Protecting Our Own: Why We Can’t Grant a "Hall Pass" for Colorism
- W4TC
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
An opinion piece by Brittany Delk
I met comedian and actress Sheryl Underwood in August 2019 on a ship during the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Florida. A crowd was forming around her for photos. I walked over and asked for one; she looked at me and said, “Come on, sweetie.” I smiled, thanked her, and scurried back to my friends as we geeked over our photos with the legendary comedian.
That is often what comes to mind when I think of Sheryl Underwood... warmth, presence, and a woman who has earned her place. So, when I sat down to watch the Roast of Kevin Hart on Mother’s Day, I wasn’t worried about her. She’s a veteran in this comedy game; I knew she would "stand on business." And she did.
What bothered me wasn’t Sheryl. It was the room.
Watching white men dogpile on her skin color on a live Netflix stage (in front of millions) while fellow Black men, some dark-skinned themselves, chuckled along, sent a message that had nothing to do with comedy. It signaled to anyone watching that these antics are acceptable. After all, look who’s laughing on stage.
This is the quiet machinery of complicity. When laughter comes from within a community, it licenses harm from outside it. The roast format gives everyone cover, but the audience doesn't forget what they were given permission to find funny.
On Threads and X, I saw many Black women expressing their discomfort. Many noticed that while Regina Hall was largely spared, Sheryl Underwood, Lizzo, and Chelsea Handler were treated as "comedic gold" for the male roasters.
As a dark-skinned Black woman, colorist jokes have never sat right with me... especially when they come from us. I remember hearing conversations at an HBCU where dark-skinned women recounted men telling them they were “pretty for a dark-skinned girl,” as if their beauty required an asterisk.
Do I expect things to change? Not quickly. But I do expect moments like this to keep the conversation alive... about colorism in the Black community, the "hall pass" we sometimes hand to non-Black people, and what it costs us when we do.
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