Racial discrimination in the workplace is a violation of civil rights. Employers should not consider the race of a worker when choosing who to hire, promote or terminate. They also need to take appropriate actions if workers report a manager or teammate for harassment related to their race.
Companies should do away with policies that put certain workers at a disadvantage because of their race and should promote an equitable work environment. Frequently, racial discrimination involves people of different races. People may treat co-workers of different races inappropriately, or management may not offer all workers the same opportunities. However, colorism is a form of racial discrimination that may exist even within a workplace that primarily has employees from one racial background.
What is colorism?
Historically, people in various racial groups have given preferential treatment to lighter-skinned individuals. Colorism also exists within the African-American community, the Hispanic and Latino communities and different Asian cultures in the United States. Members of the same race and culture may treat people differently based on their skin tone.
People with darker complexions may receive worse treatment from others of the same racial and cultural background because their skin tone is darker. In some cases, workers with darker complexions may endure a hostile work environment because their coworkers treat them poorly because of their appearance. Other times, they may have fewer advancement opportunities than their lighter-skinned co-workers.
Recognizing that racial discrimination does not require people of different races can help workers fight back. No one should have to tolerate mistreatment on the basis of their race or their color in the workplace.