Episode 12: The blacker the berry...is colorism still a thing?

Episode 12: Is Colorism still a thing or are we post-colorism? Well, the release of Beyonce's song "Brown Skin Girl" brought colorism to the surface again. It's always been there and has been almost like a dirty little family secret, but when that song came out it was on full display for all to see. Colorism is the perceived preferential treatment of lighter skinned Blacks based on their closeness to whiteness. Join Dr. Stephanie and Dr. Kimberly Moffitt who is an expert on this topic as they discuss this topic and how it can be a challenge to creating sustained, healthy sisterhood. As usual, we won't just expose the problems but also how we can overcome and continue to strengthen our sisterhood. Kimberly R. Moffitt (Ph.D., Howard University) is currently serving as interim dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at UMBC. Before assuming this role, she was director of the Language, Literacy and Culture doctoral program and a professor of communication/media studies, as well as affiliate professor of Africana Studies. A media critic whose research focuses on mediated representations of marginalized groups as well as the politicized nature of Black hair and the body, Dr. Moffitt has published several articles and book chapters, as well as five co-edited volumes, including Michelle Obama and the FLOTUS Effect: Platform, Presence, and Agency (Lexington Books, 2019), Gladiators in Suits: Race, Gender, and the Politics of Representation in Scandal (Syracuse University Press, 2019), Blackberries and Redbones: Critical Articulations of Black Hair and Body Politics in Africana Communities (Hampton Press, 2010), The Obama Effect: Multidisciplinary Renderings of the 2008 Campaign (SUNY Press, 2010) and The 1980s: A Transitional Decade? (Lexington Books, 2011). Her latest work explores the black body in Disney programming and the impact of colorism on Black teens. Dr. Moffitt often writes op-ed articles for the Baltimore Sun and is a frequent guest on local public radio, television, and Internet broadcasting programs. She is a member of the public service sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the secretary of the board of the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), and the founding parent and former board member of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys Charter School, a 4th-8th college preparatory school. www.blackhairsyllabus.com Twitter: @MediaTzarina www.stephaniebrowncoaching.com