Colorism In The Music Industry: How Dark-Skinned Women Can Be Pushed Out

Zahyia Rolle didn’t feel beautiful until she was almost 20 years old. In fact, when she was 13 years old, she said she felt like the ugliest person on Earth. Born in Liberty, NY she says she was treated differently because of her darker skin and coily hair. She’s not alone. Millions of dark-skinned Black women say from family to friends to complete strangers, colorism can often negatively color their interactions.

As a woman, it messes with your selfesteem in ways you can’t anticipate, Rolle said. My parents did everything in their power to undo what the public would say, so to speak. I thought I was the ugliest person all the way until I was 18. I didn’t feel pretty until I was 19, almost 20. Rolle practiced daily afMirmations, telling herself she was beautiful every single day until she woke up and actually felt pretty.

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Having that conMidence was and sometimes is still a struggle, she said. You basically have a deep wound that you’re constantly working to heal. Self-love is a muscle you have to constantly exercise and make sure you practice daily afMirmations, as corny as they seem, even when you don’t feel it. Working in the music industry only exaggerated her struggles with self-image. She said to this day, her skin tone and hair change how she is perceived. As a wedding performer, she books more gigs when her hair is straightened and she said even dark-skinned women who do make it into mainstream pop music are often held to higher standards, physically and talent-wise. A report from the University of Iowa conMirms this gap https://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1255&context=honors_theses . The report found that the industry is one of many that prizes lighter skin and for both men and women. As a result, colorism not only keeps darker-skinned women out of the industry or on the fringe of it, it also privileges lighter-skinned or brown-skinned women instead:

“I would argue that the normalization of colorism, specifically gendered colorism, both lyrically and visually, has produced overtime a “big three” with singers Beyonce and Rihanna, and rapper, Nicki Minaj being positioned at the forefront. These women, all talented, represent the accepted and ideal physical depiction of the Black woman, a preference that is often restated, and of which they, however unwittingly, oblige in their music videos. It’s not until more Black women are producers, engineers and occupy top roles that this will begin to change, speculate experts.”

“When it comes to actually recording or knowing the technical stuff, we have to rely on men in

She said adding women production studio engineers and producers would help.

“Once we can do it ourselves, I think we’ll see a big difference in the music and visuals that are put out there”, she continued, explaining that many of the stereotypes that guide how dark-skinned women are seen could be challenged and ultimately laid to rest.

“It starts in music, the entertainment industry but I don’t think it’ll end there. We have a lot more work to do.”

Guest Essayist: Tianna MañóNColorism in the music industry: how dark-skinned women can be pushed out