The erasure of Black Women in Hollywood

[@darasaurusss]

i really appreciate this video as a darkskin black girl myself. black girls specifically darkskin and brownskin ones, deserve their own representation without relying on the one drop rule.

[@itsbeyondme5560]

One drop rule is gone .

[@ntuthukomdluli-pd9jv]

Most ppl dont care ,just accept it

[@darasaurusss]

@@ntuthukomdluli-pd9jv but i do though? im not going to accept crumbs of representation from people who do not look like me or have the same experiences i do just because there is an agenda being pushed 🤷🏽‍♀️ settling for less is what im not going to do.

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

Tubi, BET & Nollywood is right here.

[@itsbeyondme5560]

@hitsugayatoshiro3331 yes. If we value our black women more, they society will accept us.

[@TonyPratt-pw3yt]

An example of this is how storm is always portrayed by a biracial actress yet she is supposed to be a full black African woman.

[@jbland7737]

This👏👏👏

[@Utada379]

Storm is African (mother l) and African American(father) but yes, the point remains.

[@hild-demongoddess7498]

The hatred for black women is scary.

[@Leno323]

@@TonyPratt-pw3yt why does it matter when she’s a fictional character to begin with? Way more important issues for us to focus on in the Black community than an X-men character.

[@TonyPratt-pw3yt]

@@Leno323 The video is about the erasure of black women in “Hollywood” and Hollywood is about movies and storm is a movie or comic character which is why am talking about her and point still stands it’s a perfect example of how there using biracial people to play full black characters when there not.

[@Starbbz]

I’m always looking for a black rom com with a black girl (like me) and a black male. No guns, no violence, no hood, just plain old funny romantic antics. That’s why I’ve been watching girlfriends and I really enjoy it because of the drama and comedy it gives me

[@cmarie2310]

Try watching Issa Rae’s “Insecure!”

[@Therealsoso10]

You should watch Rye Lane

[@qetsiyah1766]

I know you mean TV, but you can find this a lot in books. Honestly, I prefer reading over watching TV nowadays because books have a lot of diverse & interesting stories.

[@melsutubeification]

The Photograph is a wonderful romantic film!

[@jasminepearls1047]

Yeah the hood selling drugs things is getting annoying. I liked Power but he Power Book II and The Chi it's just too much and not all the cursing either.

[@nigerianprincess777]

zendaya actually forced disney to make the entire family black. but yes i agree with everything you're saying

[@mic187x2]

Tammy Townsend a biracial woman played her mother. Part of this was due Kadeem Hardison fetishization of biracial women.

[@crossbearer6453]

But for the Aaliya biopic she wanted to play her despite Aaliya being a full black women with light skin Zendaya is not perfect

[@Nescience-0]

@@crossbearer6453 There is no such thing as a "full black" person with light skin. Two people who IDENTIFY as black may produce a lightskinned child, but that is only possible if they have significant ancestry from elsewhere. Sub-Saharan Africans are naturally dark skinned people - when light skin appears (other than as a result of albinism or some othr anomaly), it is the result of mixing with fairer-skinned people. Aaliyah had that mixing in her family history, and it was passed down to her, which is why she is fair despite having two parents who identify as black. Same goes for Beyonce and many other fairer skinned black people in the USA.

[@prolificwonder7382]

Black people in America. Need to inform themselves of the history of the term they cling to. And furthermore educate themselves on the differences through the diaspora.

[@KyKyy333]

That’s sad

[@ZHXNEL]

That’s why I loved ‘Everybody Hates Chris’. Their casting was beautiful. The mom or the daughter wasn’t biracial

[@jbland7737]

True

[@rejanrobinson8797]

The Bernie Mac show too. That was the last network show where the family actually looked black. RIP Bernie.

[@LOVELYLONDONGURL]

Chris Rock himslf said he had to fight for the woman who would play his mum to be black, they wanted to cast a biracial woman. He said that since it's supposed to be about his real life, they had to cast a black woman. Imagine that!

[@felinechanel]

It’s the same thing in the show Lincoln Heights and the movie Crooklyn. These are all perfect examples of what a typical African American family looks like. Not saying there isn’t anyone with lighter skin or looser curls, but most black families don’t look like that, it’s just a fact

[@EphraimBlack-f5x]

@@rejanrobinson8797 Family Matters did a good job too. And Cosby show. At first I thought Sondra and Denise kinda stood out. But the Cosby show did a good job casting the grandparents. Claire’s dad was dark skinned but her mom was light skinned with a short Afro. Cliff’s mom was a caramel color while his dad was more the shade of short bread cookies.

