Most claims of workplace racism involve people from different backgrounds and cultures clashing in a professional environment. Sometimes, claims stem from institutional racism, which involves company policies that have a disparate impact on people of a specific race or culture.
Other times, racial discrimination may take the form of harassment in the workplace or wrongful termination. Even those who may work at a company largely staffed or run by people from the same culture or race do not have total protection from racism in the workplace. They are still at risk of colorism, which is a common form of discrimination.
What is colorism?
Colorism is essentially discrimination based on skin tone and other visual racial characteristics, often within one racial group. Hair curl patterns, eye color and even the shape of the eyes or other facial features can contribute to colorism among people from the same race. They may identify certain traits as more desirable and mistreat those who do not align with their preferences.
In scenarios where one person or one group faces exclusion, a loss of workplace opportunities or mistreatment because of their unique racial characteristics or their skin tone, what they experienced may constitute colorism and therefore actionable workplace racism. It is possible to bring a discrimination lawsuit even in scenarios where the owner of a company or a direct supervisor belongs to the same race as the worker alleging discrimination.
Reviewing workplace dynamics and allegations of misconduct with a lawyer can help people recognize and effectively respond to colorism. Legal action is sometimes the only viable solution for addressing racial discrimination in a professional setting.