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Through a careful blend of humor and education, Kenya Barris\u2019s sitcom Black-ish<\/i> has been praised for stirring up important conversations within the African-American community. Now in its fifth season, the series opened up about colorism in the latest episode, \u201cBlack Like Us \u201d\u2013 and viewers can\u2019t stop talking about it. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Written by Peter Saji, \u201cBlack Like Us\u201d began as it typically does for the Johnson family. As Dre and Bow prepare breakfast on a weekday morning, they are shocked to find that Diane was not properly lit in her class photo. This prompts one of Dre\u2019s teaching moments, where he dives into the history of colorism for viewers at home. He points out how TIME magazine edited OJ Simpson\u2019s complexion to appear darker in order to make him seem more \u201cvillainous,\u201d and educated viewers on the Brown Paper Bag Test, where African-Americans would even discriminate against their own kind (and still do) if one\u2019s shade was darker than that of a paper bag. Dre informs us how colorism is still very prevalent outside of the Black population, particularly in Asian, Indian, and Latino communities. Hence, it is a topic that needs to be addressed globally, and Black-ish<\/i> writers are using their platform to initiate a discussion, despite how uncomfortable it may be.<\/strong><\/p>\n After a heated call with the school\u2019s principal, Bow and Dre discuss how to appropriately handle this sensitive topic, each parent having an opposite approach. And when Junior points out the Johnson family\u2019s own issues with complexion, this opened the door for a serious conversation that is both tense and necessary. <\/strong><\/p>\n Based on his perceived negative treatment as a light-skinned person within the family, Junior accuses them of being colorists, especially Dre. \u201cSometimes the light-skinned people in this family get treated badly,\u201d said Junior, which sparks a stormy debate between Ruby and Bow about light-skinned privilege. Ruby, who compares the struggles of light-skinned persons to those of rich people, argues that only people with darker complexions have problems in this society. And while she makes valid points about Hollywood\u2019s favoritism towards people of color with lighter skin tones, in recent years, there has been far more diversity in Hollywood than ever before \u2013 though there is still immense work to be done.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI did not choose to be born with fairer skin,\u201d Bow expresses, which is the exact reason why racism, colorism, and discrimination should cease to exist. Since we did not choose to be a particular race or shade, it is absurd to judge, belittle, or express favoritism over a physical quality that does not define us as human beings. Through conversations that start at home, we can break these toxic cycles of judgment based on skin complexion. <\/strong><\/p>\n In one of the more heartbreaking moments of the episode, Diane speaks up about what it is like to live in her skin. \u201cNo one in this family is as dark as me,\u201d she states firmly. She questions why her family is so afraid to discuss skin tone, and asks why people bleach their skin if all shades of Black are as beautiful as Bow claims. Diane then provides everyday examples of what it feels like as a dark-skinned woman, such as how she is ignorantly referred to as \u201cgorgeous for a dark-skinned girl.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Later, Ruby revealed her traumatic past, which admittedly has caused her own biases against light-skinned people today. Her fair skinned family was ashamed of Ruby\u2019s darker skin, and shunned her for it as a child. \u201cI had to play by myself in the back so my dark skin and my nappy hair couldn\u2019t embarrass my light skinned family,\u201d she said tearfully. \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In the end, the Johnson family was able to openly acknowledge their own faults and grow from their previous insensitivities about colorism, which serves as an important lesson for us all. \u00a0While Peter Saji and the co-showrunner Kenny Smith successfully opened up the door to discussing colorism, they confessed to The Root<\/a> that it was difficult to tackle such a heavy and layered topic in the limited amount of time given. <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOur own personal conversations about colorism came up,\u201d Smith said, recalling the experience in the writer\u2019s room. \u201cPeople talked about how it hurt them or made them feel stronger as a Black person. What we want is for the whole community\u2014and people who aren\u2019t in the community, such as [non-Black] Latinos and Asians\u2014to start having these conversations with themselves and the community [through] seeing themselves in this episode.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n Black-ish<\/i> airs every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, and stars Andre Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Marsai Martin, Jenifer Lewis, Marcus Scribner, and Miles Brown. Watch a clip from the poignant episode below:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/marsaitracee.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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