One of the most important themes in the novel that is woven throughout almost every storyline is the harmful and long-term effects of colorism. Colorism is a form of discrimination based on skin tone that typically occurs amongst people in the same ethnic or racial group.

The characters in the novel have internalized beliefs about colorism that have been passed down from generation to generation, eventually leading to Genesis. Grandma’s father’s “family tradition” of “marrying up,” or keeping their lineage as light skinned as possible, has led to generations of emotional trauma, affecting Grandma, Genesis’s parents, and Genesis. Grandma claims it isn’t “luck” that light-skinned people are more successful than dark-skinned people. Genesis’s outraged dismissal of that claim highlights that Grandma has internalized her father’s colorism so much that she talks about his beliefs as if they are facts. She says to Genesis, “It’s just…look around. Who’s getting arrested? Who gets the worst jobs? Don’t you see, honey? My papa didn’t make the rules; he just understood them” (153).

Both Genesis’s mom and dad’s families passed down harmful stereotypes to them that they may not consciously recognize, but Genesis does. Genesis thinks to herself while Mama is doing her

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now