Colorism is defined as a way of segregation that is based on distinctions in skin color. Through this, people are categorized as, black, white, red or light skinned, medium versus dark skinned. Segregating people based on their skin color brings about favoritism or desperation towards individuals. Interracial and intra-racial colorism has, since the time immemorial, been a psychological form of trauma in the victims. In year 2013, colorism continues to divide and separate peoples worldwide. This paper seeks to examine colorism on school segregation and its effects in the United States.

In interracial colorism, a member of one racial group discriminates against another of a different racial group. For example a white person may discriminate against a black person. This may bring about prejudicial treatment on one another. As stated by Wilder (2008)colorism has internalized in the minds of people to an extent of becoming part of them. From the historical times, it has manifested as a form of favor for the light-skinned, especially the Europeans. Hair features have also been a medium of propagating the evils of colorism. As observed by Wilder (2008) good hair connotation has continued to heighten tensions for generations among the black American society.

Civil rights activism for equality of man has not achieved its goal fully to promote integration for world populations as one people. The black community, particularly the women seems to accommodate colorism within them to date (Wilder 2008). Studies indicate that young black women learn the art of colorism from a very early age. It has been instilled in them to an extent of becoming a form of everyday language that dictates their responses and treatment of their peers. Close examination of names predominant in some cultures, their perception and their attitudes shows a likelihood of the same attitudes having prevailed among their ancestors.

Among the factors that are likely to cause tension worldwide, skin color, as opined by Hall (2012) is directly correlated with the present situation of tension. Even though political objectives and interests are likely to cause conflict, the root cause of this trigger is skin color. Conflict resolution and mediation the world over will require that the postcolonial superpowers release the hold of self-serving degradation of other races. Solution to millennium conflicts will be reality when problem solving will seize to be skin-color oriented to being focused on reason, moral values and skills of the negotiators.

A concern by people of the African descent is the trivialization of skin color by western domination. As Hall (2012) denotes, western psychologists are in studies of futility in spending time and resources studying western values in a bid to solve world racial conflicts. Instead, such studies should be directed to the sociocultural practices of Africans in order to integrate their findings and incorporate them to devise a lasting solution to the problem of skin color. It is therefore, important that a perspective and concept that is less confined to western sovereignties be adhered to, so as to sustain the prestige and integrity of the social work profession.

An emergence of African psychopathology in the modern era has led to the degradation of the dark skin in western countries. At the beginning of civilization, Africans were comfortable with their dark skin. However, the Atlantic slave trade and the use of science and religion by the white to justify segregation of Africans left a scar that will take many years to heal at the core center of the hearts of Africans.

Worse still, another group of peoples, the Negroes has emerged to consider themselves even inferior to the Africans gauging by their skin color. This group of peoples has even gone to the extent of using toners and skin lighteners.

Considering the evolution of this dark versus light skin issue, America Society of Trial Consultants (2010) records that, it dates back to the days of slavery in America. Skin color of slaves was in those days used to determine the work force. Work was divided according to skin color so that the darkest skinned people would be given the most physically demanding tasks. The mindset of such discrimination became ingrained into the minds of Africans so that when emancipation began, Africans started segregating themselves into social groups.

Schools have experienced segregation from the historical times to date. As stated by the American Society of Trial Consultants (2010), paper bag test was used as a tool of determining admission in first Black schools as early as the days of the slave trade. Admission was granted to them who had their skin lighter than or equal to a paper bag. This criteria developed by the African themselves, denotes the power of psychological effects of segregation. It is ironical that, Africans who were being segregated against formed their own basis of segregating against one another. It is even worrying to note that Africans displayed open liking for light skin, a practice which is prevalent to date, and so it proves futile to preach to the light skinned that all races are equal.

A Hughes and Hertel study of 1990 as stated by American Society of Trial Consultants (2010), states that the notion of betterment proves true to date. The results showed favoritism for light skinned blacks in terms of prominent jobs, higher education and high salaries. alarmingly, the gap in socioeconomic status and educational attainment clearly portrays an element of skin segregation.

Racial and ethnic divisions that create everlasting tension arise whenever people regard themselves by the color of their skin. As Steele and Telles (2012)states, Latin American scholars have of late re-ignited their attention towards issues of ethnicity and race based on skin color. It has emerged recently that nationals of countries of the Latin America, have instituted race-based programs leading to indigenous social race movements in the region. Such ethnic tension threatens people of other descent schooling in the region and affects their academics.

Psychological health and wellbeing of a person will be threatened if they will be a victim of skin color segregation. Such psychological outcomes are in a great extent related to educational achievements, opportunities, self-identity and self-concept. A learner in an environment where they experience segregation based on their skin color is not likely to perform well academically. In the US the forces of racial segregation have manifested in schools affecting the both the dominant group and the segregated group. The effects have seen the African Americans, the discriminated group form adaptive and maladaptive ways of counteracting the discrimination related to skin color. Teachers who find themselves victims of racial segregation have fount hard time to stand on a classroom and deliver content.

The ill of segregation that cuts across cultures and races has been prevalent since the historical times to date. Sustaining order in schools demands that all be looked at as equal regardless of their skin color. Only by doing so will the evil of colorism stop eating into the global society creating unnecessary tensions.

REFERENCES:

American Society of Trial Consultants. 2010. Colorism: The often Undiscussed “…ism” in Americas Workforce. Timonium, MD: American Trial Consultants.

Hall E. Ronald (ed.). 2012. The Melanin Millennium: Skin Color as 21st Century International Discourse. Michigan: Springer Printing Press.

Wilder J. 2012. Everyday Colorism in the Lives of Young Black Women: revisiting the Continuing Significance of an old Phenomenon in a New Generation. Retrieved from: http://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu on 29. Nov. 2013.

Steele, Liza and Telles E. 2012. Pigmentocracy in the Americas: How is Educational Attainment Related to Skin Color? Brazil: Latin America Public Opinion Project.

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