Shades of Privilege: The Relationship between Skin Color & Politics for Whites

• In Event: Prejudice and Intolerance: New Models and Measures

Abstract

The growing size of the non-White and multiracial populations in the U.S. has heightened the salience of White racial identity, and a sense that Whites’ social status and resources are no longer secure. At the same time, the growing size of these populations has also renewed attention to skin color-based stratification and the potential blurring of racial boundaries. Here, we consider whether Whites’ with darker skin are particularly motivated to protect the boundaries of Whiteness due to the loss of status they would face from blurring racial boundaries. Consistent with growing evidence of the importance of Whites’ skin color, we demonstrate that darker-skinned Whites—measured via a light-reflectance spectrophotometer—identify more strongly with their White racial identity and are more likely to hold conservative political views on racialized issues than lighter-skinned Whites. Together, these findings offer new insights into the evolving meaning of race and color in American politics.

Author

• Nicole Yadon, Ohio State University