Race and Colorism in Education

Book excerpt: As one of the first scholarly books to focus on colorism in education, this volume considers how connections between race and color may influence school-based experiences. Chapter authors question how variations in skin tone, as well as related features such as hair texture and eye color, complicate perspectives on race and they demonstrate how colorism is a form of discrimination that affects educational stakeholders, especially students, families, and professionals, across P-16 institutions. This volume provides an outline of colorism's contemporary relevance within the United States and shares considerations for international dimensions that are linked to immigration, refugee populations, and Canada. By situating colorism in an educational context, this book offers suggestions for how educators may engage and confront this form of discrimination.