Racism Within Race: The Colours that Divide Us

By: Fredlyne Evbuomwan

Narrated by: Caitlin Chavez-Moats

In a world where we are increasingly interconnected, the divisions that persist within humanity remain a paradox. Racism, the deeply rooted belief in the superiority of one group over another, has often been viewed as something that separates different races. But what happens when these divisions are not simply between races, but within them? How do we make sense of prejudice, hatred, and discrimination that arise not from the colour of one's skin alone, but from shades and nuances that exist within the same racial group?

In Racism Within Race: The Colours That Divide Us, I invite you to explore an often overlooked aspect of human prejudice: the biases, discrimination, and hierarchies that exist within racial and ethnic communities. This book delves into the complexities of colourism, caste systems, and ethnic divisions that fracture communities from within, and it explores how these forces shape our identities, our relationships, and our societies.

Growing up, I witnessed firsthand how skin tone, socioeconomic status, and cultural nuances can become powerful tools of exclusion, even among those who share the same heritage. As an African, I have seen how colonial history has left a painful legacy of division not just between nations but within communities and families. From the fair-skinned African who is treated differently than their darker-skinned sibling, to the communities in South Asia divided by caste despite shared ethnicity, and the generational trauma of colourism across the African Diaspora, these internal divisions reveal a darker side of humanity’s tendency to classify and judge.

The roots of racism within race are not only psychological but systemic, perpetuated by societal structures, cultural norms, and historical legacies that favour certain traits over others. The results can be devastating: from broken families and fractured communities to the erosion of self-worth for those deemed "less than" by standards that are arbitrary, Fredlyne Evbuomwan

©2024 Fredlyne Evbuomwan (P)2025 Fredlyne Evbuomwan