Colorism Across Global Lines: Focus Study in Ghana

(3 Credits)

Around the globe, hierarchies exist on a color continuum, with lighter skin toned individuals receiving preferential treatment. Why does colorism persist as a global phenomenon? We explore colorism's historical roots and examine its pervasive impact across cultures and societies. We consider implications of skin color and its intersections with structural and systemic discrimination. Students explore colorism’s nuanced operations and intersectionality with racism, classism, and global white hegemony through detailed case studies from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the United States, and the Caribbean. Based in Accra, Ghana, students will engage directly with communities, merchants, and scholars to better understand colorism's manifestations in a specific cultural context. They will integrate academic study with field experience covering a broad spectrum of colorism's implications, from its entrenchment in colonial legacies to its influence on contemporary beauty standards, educational opportunities, job markets, and familial structures. This is an away course taking place at NYU Accra.