A team of Tulane University researchers has launched a study to better understand how children are affected by skin and hair-type discrimination as they develop into adulthood.
Researchers from the Tulane School of Social Work and the Department of Psychology in the Tulane School of Science and Engineering are conducting an anonymous online survey asking adults to recall childhood experiences of acceptance or rejection based on their skin tone and hair type.
Marva Lewis, an associate professor of social work and the principal investigator of the study, said that while colorism and hair-type discrimination are pervasive and widely depicted in the media, little research has been done on the socioemotional impact of such experiences on children.