150 Years of U.S. Skin Tone Inequality

The study of racial inequality in economics has primarily focused on comparisons between Black and White populations. While these insights are valuable, they overlook disparities within racial groups, particularly those due to skin tone differences. Doctoral student in economics Kamelia Stavreva will examine how skin tone influences economic outcomes within racial groups over time. She will analyze data from several sources including World War II Draft Registration Cards (1940-1946), data on new depositors to the Freedman’s Savings Bank (1865-1874), records from the U.S. Customs Services on European immigrants entering the U.S. between 1890-1920, and the U.S. Census.