diff --git a/doc/conf.py b/doc/conf.py
index 1fec5f632d4e..fba30148a133 100644
--- a/doc/conf.py
+++ b/doc/conf.py
@@ -134,7 +134,6 @@ def _parse_skip_subdirs_file():
     'sphinxext.mock_gui_toolkits',
     'sphinxext.rcparams',
     'sphinxext.redirect_from',
-    'sphinxext.skip_deprecated',
     'sphinx_copybutton',
     'sphinx_design',
     'sphinx_tags',
diff --git a/doc/sphinxext/skip_deprecated.py b/doc/sphinxext/skip_deprecated.py
deleted file mode 100644
index d4ef795e9ab1..000000000000
--- a/doc/sphinxext/skip_deprecated.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-# Skip deprecated members
-
-
-def skip_deprecated(app, what, name, obj, skip, options):
-    if skip:
-        return skip
-    skipped = {"matplotlib.colors": ["ColorConverter", "hex2color", "rgb2hex"]}
-    skip_list = skipped.get(getattr(obj, "__module__", None))
-    if skip_list is not None:
-        return getattr(obj, "__name__", None) in skip_list
-
-
-def setup(app):
-    app.connect('autodoc-skip-member', skip_deprecated)
-
-    metadata = {'parallel_read_safe': True, 'parallel_write_safe': True}
-    return metadata
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/colors.py b/lib/matplotlib/colors.py
index 23db1031ffef..b04b8c6ca7a3 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/colors.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/colors.py
@@ -579,10 +579,10 @@ def to_hex(c, keep_alpha=False):
 ### Backwards-compatible color-conversion API
 
 
-cnames = CSS4_COLORS
-hexColorPattern = re.compile(r"\A#[a-fA-F0-9]{6}\Z")
-rgb2hex = to_hex
-hex2color = to_rgb
+cnames = CSS4_COLORS  #: :meta private:
+hexColorPattern = re.compile(r"\A#[a-fA-F0-9]{6}\Z")  #: :meta private:
+rgb2hex = to_hex  #: :meta private:
+hex2color = to_rgb  #: :meta private:
 
 
 class ColorConverter:
@@ -590,6 +590,8 @@ class ColorConverter:
     A class only kept for backwards compatibility.
 
     Its functionality is entirely provided by module-level functions.
+
+    :meta private:
     """
     colors = _colors_full_map
     cache = _colors_full_map.cache