[@traumaqueeen]

The misogynoir we face is really hard to deal with. As women our value is based on our appearance, what happens if society deems you as unattractive, your entire self worth comes into question. We also then face misogynoir in the black community as well. Do unnambigous dark skin black women have a safe space?

[@g3neve]

I hear you. I's so frustrating. It's like you can only win if you have some proximity to whiteness/non-Blackness

[@icegod4767]

You gotta blame sexy redd for that

[@SharonIfe]

@@icegod4767what a strange answer. How long has sexxyred (or however her name is spelled) been known? Can we now say that every violence that black men face is because of Kodak Black? Think

[@Lisette121]

​@@icegod4767this existed long before her. And you need to realize she is pushed for a reason.

[@Lisette121]

That's the whole point. If they don't show bw/gurlz' on tv in a good light, it opens the door for being seen and treated negatvly'.

[@LooksByNaheemah]

The best example of this recently is the casting of Jaz Sinclair in Gen V. Her character is supposed to be fully black and has 2 dark skin parents yet her and her sister in the show are lighter skin biracial girls. Like why?

[@halimaayomide6873]

I honestly thought the actress was fully Black until I looked her up. I was a bit disappointed because I was initially happy that they casted a fully Black actress in the main lead role not knowing she was biracial. I love her though.

[@L30N758]

​@@halimaayomide6873 So if you only had a problem AFTER you looked up her parents did that change her acting for you? If Both her parent were Black but she was very light-skinned with type 1B hair would you still be happy because your problem is she doesn't have two Black parents? Or what about Black people that can White-pass, they have two Black parents would it be okay for them to audition for Black roles?

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

Except it is possible for two darker skinned parents to have lighter skinned children. You only need look at the actress Storm Reid, both of her parents are darker skinned than she is. The reality is that most Black Americans are of mixed ancestry as every genetic study shows. Most African Americans have an average of 20% white European ancestry.

[@halimaayomide6873]

@@L30N758 It didn’t change anything; why should it? I was just a bit disappointed. If anything, I love both the actress and the character. I had initially assumed she was monoracial. I’m sure you know Hollywood usually casts biracial actors in roles meant for Black actors and is notorious for its misogynoir. In many shows, the desirable Black woman is often portrayed by a mixed-race actress. Only a few directors and shows have challenged this narrative. That’s why I was so pleased when I thought she was monoracial.

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

@@halimaayomide6873 What’s the problem if she’s biracial but looks monoracial? Race is about phenotype, if she looks exactly like a BW, then she’s a good rep for BW.

[@kim-sj5ol]

I actually commend Zendaya. She's acknowledged that she is privileged because she is of a lighter skin tone and has more European features. Disney chose Zendaya to play a black girl because of the issues listed in this video. However Zendaya was able to pick up on the issue and decided to become a producer so that she could get an all black cast. She also wanted to oversee the writing because a lot of people don't know how to write black people especially women. They wanted to name KC Katie and she's like...well it wasn't that much of a black name. They were gonna white wash the whole series. Maybe if more actors would try taking the initiative like Zendaya (which may be hard in Hollyweird) we'd have more representation. But the privileged just take it and run with it.

[@YogaWDía]

Rich people do the same thing. Everyone has some type of privilege believe it or not

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

@@YogaWDía "Everyone has some type of privilege believe it or not"? Not the flex you think it is. You can't tell a starving person that she has privilege when she's moment's away from death.

[@YogaWDía]

@@ScoobySnacksYum um clearly a starving person doesn’t have privilege. It’s sad how how ignorant people are on the internet.

[@Shaolin91z]

😆 starving Thanks Lord for bible study class Thanks Lord for your salvation and peace. Thanks Lord for Zendaya ☺️

[@Des17S]

​@@YogaWDíayou said that everyone has privilege. That is the what they're saying. So it's not literally everyone.

[@ndeyedembele1273]

Tyla is also used to become the representation of African female singers. Not somebody like Tems who is absolutely talented, original and gorgeous.

[@raphaelsimmons4309]

She isn't used lol just more visibility bcz she's found to be universally attractive

[@mysticwolf46]

I don't see any issue with that since Tyla is African. Now it would be an issue if she was the sole representative of South Africa.

[@HoneyChild-8]

Why do Africans support

[@Ozem_Israel]

It is apparent to anyone with eyes that tyla needs to get out of that industry before they chew her ahh up and spit her out. It's sad. When you see her get separated from that friend she travels with, you know it's a wrap.

[@Leno323]

@@ndeyedembele1273 well Tyla is actually African. Doesn’t get anymore Black centric than that.

[@goat7844]

Sister Sister are biracial twins. Girlfriends had Biracial black women too.

