Shades of Stress: Colorism as Minority Stress for Women of Color

Women of color often endure indignities shaped by colorism and skin tone discrimination, pressuring them to adhere to racialized beauty ideals (i.e., lighter skin). In response, some women of color may internalize these standards (i.e., through internalized coping and racial self-hatred) which can foster psychological distress. Yet, these associations remain underexplored. Using minority stress theory, in our cross-sectional study we collected online survey data to examine whether internalization and racial self-hatred explained the indirect link between colorist microaggressions and psychological distress among 121 women of color at a Midwestern US historically white institution. Using path analysis, we found support for our hypothesized model. Darker skin complexion was positively associated with greater exposure to colorist microaggressions; experiences with colorist microaggressions were positively related to racial self-hatred and internalization, which in turn were associated with psychological distress. Furthermore, skin tone was indirectly associated with psychological distress through exposure to colorist microaggressions, racial self-hatred, and internalization. Our model demonstrated good fit, indicating that among women of color with darker skin tones, exposure to colorist microaggressions was associated with greater racial self-hatred and increased use of internalization to cope with discrimination, which in turn was indirectly related to heightened psychological distress. Increased attention to societal colorism is necessary to curate strategies, policies, and programs that affirm racial identity and skin tone for women of color.