2 chapters across the catalog
The one-drop rule, a legal principle from the Jim Crow era, dictated that any person with even one drop of African blood was classified as black. Originally encoded in Virginia law in 1924 to deter interracial relationships, the rule was intended to maintain a clear distinction between white and black populations. Ironically, the black community later adopted this inclusive standard to embrace all shades of blackness within a single identity.
Iyanla Vanzant and other guests on Oprah discuss the psychological toll of colorism on both dark-skinned and light-skinned women. While dark-skinned women often feel inferior, light-skinned women report being bullied and ostracized by their peers. In Hollywood, skin tone affects casting, where light-skinned actors are often cast as sex symbols while darker-skinned actors are relegated to motherly or authoritative roles.
