Buddhism & Colorism

In the Chaḷabhijātisutta the Buddha declares the six classes by birth and explains them as following:

(1) Now here, Ānanda, there is a certain person, existing in a dark class by birth, reborn into a dark state.

(2) Now here, Ānanda, there is a certain person, existing in a dark class by birth, reborn into a bright state.

(3) Now here, Ānanda, there is a certain person, existing in a dark class by birth, reborn into what is neither dark nor bright, which is nirvana.

(4) Now here, Ānanda, there is a certain person, existing in a bright class by birth, reborn into a dark state.

(5) Now here, Ānanda, there is a certain person, existing in a bright class by birth, reborn into a bright state.

(6) Now here, Ānanda, there is a certain person, existing in a bright class by birth, reborn into what is neither dark nor bright, which is nirvana.

Now, the interesting thing is how the Buddha describes the appearance of someone from the dark class:

"And he is of *poor complexion [swarthy]*, ugly, deformed [dwarfish], with much illness, purblind, deformed (in either arm or both), lame (in either or both legs), or paralyzed [quadriplegic]."

Translated by Piya Tan

So, the Buddha apparently had a negative association with dark skin, similar to the ancient society in which he lived.