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Colorism reveals many shades of prejudice in Hollywood

5 years 2 months 1 week ago Wednesday, January 16 2019 Jan 16, 2019 January 16, 2019 9:43 AM January 16, 2019 in News - AP National

By TERRY TANG
Associated Press

The last year has been hailed as a breakthrough for representation in Hollywood with box office hits like "Black Panther" and "Crazy Rich Asians." And that has revived a frequently overlooked discussion about whether prejudice isn't just about the color of a person's skin, but the shade.

"Colorism," the idea that light-skinned minorities are given more privilege than their darker-skinned peers, is a centuries-old concept that many insiders say still pervades the entertainment industry.

It's a form of discrimination that is even the focus of Tuesday's episode of the ABC sitcom "black-ish."

The show's producers say they wanted to address colorism for several seasons.

With social media, conversations about skin color bias are frequent and immediate.

Movies, television shows and even the music industry have furthered the conversation.

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Online: https://abc.go.com/shows/blackish

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Follow Terry Tang on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ttangAP

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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