School Daze: A Case Study for Colorism

6 minutes read time

Overview

Over 35 years have passed since Spike Lee’s 1988 film, School Daze, was released. It remains a marvel of the black community for its bold depiction of social issues on the campus of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). While decades have passed, many of the questions raised and points made from the movie still influence culture today. The crux of the film examined how many societal issues such as black identity, hair politics, political activism, class divisions, colorism, and more continue to divide the community. 

Discrimination based on skin tone, or colorism, has been an issue within many different communities of people. It’s so ingrained into societal fibers that many find it hard to recognize and understand their inherent biases. Ultimately, this practice leads to more harm within the black community than good. 

The final line of the film has Lawrence Fishburne’s character, Dap, breaking the fourth wall to tell the audience, “Please, wake up”. 

So, have we woken up? Unfortunately, I think we’ve been pushing the snooze button for the last 35 years and counting. 

Historical Context

In reality, it’s been more than 35 years of colorism running rampant within the community. It’s actually been over 400 years. The division caused by colorism dates back to the times of slavery. 

Team Dark skin versus Team Light skin

Jigaboo versus Wannabe 

Field Slave versus House Slave

The time and context may change but the sentiment behind these words never does. House slaves were often enslaved people of lighter complexions. Slave owners often fathered lighter-skinned slaves through sexual violence with female slaves, which created a population of lighter-skinned Black people. They would be given roles such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. These jobs put them in closer contact with white slave owners. In contrast, darker-skinned enslaved people were assigned to physically demanding outdoor work like planting, tending, and harvesting crops. While both groups still held the status of slave whether “house” or “field” was in front of it, this clear distinction would begin deep-rooted divides. 

“The tactic of using skin tone was meant to divide us as a people and to keep us weak, but after slavery, we still kept dividing except this time by our own hands”

(Colorism/Color-Struck: House Slave vs. Field Slave Mentality). 

Intra-Community Colorism

The influence of white European beauty standards has had a grip on the perceptions of communities of color for centuries. Even when the structures of enslavement were removed, these beauty ideals didn’t vanish. An example of this can be seen in the Americo-Liberian people. In the early 19th century, The American Colonization Society (ACS) was created to promote the resettling of free black people in West Africa (mainly Liberia). The populations taken to West Africa included free black people and fair-skinned, mixed people. In 1822, when this group from America arrived, there were already pre existing “native” Liberians there. Despite the Americo-Liberians only making up less than 3% of the population, they upheld white European racism and many of them became the ‘‘innately socio-political beings’ to the indigenous people’s savagery” (On Racialized Citizenship: The History of Black colonialism in Liberia). 

From the very beginning of the formation of Black American culture, we were exposed to the influences of colorism. Centuries later, a film like School Daze captures the daily, common experiences of black people and colorism is still a huge dividing factor. 

Lee has many different instances of colorism appear throughout the film. Through the character of Dap, despite his activism and advocacy for Black rights, he is confronted by his own girlfriend Rachel about his potential bias towards darker-skinned women. She questions whether his love for her stems solely from her being one of the “darkest sistas” on campus, forcing Dap to confront his own internalized colorism. This subplot demonstrates how even those who are conscious of racial issues can still harbor prejudices based on skin tone.

The film addresses colorism at an institutional level through the character of the college president. In an interview Spike Lee shared that the real-life president of Morehouse College objected to the casting of Joe Seneca as the fictional college president, stating that he looked “too much like a sambo” and was too dark-skinned. This incident, which led to the production being moved to Morris Brown College, underscores how deeply ingrained colorism can be, even among black leaders in the community.  

“No matter what kind of Black you are, in the end you’re still n****.” (Jay-Z)

Hair Texture Bias

There is a rich relationship between black women and their hair. I have so many memories of sitting between my mother’s knees as she did my hair and going to the hair salon for my regularly scheduled appointments. Hair is a strong symbol of pride and identity. The acceptance of black hairstyles in society is an ongoing dispute within the community and externally as well. There is always an emphasis on being “put together”. Your hair has to be well-groomed, your “kitchen” detangled, your edges slicked, and sometimes, our protective hairstyles aren’t even seen as professional. Research has shown that Black women with textured hair are “twice as likely to experience microaggressions at work compared to those with straighter hair, and they are nearly twice as likely to feel pressured to wear their hair straight for job interviews”. Today, we also see an increase in discrimination based on hair texture. Hair types with looser curl patterns such as 3A, 3B, and 3C have increasingly been seen as more socially acceptable than Type 4 hair. 

One of the most prominent examples of colorism in the film is the conflict between the light-skinned and dark-skinned female students. This tension is embodied in Jane, who is light-skinned with straightened hair, and Rachel, who is dark-skinned with natural hair. The two groups engage in a musical number that showcases their animosity, with Jane’s group being accused of aspiring to be white, while Rachel’s group faces ethnic slurs in return.

Talking bout good and bad hair
Whether you’re dark or you’re fair
So you can go on and swear
See if I care good and bad hair…

Jane’s opening lines in the song are “Don’t you wish you had hair like this/ Then the boys would give you a kiss” which points to an even broader discussion about preference and standards within the community. This scene vividly illustrates how colorism can create divisions and hostility within the Black community.

We as a community need to take seriously the dangers of colorism so that we can better defend and represent one another.