on their appearances. Even if we do not want to judge someone, we automatically always do based on their appearance at first. We always have a quick thought that runs through our heads once we see someone; whether that thought be good or bad or whether we use that judgement against that person or not. Colorism is a tough subject because it has been around for such a long time, and unfortunately will continue to be around if we don't make a change soon. In her video, Kiara Lee talks about how many dark skinned people have low self esteem because of how they are treated; usually resulting back to the beginning of their childhoods. No person has the right to judge someone harshly and use it against them, especially with an innocent child. No one should be negatively thought of by anyone: peers, family members, friends, or teachers. These discriminating actions that children experience at a young age will stay with them for the rest of their lives leaving them to be self conscious and insecure about themselves. 

Another video I found online was with a woman sharing her personal experiences of colorism stories relating to discrimination and rejection. These stories were related to her professional life and her love life. It was interesting to hear her talk about her experiences because they were personal and were coming directly from her. She spoke about how she was a model at the age of fourteen and fifteen, and was eventually rejected because her skin was too dark. She was told by the modeling company that she had the perfect body and height, but her skin was just simply too dark! Imagine that. Also, she said in college she had a friend who had the same body type as her and was dark skinned, but about two shades lighter than her. Wherever they went together and whenever they went out together, the men would always gravitate towards her friend because she was lighter skinned. She found that most of the men were more attracted to the lighter skinned girls. She received numerous offensive comments from guys that they thought were compliments such as,  "You're pretty for a dark skinned girl."  and "You're beautiful, but just too dark for me." Comments like these are sure to destroy a female's self esteem in a second. Comments like these are said everyday by people to dark skinned girls of all ages. 

It is amazing that people still today are judging people based on the color of their skin. It is disgusting and disturbing that this still takes place today. We need to change this. We need to make a difference. We need to learn right from wrong with this issue. We need to implement our good, high standard morals and values into this issue. We need to make our change today. We need to be against colorism! 

Colorism In Men...And Women

Colorism is an ongoing issue the world continues to suffer from. Colorism does not only come from outsiders and random people walking down the street. Colorism usually starts at home. Family members compare their skin tones, and are either jealous of their family members' skin color or they are feeling fortunate they have the skin tone that they do. Based on children's parents beliefs about skin color, and what they hear about skin tones at home is embedded in their brains. Parent's beliefs and what parents say has a large affect on their children's beliefs and words.

Colorism affects many people in the world; males and females. Many people believe that women suffer more from colorism than men because it is more common for females to become "obsessive" over their appearances. This is extremely false. Men, like women, may be self conscious about their bodies and about their skin colors. Even though many dark skinned women tend to bleach their skin more than men, especially in the media, men do bleach their skin as well! Many men, as well as women, believe that President Obama is president because he is light skinned. In this article, Light Supremacy: Colorism and the Black Man, it is said that the darker skinned a person is, the more likely they are to be judged compared to a lighter skinned person, they are likely to have less education, and likely to have a low economical and social status. It is also stated in this article that the world is changing and colorism is becoming slightly less of an issue because many famous people are dark skinned and there are many workers with high positions in the world with dark skin. Hopefully this judging and colorism problem will slowly and progressively end.

Colorism's History and It's Future

In this article, Through the Past, Darkly from The Washington Post ,  it talks about the difference of colorism and racism. Colorism and racism both date back to the slave days when these two terms of judgement were vital. Colorism and racism dictated whether you were a slave or a slave owner and how you were treated in society. The lighter your skin was the better you were treated. This article makes it clear that the human race is one. There are no different groups to the human race, we are all united as human beings despite our differences; however, if only everyone in the world could think like that. Dark skinned men and women, especially celebrities, continually are bleaching their skin. People who keep in tune with the media are seeing this, seeing how natural and attractive it looks on the celebrities, and are performing the same act of bleaching at home. Why does society have to be this way? History was already made with the slaves, but we can make the future a place where we are not worried about our skin tone, where we are not worried whether we are light skinned, medium tone skinned, dark skinned, and where we are not judged by the color of our skin. Colorism has come to a whole new level. It is 2013, and many dark skinned people still feel the need to lighten their skin so they look more attractive or are more socially accepted. We need to come together as a community, as one, and know that each and every one of us are beautiful in our own way, despite our skin colors. We are all equal. 

Many people bleach their skin to a lighter tone, but many do not. I think it has become less common for a person to bleach their skin. People are learning more and more about our history each day, each year. They are coming to conclusions why being dark skinned was a "bad thing" back in the day. They are coming to conclusions that they are proud of their skin color. They are proud of where they come from. Hopefully the amount of people bleaching their skin will decrease as time goes on, as well as the amount of people going to tanning salons. 

Why Is Colorism Still Alive Today?

This video I found on YouTube, Why Isn't "Colorism" Gone, discusses the relevance that colorism has on our society today. Colorism is a form of racism. In today's form of colorism, unlike the slave days, colorism is used towards all different types of skin colors. Colorism is a form of racism solely based on someone's color of their skin. The man that is speaking in this video comes to good points about the topic of colorism. Colorism is still relevant in 2013 because the mentality of people during the slavery days. Being lighter skinned was valued during the slavery days and this mind set has been there ever since; therefore, many dark skinned people bleach their skin for it to become lighter. It is almost as if it is considered common sense that extremely dark skinned is not wanted or desired  Colorism should not be relevant today. It should not be going on, but unfortunately it is. People used to think that a person's skin color determined their intelligence and their character. The darker a person's skin color was, the less smart they were considered and the less they were thought to be a "good" person. Society and times have changed with this concept; however, in today's society many dark skinned people continue to bleach their skin because they feel more beautiful and many light skinned people continue to go tanning to make them feel more beautiful and better about themselves. When a person looks good, they feel good; however, a person should not think they are less beautiful because of the tone of their skin such as being very dark skinned or very light skinned. All skin tones should be more appreciated and represented in society and in media. We, the people, need to embrace our bodies!

Colorism in the Media

Throughout the media, colorism is displayed. Many dark skinned celebrities bleach their skin or do whatever is necessary to make their skin even just a shade lighter than what it already is. Many light skinned celebrities are always going tanning or using all different types of tanning sprays and/or makeup to get a "healthy glow" or a certain kind of "beach tan". Most people, celebrities and non celebrities, are never fully satisfied with their skin color. 

In this video, Fair & Lovely Fairness Ad, a high sense of colorism is shown. It tells of a woman who is slightly dark skinned, uses this product, and is left being four skin shades lighter than she was before all in only four weeks! She also includes at the end of the commerical that her "life has changed" and then proceeds to ask "has yours?" By saying these words at the end of the commercial she is implying to the viewers that her life has changed positively from using this miraculous product that has drastically lightened her skin in such a short amount of time. She is using it, it worked for her, so why isn't everyone else using it? The company is so confident in themselves that it works that they guarantee your money back if it doesn't work for you so why wouldn't you try it? This commercial also shows her "new face" on the front of a magazine. This is implying to the audience that because her skin is lighter she is becoming more famous, became prettier, is getting attention, and is getting noticed more. This is a prime example of media showing viewers and even almost pressuring them into using this product. Celebrities use it and get good results so you should too. I personally do not understand why dark skinned people want light skin and why light skinned people want dark skin. All shades of skin are beautiful and it is a good thing to be unique with yours; however, the media doesn't think so.