COLORISM: THE POLITICS OF SKIN TONE | A Busboys and Poets Book Presentation
About this Event
The essential primer on colorism and how each of us has a role in dismantling skin tone bias.
Racism is easy to spot these days; we know its script, its favorite media tropes, its legislative tactics, and how it makes us feel. But there is another societal ill hiding in racism’s shadow: colorism. Colorism is a social hierarchy that favors people with lighter skin tones and stigmatizes people with darker skin tones. More than a debate on social media about who’s most attractive, colorism frays the fabric of our homes and communities and jeopardizes the lives and livelihoods of individuals most impacted.
In Colorism, Dr. Sarah L. Webb shows us how colorism goes unrecognized by most even as it contours our everyday lives. She leads us through cultural myths, client testimonies, and her own personal stories to demonstrate colorism’s global stronghold on communities of color and white communities alike. She dissects how dating and pop culture can be hotbeds of discrimination. And she lifts the veil on how colorism can determine our access to education, work, social services, and politics. Soulfully told and richly informative, Colorism rounds out with revisions we can all make to show up for one another. After all, bias may be based on what’s on the outside, but true healing starts from within.
Dr. Sarah L. Webb is joining us on the Busboys stage alongside Marita Golden to share how we move toward a world free from harmful stigma. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Dr. Webb will be signing following the program.
This event is free and open to all. Doors open to guests at 5:30 pm. Our program begins at 6:00 pm and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of COLORISM: THE POLITICS OF SKIN TONE AND HOW WE GET FREE will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is IN PERSON and will NOT be livestreamed.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books
Dr. Sarah L. Webb is the founder of Colorism Healing, a global platform providing education, resources, and events to address colorism. Dr. Sarah’s work has been featured on NPR, Fox, Forbes, TED, and MTV. She holds a doctorate from Louisiana State University and previously worked as a professor and corporate consultant. She lives in New York City.
Marita Golden is an award-winning author of over twenty works of fiction and nonfiction. Her most recent book is the memoir How to Become A Black Writer Creating and Honoring Black Stories That Matter.
She is the recipient of many awards, including the Writers for Writers Award presented by Barnes & Noble, an award from the Authors Guild, and the Fiction Award by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.
She is Co-founder and President Emerita of the Zora Neale Hurston/ Richard Wright Foundation. She taught at the University of Lagos, in Nigeria, and has served as a member of the faculties of the MFA Graduate Creative Writing Programs at George Mason University, Johns Hopkins University, and Virginia Commonwealth University, and as Writer in Residence at The University of the District of Columbia. As a literary consultant, she offers writing workshops, coaching, and manuscript evaluation services.
BOOK DETAILS
Colorism
The Politics of Skin Tone and How We Get Free
By Dr. Sarah L. Webb
July 07, 2026 | Paperback, 224 Pages, $18.99
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