Although colorism can happen anywhere, colorism in the media is the focus of this episode of Media Inside Out. We’ll be looking at how all media, including television programs, music videos and advertising campaigns favor lighter skin, and usually white skin. This is an issue that has been around for a number of years, but with streaming services and thousands of videos on Youtube, young girls have more opportunities to see how the media favors lighter skin. On this episode we look at examples from advertisements and other media outlets.
Guiding our conversation are two experts:
Lori Tharps is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism at Temple University. She is also founder of the blog “myamericanmeltingpot” and author of several critically acclaimed nonfiction books. For more information, see her bio here.
Dr. Linda Chavers is an Assistant Dean at Harvard University and a lecturer on African and African-American Studies. Dr. Chavers is a writer and scholar of 20th century American and African American literature with specializations in race and visual culture. For more information, see her bio here.
Temple University, Journalism
Harvard College