The Color Complex (Revised): The Politics of Skin Color in a New Millennium

A provocative exploration of how Western standards of beauty are influencing cultures across the globe and impacting personal, professional, romantic and familial relationships. Processes like skin lightening in India, hair smoothing in Black America, eyelid reconstruction in China, and plastic surgery worldwide continue to rise in popularity for men and women facing discrimination from both within and outside of their own increasingly fluid ethnic groups. Now including a wealth of new information since the first edition of The Color Complex over two decades ago, the authors, through a historical and sociological lens, have measured the impact of recent pop culture events effecting race relations to determine whether colorism has gotten better or worse over time.

A courageous, humane, and provocative examination  of how differences in color and features among  African Americans have played and continue to play a  role in their professional lives, friendships,  romances, and families.

Kathy Russell is Vice President of Sales for Omar Supplies Inc and lives in Plainfield, Illinois with her husband, photographer James M. Cole. Midge Wilson is an associate dean and professor who holds a joint appointment in psychology and women’s and gender studies at DePaul University, also in Chicago. Ronald E. Hall is a social work professor at Michigan State University.