November 23, 2020 | by Talé Mitchell

It was an honor to be invited to present my research on whitewashing and the racialization of the skin tones of African Americans in print marketing communications at the biannual Race in the Marketplace Forum in Paris, France. It was refreshing to see familiar faces and make new connections with likeminded scholars. Subsequently, I was privileged to be invited to submit a journal aricle, CRT and colorism: A Manifestation of Whitewashing in Marketing Communications? to the Journal of Marketing Management.

My article explores colorism in print marketing communications through the lens of critical race theory’s cosmetic colorblindness. There is a long history of colorism: interracial and intraracial racism based on skin tone, dating as far back as slavery. Historically, to be acceptable, one could not be darker than a brown paper bag (Kerr 2006).

I argue that there is a connection between colorism and the representation of Black people in marketing communication, specifically Black women. Further, this connection may promote whitewashing: the deliberate practice of lightening the skin tones of Black women models.

The ideology of colorism is still prominent within Black culture and amongst American society. However, today it is often expressed in the form of colorblindness, subtly, and oftentimes indirectly. This expression gives the impression that racism and discrimination based on the shade of one’s skin tone no longer exist.

 The concept of colorblindness further mutes any opportunities for discussion on the systemic practice, with the belief that if it does not exist, it should not be discussed. When there is an opportunity for discourse on racism or colorism, systemic racism is not acknowledged. For example, when a brand's advertisement is exposed because of racism (e.g., Dove, H&M, and Nivea), their immediate response is that it was not intentional or that they "missed the mark."

These responses support the concept of cosmetic colorblindness; in other words, if the brands do not admit it, then they feel like the accusation should not be acknowledged nor should there be a discussion about the institutionalization of racism, which asserts that racist actions do not require intentionality.

Using the brown paper bag as a marker, I conducted a visual content analysis of the skin tones of Black women in four prominent magazines. The results supported the claim that colorism exists in the selections of Black models.

Over the years, there have been several accusations of whitewashing in print media (e.g., Loreal of Beyoncé; Elle Magazine of Gabby Sidibe; Instyle Magazine of Kerry Washington).* Although my results do not directly confirm the practice of whitewashing, there is a strong indication that this tactic may be employed as a manifestation of colorism.

 This study echoes the urgent call for diversity in the marketing communication industry. There are suggestions on opportunities for inclusion, education on colorism, racism, white privilege from a psychological point of view, development of strategies to combat the ideology of colorism, and an urgent call for the representation of Black women with various skin tones.

Additionally, I make a significant contribution to methodology by using the Pantone color system to determine skin tones. Further, I use the brown paper bag as a marker of “acceptable” skin tone representing the standards of beauty and promoting privilege based on skin tones.

This study contributes to the discussion of racism in the marketplace through the lens of  critical race theory. As a result, it further introduces the marketing discipline to the discourse of critical race theory and brings attention to the consequences of colorism in the marketplace.

•  Read the full article: link.

Talé Mitchell, PhD is an assistant professor of Advertising at James Madison University. She holds a Ph.D. in Media Communications & Advertising Strategy from the University of Illinois, Institute of Communication Research, Champaign-Urbana. Her research interest meets at the intersection of consumer behavior and media influence in the marketplace; traditional and digital. Her focus is on 1) consumer behavior and marketing strategy as it relates to advertising and social influence, 2) branded entertainment as it relates to consumer behavior, persuasion, effectiveness, and emotions, and 3) media influence through marketing communications and race.

References

Kerr, A.E. (2006). The Paper Bag Principle: Class, Colorism, and Rumor in the Case of Black Washington DC. University of Tennessee Press.