Not Just Black and White: Evidence of Colorism in Philadelphia’s Traffic Stops

Previous studies have documented how certain racial groups are often targeted for pretextual traffic stops. Strong statistical evidence of this selective policing can be obtained using the award-winning veil-of-darkness test. In its original formulation, the test indicates bias when stops made with daylight visibility have a significantly greater proportion of Black or Latino motorists than stops made when the driver’s phenotype is obscured by nightfall. Despite the centrality of skin color observation from a distance in the veil-of-darkness method, existing research has not examined whether intra-racial variation in complexion matters. This is an important omission considering that skin tones vary substantially within the Black and Latino populations and that race and color constitute overlapping but distinct legally protected statuses under the 14th Amendment. Shifting the veil-of-darkness approach from a between-category to a within-category emphasis, this research note utilizes data for Philadelphia (N>50,000) to investigate whether darker-complexioned Black and Latino drivers are more likely to be stopped than their lighter-complexioned counterparts. We find consistent evidence of bias against those perceived to have dark skin. Implications for the expanded use of the veil-of-darkness test for police accountability are discussed.