Perceived Skin Tone Discrimination Across Contexts: African American Women’s Reports

Abstract

There is a void in empirical research that examines African American women’s self-reported skin tone discrimination from out-groups (e.g., whites) and in-groups (blacks). We analyzed data of women from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds in the nationally representative National Survey of American Life (N = 1653). Light-skinned women reported less out-group colorism, and light-, medium-, and dark-skinned women with higher self-mastery perceived lower out-group colorism. Medium-skinned women perceived less in-group colorism, while dark-skinned women perceived more in-group and out-group colorism than counterparts. Implications for intergroup and intragroup race relations as well as well-being are discussed.