Violet Colored Girl from the Colored People Series

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In this series, Weems examines prejudice in white society and African-American communities. “Colored” is one of the negative terms white people have used to belittle blacks while refusing to recognize them as individuals; “golden yella,” “red bone,” and “violet” are terms African-Americans have used to describe other blacks. By “coloring” the photographs of her young subjects with brightly hued tones, Weems emphasizes how inadequately “black” describes a multi-colored and diverse race. At the same time, she addresses the situation in African-American society where light-skinned blacks are often perceived as receiving preferential treatment over those with darker, or more “African” skin.

Keywords

Portrait
Gelatin Silver
Girl
Photography
Text in art
African American
American