The Politics of Skin Color: African Americans' Skin Tone & Political Views

• In Event: Intragroup Differences and Identity among Latinos and Black Americans

Abstract

A body of evidence across the social sciences demonstrates that heterogeneity in skin color is linked to significant differences in life experiences within and across racial groups. Yet relatively little scholarly attention has been paid to studying skin tone from a political perspective. I theorize that skin color will be related to both African Americans' political views and political identities. I test these expectations using a mixed-methods approach, combining multiple national surveys alongside 100 in-depth interviews with African Americans. The findings highlight that skin tone is associated with African Americans’ political attitudes on issues where skin tone is salient — e.g., issues related to income, jobs, and policing. Moreover, I find that skin tone identity is meaningful to a sizable number of African Americans. This work not only offers important implications for scholars and policymakers alike, but also has implications extending across racial groups. 

Author

• Nicole Yadon, Ohio State University