The term “high yellow” has a complex and controversial history related to skin color and racism in the United States. It refers to light-skinned African Americans who have a yellowish or reddish skin tone due to mixed European and African ancestry. The term originated in the 19th century during slavery and has evolved over time, taking on different connotations and associations. Examining the origins and evolution of the phrase can provide insight into colorism and discrimination within the African American community.
Origins in Slavery
The term “high yellow” has roots in the racial hierarchies and colorism that developed during the slavery era in the American South. Enslaved Africans with lighter complexions and more European facial features were often afforded better treatment and positions than those with darker skin and more African features.
| Skin Tone | Label | Social Position |
|---|---|---|
| Very dark skin | Negro or Black | Field laborer |
| Brown or copper skin | Mulatto | House servant |
| Very light or “yellow” skin | Quadroon or Octoroon | Personal attendant or mistress |
This hierarchy was established through the rape of enslaved African women by white slave owners and overseers, which produced children of mixed race. The lightness or darkness of a slave’s skin became associated with their status and level of privilege.
Those with lighter complexions became known as “mulattoes,” “quadroons” (one-quarter black ancestry), or “octoroons” (one-eighth black ancestry). At the top of the hierarchy were slaves described as “high yellow” – light enough to pass as white or nearly white.
Colorism Within the Black Community
After slavery ended, colorism and discrimination based on shade continued. The term “high yellow” was used within the black community in a way that often carried elitist or classist connotations.
Lighter-skinned African Americans tended to attain higher education levels and better paying jobs. Intermarriage between lighter and darker African Americans was discouraged, as lighter skin was seen as more desirable.
The skin color caste system even extended into social clubs, fraternities, sororities, and churches, where admission or leadership hierarchies often favored lighter skin. Colorism influenced standards of beauty as well, as lighter skin, straightened hair and Eurocentric features were considered more attractive.
The Black Power Movement
In the 1960s and 70s, the Black Power and Black Pride movements worked to reverse the narratives around skin tone within the black community. Darker skin and natural hairstyles became reclaimed as symbols of beauty and power.
Referring to someone as “high yellow” increasingly took on negative implications, suggesting they were bourgeois, snobbish or trying to separate themselves from their African roots and darker brothers and sisters. However, discrimination based on shade did not disappear entirely.
Contemporary Usage
While the term is not as common today, “high yellow” is still occasionally used to describe light-skinned black people, often in a derogatory way implying privilege or estrangement from black culture.
However, reclamation and redefining of such terms is also taking place. Some activists and commentators argue that instead of abolishing labels related to skin tone, there should be efforts to eradicate the hierarchy and prejudice attached to such labels.
From its origins out of slavery-era oppression, to contemporary debates over discrimination and reclamation, the complex history of the term “high yellow” provides insight into the issues of colorism and identity that remain relevant today.
Conclusion
In summary, the term “high yellow” originated during American slavery in the 19th century to describe light-skinned African Americans of mixed race ancestry. It was part of a color caste system where lighter skin indicated higher status. After emancipation, the term continued to carry elitist and classist connotations within the black community.
In the civil rights era, “high yellow” increasingly became an insult referring to bourgeois attitudes and separation from other African Americans. While not as widely used today, the phrase remains controversial and complex in its ability to both reflect and challenge historical colorism.
Examining the evolution of terms like “high yellow” sheds light on how issues of discrimination and identity play out across generations. By understanding this complex history, we can work to dismantle prejudices based on skin tone.