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Global Colorism in the Millennium: An Interview with Ronald E. Hall, Ph.D.

Ronald E. Hall, Ph.D.

Distinguished Scholar and the “Father of Colorism”

Friday, April 19, 2024

4:30-5:30 pm CST

Join Dr. Donnamaria Culbreth, Host of the Dimensions Podcast and distinguished scholar and the “father of colorism” Ronald E. Hall, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Social Work in the College of Social Science at Michigan State University for an interview and discussion on global colorism in the millennium. Topics will include colorism as a global issue, skin bleaching, physical and mental health, colorism in education, the workplace, and society, and the psychological, emotional, physical and social impact of colorism.  

Colorism involves distinctions based on skin color (light, medium or dark) and results in the favorable or unfavorable treatment of individuals based on the lightness or darkness of their skin color and can include other phenotypes. Colorism is complex because it occurs interracially, intraracially, consciously, unconsciously, intentionally and unintentionally.

Biography of Ronald E. Hall, Ph.D.

Before earning his doctorate, Ronald E. Hall enabled his professional career as a clinical social worker in the city of Detroit. His occupational role encompassed the practice of individual and group psychotherapy with schizophrenic and manic-depressive clients. Subsequent to numerous clinical observations, Dr. Hall advocated the notion of colorism, among people of color, as a critical dynamic relative to mental health. Having written his dissertation on colorism, Dr. Hall devised the "Bleaching Syndrome" to theoretically explain this social dynamic among people of color.

Dr. Hall’s colorism research comprises more than 300 (co)-authored publications, interviews, and presentations pertaining to the issue of colorism. Of note are commentaries on Justice Clarence Thomas and President Barack Obama via TIME magazine and Oprah Winfrey via The Color Complex. On January 19, 2015, Dr. Hall was featured in Bill Duke’s “Light Girls” hosted by the OWN. His notable book credits include The Color Complex(revised from 1992), which was published in 2013. In 2003, Dr. Hall won the Mellen Prize for Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship for publication of Skin Color as a Post-Colonial Issue Among Asian-Americans. His most recent book is titled Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Colorism: Beyond Black & White (July 2022). His forthcoming book is titled the Routledge International Handbook on Colorism: Bigotry Beyond Borders.

Dr. Hall has lectured on colorism both domestically and internationally, including by invitation Bates College (Lewiston, ME), Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA), Oxford University (Oxford, UK), U.S. Consulate (Mumbai, India) and return to the University of Faisalabad (Pakistan). As part of his worldwide research on colorism in May of 2015, Dr. Hall traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa to lecture and collect colorism data after which during the previous 14 years, he will have covered colorism per every major racial group on the planet. That includes Europeans, and a Native-American reservation in North Dakota. Among other international speaking events, also include Paramaribo, Suriname, where he was guest speaker for a medical convention convened to address skin color. Dr. Hall also lectured on skin color in India at the Jindal Global University in Delhi and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. He was then invited after return to the U.S. to speak in Washington D.C. by Congressman Bobby L. Rush on issues pertaining to skin color. In addition to the local, Dr. Hall was the lead presenter at the Global Perspectives on Colorism Conference hosted by the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Mo. Continuing his global trek, on November 20, 2021, Dr. Hall lectured by Zoom at the 2nd International Conference on Dermal Sciences: Psychosocial Impact of Colorism at the University of Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Most recently on February 25, 2022, Dr. Hall was requested by the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai, India to lecture at its conference titled: Is Colorism Only Skin Deep? Lastly, as posted by The Conversation academic website for American university professors. Dr. Hall has attracted over a million readers who follow his work.

Previously, Dr. Hall testified as an expert witness for the nation’s first African-American colorism litigation in Morrow v. IRS, Atlanta Federal District Court (1990). On select occasions since he has served as consultant for attorneys in need of colorism expertise. Two years following Morrow v. IRS he co-authored The Color Complex published in 1992 and revised for re-release in 2013. Subsequently The Color Complex maintains active book sales 30 years later in 2022. Book publications in total by Dr. Hall include 16 titles. Academic papers published by Dr. Hall existent around the world exceed 100 in total. He has designed a yet to be offered class on colorism at MSU and among its approximately 3,000 faculty/staff is ranked second most read on the Conversation website. Dr. Hall is confident about the global existence of colorism having collected both quantitative and qualitative data from humanity at-large.

In 2022, the Colorism Project, Inc. hosted the first virtual conference on colorism in the United States named after Dr. Hall in recognition of his distinguished scholarship in colorism. In addition, the Ronald E. Hall Research Colorism Research Scholarship was created in the same year and will award scholarships to graduate students pursuing colorism research at the second virtual Ronald E. Hall Conference on Colorism in August of 2024.

