MSU professor Ronald E. Hall publishes groundbreaking book on colorism

August 26, 2024 - Brandon Drain

Michigan State University School of Social Work professor Ronald E. Hall, along with various international researchers, has published a new book titled The Routledge International Handbook of Colorism.  

Colorism is defined as "discrimination based on the color of a person’s skin," according to Hall and his co-authors. This first-of-its-kind book is a collective study from researchers around the world, detailing the various facets of how colorism has been woven into the cultural fabric of communities of color. The book also examines policymaking in the sphere of colorism internationally, providing thoughtful insights on discrimination in different contexts. 

The longtime, precedent-setting expert in the academic field of colorism sees this book as a positive step toward legitimizing and informing the public on the issue.  

"I am committed, as I have been throughout my career, to completely changing or redirecting social discourse pertaining to race, and replacing it with a focus on skin color," said Hall. "My long-term objective is to completely eliminate the concept of race from any level of discourse." 

Hall views race as a contrived concept without basis, one that serves only to polarize. In academic discourse, he argues that race is unquantifiable and suggests that melanin content should be the objective basis for labeling people of color. He proposes the use of a spectrometer — an instrument that measures the light reflected off skin and provides a numerical value for lightness or darkness — as a more objective and less polarizing method, given that skin color variation exists both across and within races. 

According to the authors, this book comprehensively highlights colorism and skin color bias, blurring national and international boundaries. Hall and his co-authors share a vision that eliminating race from civil and academic discourse will foster greater unity among people. 

The authors describe The Routledge International Handbook of Colorism as an essential reading for students and academics in psychology, social work, education, criminal justice, and other social sciences. They add that it will also interest those working in areas related to marginalization, human rights, diversity, and inclusion. 

The Routledge International Handbook of Colorism is available for purchase here.