ABSTRACT
With beauty standards often aligning with European features and skin colors, several communities subscribe to colorism as a method to exclude people based on their complexion. For example, there is the adage, “If you’re Black, stay back, if you’re brown, stick around, and if you are White, you’re all right.” Societies have often favored lighter-skinned Blacks, who often have lighter eyes, looser curl patterns in their hair, and more phenotypically European facial features. Comparative studies show that those with darker skins complexions face increased health risks. The privileging of lighter skin and European features has given some Blacks more access and opportunity in the workplace. Therefore, by modifying Allport’s Nature of Prejudice Theory, I examine colorism as a possible contributor to workplace bullying. Adopting an intersectional approach in which race and gender are intertwined markers, the central research question (RQ1) is Which Black/African American colleagues, dark women, light women, dark men or light men, are more likely to face workplace bullying? A second research question is: How does workplace bullying affect Blacks’/African Americans’ workplace experience and health? Dark men were found to be most likely to face workplace bullying, followed by dark women, light men, and light women. The chi-square analysis confirmed this finding at a statistically significant level. Also, I used a qualitative content analysis to examine the impact on work–life and personal health; common themes were disengagement, stress/anxiety, and anger. Findings from this study strengthen the argument that colorist discrimination calls for more attention in diversity and inclusion processes.
