This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
On the day after her historic win in 2014, Nina Davuluri, the first Indian-American Miss America, was shocked to read an Indian newspaper headline that said: 'Is Miss America too dark to be Miss India?' This incident sparked a long-standing crusade against colorism, a form of racism that perpetuates the notion that lighter skin is better.
Ms. Davuluri has been working on a documentary since 2018 to explore the root causes of colorism and its impact on people's lives. She believes that companies that produce skin-whitening products are preying on these archaic notions and paying celebrities millions of dollars to advertise for them.
She recently created a petition calling on Procter & Gamble, Unilever, L'Oréal, and Johnson & Johnson to stop making skin-whitening products and to create inclusive products instead. Ms. Davuluri emphasized the need for accountability, saying, 'You have to have accountability to recognize that you can't just say this in one part of the world — it really has to be a holistic standpoint from your entire company.'
Colorism has long been a problem in India, where matrimonial ads often include skin-tone options like 'fair,' 'dusky,' and 'wheatish.' The practice has been perpetuated by companies like Shaadi.com, which recently came under fire for its 'skin tone' filter. After a user discovered the filter, the company initially defended it, saying it was providing a service that many parents wanted. However, the backlash was swift, and the company eventually took down the filter.
Ms. Davuluri is hopeful that recent changes will lead to a more inclusive society. 'Things are getting better,' she said. 'Ending these creams, stopping the advertisements, and just not referring to people based on these kinds of things is going to go a long way.'