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Event: Ronald E. Hall Conference on Colorism

Dates:  August 22, 2024 and August 23, 2024

Website:  https://colorismconf.com/

The Call for Abstracts and Discussion Facilitators are open.

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Women’s History Month 2024

Event: Navigating Our Journeys

Dates: March 1, March 8, March 15, March 22, and March 29, 2024

Description

Navigating Our Journeys is a free month-long series of deep dive discussions, presentations, and workshops for women of color.

In recognition of Women’s History Month, the National Girls and Women of Color Council, Inc. (NGWCC) is hosting “Navigating Our Journeys,” a series of deep dive discussions, presentations, and workshops focusing on the personal, academic, career and entrepreneurship journeys of women of color and their psychological, emotional, physical, and social well-being, experiences, and needs. Each thought-provoking discussion, presentation, and workshop will focus on strategies, ideas, tips, and innovations to create opportunities and growth and wealth mindsets.  Networking sessions will be held every Friday for attendees to meet, form alliances and network. 

Sessions are held every Friday in March.

Website: https://navigatingourjourneys.com/

The event is free however registration is required.

Flyer is attached.

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Event:  Fireside Chat

Date:   February 23, 2024 at 7:00 pm EST

Registration:  Melanin Stratification

Name of Event: 

Melanin Stratification: The Impact of Colorism on Light-Skinned Members of Society.

Join the Colorism Project, Inc. for a Fireside Chat titled "Melanin Stratification: The Impact of Colorism on Light-Skinned Members of Society on Friday, February 23, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The event is hosted and produced by the Colorism Project, Inc.

Description

Colorism is a distinction based on skin tone which affords favorable or unfavorable treatment to members of society. Historically, darker skin tone members of society have experienced colorism at alarming rates and has been thoroughly documented in the literature. The literature and discussion on the occurrences and impact of colorism relative to light-skinned members of society has been limited.

“Melanin Stratification: The Impact of Colorism on Light-Skinned Members of Society” will be a thought-provoking fireside chat focusing on defining colorism, the impact of colorism on racial and ethnic groups, albinism, light skinned people of color and colorism, discrimination, belonging, exclusion and the psychological, emotional, physical, and social traumas of colorism that light-skinned people also experience (Culbreth), critical skin theory (Hall), and discussion of the most significant case law involving a light-skinned plaintiff who experienced colorism in the workplace (Walker vs. Secretary of the Treasury, IRS), and the EEOC and skin color discrimination. 

The Panel

Dr. Ronald E. Hall, the “father of colorism” is a professor in the School of Social Work in the College of Social Science at Michigan State University. Dr. Hall’s research spans years focusing on colorism and skin color in the United States and globally.

Dr. Neha Mishra is Associate Professor of Law & Associate Dean at Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, India.

Drs. Hall and Mishra are editors of the soon to be released Routledge International Handbook of Colorism, which offers analytical and experiential voices against colorism throughout different continents.   

Professor Krysten Long is a doctorate student whose research focuses on colorism and how people possessing light skin are affected by colorism.

Dr. Donnamaria Culbreth  (moderator) is the founder of the Colorism Project, Inc. the Colorism Institute, Inc., 501 (c) (3) non-profit organizations, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Colorism Studies (JOCS), founder of the Ronald E. Hall Conference on Colorism, and assistant professor at Metro State University.  Her recent publication with co-authors, Dr. Ronald E. Hall and Dr. Julie Jung focuses on colorism in the workplace and is titled “Race and Color in the Twenty-first Century Workplace” published in Understanding and Managing Diversity, 7th edition published by Pearson and released in January of this year.  Dr. Culbreth is also the author of “Colorism in the Workplace” which is included in the Routledge International Handbook of Colorism.

The event is free, and registration is required.

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It's my 1 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳

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Book Review for The School for Good Mothers

The School for Good Mothers  by Jessamine Chan is a dystopic novel that brings surveillance and biopolitics (the control of the health and well-being of residents and populations) into the world of parenting.  The book starts slow (for a reason, so you can, as a reader, sense the apprehension and feeling of a long wait). The book has a way of slowing time down and speeding it up with its writing tempo. It also takes you to a different U.S. where parents are watched and reported for parenting “mistakes.” The topic of racism also deftly floods the dystopic moment so a reader must grapple with the many layers of oppression (sexism, racism, classism), especially  when the reader is already deep into the novel.  There are also surprises that keeps one reading and that add futuristic sci-fi elements. Don’t give up on the book once you start. The book also would work well as texts for Social Work, Human Services, and Ethnic and Gender Studies courses.

Chan, J. (2022). The school for good mothers. Scribner.

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New Exhibit (including Ryan Singer, artist)