Positive Attitudes yet Insufficient Action to Promote Equality Among Lighter and Darker Skinned Black Americans

• In Event: Time, Skin, and Class: Emerging Constructs in Human Development

Abstract

The “principle-policy gap” is a conceptual framework for understanding consistent empirical evidence that residents of the United States express more support for the general idea of racial equality than for specific policies to reduce racial inequality (Tuch & Hughes, 2011). In other words, research finds a disconnect between individuals’ reported endorsement of racially egalitarian ideals and their support for political, legal, and organizational anti-racist interventions. The objective of this presentation is to introduce the audience to the concept of the principle-policy gap and to offer empirical evidence of the principle-policy gap in relation to colorism toward Black Americans.

Prior research has demonstrated that the principle-policy gap has persisted across decades, widening shortly before and following the 2016 U.S. presidential election (Joseph & Brickell, 2024). A new principle-policy gap has been identified among individuals who are willing to share spaces with people of color but do not support specific actions to increase people of color’s equitable access to opportunity, often due to cross-cutting attitudes regarding perceived undermining of meritocracy and fairness (Williams, & Cox, 2022; Smith & Mayorga-Gallo, 2017). Although early research focused on the principle-policy gap among Whites, research has begun to consider its potential among other groups, including persons identifying as Black and Hispanic (Rajasekar, Stewart, & Hartmann, 2024).

This presentation extends this conceptual framework to the study of colorism, differential treatment of same-race individuals by skin color, asking whether a skin-color-related principle-policy gap exists. The authors intentionally used a survey method approach modeled from prior research on racism, such that the results will demonstrate the degree to which a principle-policy gap exists toward lighter and darker skinned individuals. In the online survey, adult, U.S.-based respondents who identified as Black, White, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino were presented with a series of photographs depicting darker and lighter skinned individuals, all of whom identified as Black. The respondents were asked to rate their level of disagreement/agreement with a series of statements proposing that: a) dark and light skinned Blacks have differing social experiences, b) various reasons for such differing social experiences, c) dark and light skinned Blacks should be treated the same, and d) various strategies for addressing any inequalities between light and dark skinned Blacks. The series of questions were repeated across four social contexts: policing, health, employment, and housing.

The scholarly significance of the study is providing new insight into the public’s belief about the salience of colorism in everyday life, including whether the principle-policy gap extends beyond racism to colorism. Once completed, the results will illuminate the work needed to go beyond individuals’ stated desires for equal treatment of those with lighter and darker skin to increasing support for actions that can achieve such equality. Our work adds to recognition of the complex and often contradictory discourses around race and color (Hughey, 2022) and the need for increased attention to strategies that lead to specific policy change (Veselý, 2024).

Authors

• Danny Lambouths, Rush University

• Mariya Khan, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Johanna Nunez, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Amelia Branigan, University of Maryland

• Rachel A. Gordon, Northern Illinois University