Someone recently sent me a viral reel of a Black man explaining why he quit therapy: His therapist had never heard of colorism. He shared that his relationship with his darker-skinned brother had been strained because the world treated them differently. The therapist looked confused and asked, “Wait, there’s a preference for color?” In that moment, the client made a decision. He stood up, ended the session, and said, “I need to leave. You don’t know anything about Black people. How is it that I am paying you, and yet I am teaching you?” He never went back, illustrating yet another way in which racial disparities in mental health care are created. As a licensed clinical psychologist, I understand exactly why he walked out. His therapist was not just unfamiliar with a cultural concept. She was unfamiliar with a fundamental system of bias that shapes life chances, including educational and occupational outcomes, identity development, relationships, and health—including mental health—for millions of people around the world. Colorism is a global skin tone stratification system that systematically …