Colorism: The Spectrum of Internalized Bias analyzes the phenomenon of appearance-based discrimination within the same racial or ethnic groups through contemporary media including photography, installation, animation, video and performance art.

This exhibition aims to compile artists' responses to this form of implicit bias as an educational tool towards combating intra-racial prejudice. Questioning the very basis of modern-day racial categorizations, this exhibition reveals how colorism can be a component of inherited self-hatred and pursuit of unattainable beauty standards, as well as prejudice against those of non-white and hybrid ancestries.

Influenced by her continued research on the impact of colorism, curator D.E. Stenvoll-Wells explores how colorism contributes to tensions between minority groups, which prevents the unity required to combat divisive rhetoric. Colorism: The Spectrum of Internalized Bias aims to unpack the consequences of racial constructs to envision a future free of bias and cultural hierarchies and move towards a hybrid future.

As part of this exhibition’s public programming and facilitated by Wells, Root Division will partner with academic institutions including the University of San Francisco and additional East Bay community arts programs.

The open call for artists will be announced in December 2018.

Colorism: The Spectrum of Internalized Bias is free, open to the public, and includes a Creative Station - all ages art activities hosted in our classroom during the 2nd Saturday opening reception.