‘Lovecraft Country,’ Colorism, and Dark-Skinned Erasure
After an extra was painted dark brown, we have questions
When Lovecraft Country premiered last year, I remember how enthusiastic I was. Given that we had just spent an entire summer living in a pandemic, a sci-fi TV show centering Black history, ancestry, and magic was the perfect distraction from my increased time in isolation.
Despite knowing that H.P Lovecraft was a deeply unwell practitioner of anti-Blackness, I had high hopes for the show, particularly because it was from Misha Green, a well-known director known for prioritizing the telling of Black stories. I was prepared for moments of horror. What I wasn’t prepared for but should’ve expected, as it is Hollywood’s undying issue, was the blatant colorism on display in the show.
Colorism is defined as prejudice or discrimination especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin. When most people see the words prejudice and discrimination, there is an assumption that’s it’s always explicit, that it begins and ends with a single seeable action or sentiment. In actuality, colorism shows up in ways that are often overlooked. In Lovecraft Country, colorism first showed up when the brown-skinned male lead actor was romantically paired with a light-skinned…
