Colorism is a word that isn't in the dictionary and will often appear as "misspelled" when typing it. In 1983, Alice Walker wrote about colorismin her book "In Search of our Mothers Gardens" and defined it as "prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their color.”
Let's break it down....
European colonialism created white supremacy and racist ideology, which led to a structure of domination that privileged whiteness over blackness.
Skin color was used as a justification for the enslavement and oppression of Africans. It developed a social hierarchy.
The desire to rise out of this lower position ultimately caused internalized divisions among African Americans.
Miscegenation, the mixing of different racial groups (commonly through the sexual exploitation of black female slaves by white male slave owners) resulted in a large number of mixed race individuals with both African and European ancestry.
Terminology was also developed to distinguish various levels of African ancestry. The terms mulatto, quadroon and octoroon were used to identify a black person with one-half, one-fourth and one-eighth of African ancestry, respectively
By having partial white heritage in your blood, lighter complexion slaves had more economic value and caused them to be views as smarter and higher up in society to dark skinned blacks.
To prevent any confusion in regard to racial classification and to prohibit blacks with white ancestry from gaining the same legal status as full-blooded whites, the rule of hypo-descent, or the "one-drop rule" was mandated. According to the “one-drop rule," even the smallest amount of African ancestry (or a drop of African blood) legally defined a person as black.
Colorism created an internalized structure of hierarchy and division within the black community, as lighter-skinned blacks began to set themselves apart.
Separatist standards began to appear in the early 20th century, such as the brown paper bag, comb, pencil, and flashlight tests began to be implemented. Also, exclusionary social clubs and societies were developed to create color divisions within black America that would shape socially constructed ideas about skin color.
In other terms, It's an issue that wreaks havoc among African-American, Asian, Indian and Latin American communities. Although it happens around the world, it is most recognized in the African American community due to the roots of the issue.