The Politics of Skin Tone

“In an American society eager to become post-racial, Yadon shines a spotlight on an unspoken truth but hidden reality for many: skin tone matters. Yadon delivers a powerful and convincing political story of how one’s blackness shapes their lived experiences. The book is rich in its theoretical development, encompassing in its empirical execution, and profound in its significance for American society. It will be read, debated, and lauded for years to come.” -- Daniel Q. Gillion | author of ""The Loud Minority: Why Protests Matter in American Democracy"" “The Politics of Skin Tone offers an exploration into the role of skin color on African American life chances and politics, marked by Yadon's ingenuity in gathering multiple data sources together in a multi-method approach.” -- Natalie Masuoka | coauthor of ""The Politics of Belonging: Race, Public Opinion and Immigration"" “The Politics of Skin Tone is undoubtedly the most compelling, comprehensive, and theoretically rich examination of the relationship between skin tone and politics among African Americans. This groundbreaking work explores the important role colorism plays in shaping both intracategory dynamics among African Americans and politics among African Americans more broadly. Yadon convincingly shows that, contrary to other prior research, the importance of skin tone for African Americans' identity is not declining but growing in significance across generations.” -- Ellis Monk | Harvard University