[@Lisette121]

That is true but there were more balance then

[@isysslepore72]

True but back then we had a lot of variety of BW unlike now

[@Shaolin91z]

Raven Simone 🤗 Thanks Lord for bible study class Thanks Lord for your peace

[@Kimmy_95]

Girlfriends for EG still had a balance..... 2 biracials with slightly different phenotypes & 2 FULL BLACK women also with different phenotypes.......With SISTER SISTER, they acknowledged that they are BIRACIAL in an episode where they spoke about the parents they never knew. There was also a BALANCE with the rest of the supporting cast members.

[@Cynful033]

@@Kimmy_95And they were adopted. We weren’t expected to believe they were just light skinned.

[@franslam7398]

I just hate how black women are masculinized and you never really get to see one wearing a dress. I remember when the last James Bond movie came out, it had Ana de Armas and Lashana Lynch. Ana got to wear a dress and be glamourous, Lashana on the other hand was in trousers. In The 355, with a multi-ethnic female cast, there was a black-tie event scene. All the women got to wear a dress, when it came to Lupita, she was in trousers.

[@tamarameakes2014]

You can’t tell me that shit isn’t intentional and I wish the black women in Hollywood would stand up against that.

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

There’s plenty of DSBW actresses in dresses. You’re clearly cherry picking a few odd cases.

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

Also, masculine DSBW exists. They deserve to be represented too.

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

Lashana Lynch's character was depicted as beautiful and glamorous. But more importantly, she was the new 007! That meant that she was mostly in action scenes. How do you not understand how transformational that was for the James Bond franchise that a dark-skinned Black woman had taken on the mantle long associated with white male power. You're also ignoring Naomie Harris also starred in the same film.

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

@@hitsugayatoshiro3331 True. And Lashana Lynch was not even masculine in the film. She was a spy who was also an ace pilot, etc. I don't understand how people can ignore the incredible significance that a dark-skinned Black woman was the new 007, a role that was for decades associated with white male power.

[@flamelily8486]

They did the same thing in The Sun Is Also Star. The characters are meant to be fully black and fully Korean, but they have two biracial leads. So disappointing when POC romance novels are hard to find.

[@MsDesiree39]

Then write your own stuff. Simple as that. Create your own

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

It was also a flop. I think that’s more the problem with POC romance than hating on biracials.

[@flamelily8486]

@@hitsugayatoshiro3331 I didn't say anything about hating biracial people.

[@flamelily8486]

@@MsDesiree39 There's a reason why being an author is a profession. Not everyone is good enough to be a writer and have their writings published. Please don't belittle authors. I do read whatever POC romance stories I can find. I'm a black African woman and an avid romance novel reader. It's nice to have POC romance novels that are not just POC X white partners or two white partners.

[@anom3897]

I loved that movie! I think they were just going with actors who are somewhat wellknown.

[@EphraimBlack-f5x]

I think Tyla’s racial identity has been blown up WAY bigger than it should. She is South African. That country has its OWN definition of race. Tyla falls under the “coloured” category. What’s so hard to understand? That’s why I think it’s important to make CLEAR distinctions between Black Americans and the rest of the Black world. Acknowledging those differences can make us more respectful.

[@sonderexpeditions]

I agree but I think it's more of black Americans prefer supporting black people so if someone enters their spaces as a non black identity they don't want to elevate them.

[@HoneyChild-8]

Tell me how that’s beneficial to SA people? Are SA people more comfortable being black, because biracial people are not?

[@Nethanda]

It hasn't. At all. She was marketing herself to mainly black spaces. Which is why everyone wanted to know just how she identified.

[@HoneyChild-8]

@@Nethanda where is a black space?

[@cressapellom4205]

@@Nethandawhat black spaces? The girl was on TikTok (every race of people are on that app) and then her water dance blew up. That’s it.

[@natassiac.7051]

U.S. Black culture is plagued by the one-drop rule. The fact that we call Biracial girlies "Black" and NEVER White or "mixed White" is ludicrous and telling. White people would never personally claim people like Zendaya, but for Black folk, she's our saving grace.

[@jtt1371]

💯

[@cremepuffle]

I am biracial and can tell you black people are fifty fifty on calling us either black or white. Most of them see us as white women only if we are light enough. One drop rule is definitely falling out of fashion.

[@desmondherron552]

Agreed

[@walteralexander689]

Obvious immigrant babble.

[@grizzlyalmighty2]

@walteralexander689 bc the one drop rule is a PAINFULLY american thing, yup glad we all agree on that :)

[@JanetCousins-to3hz]

Black male producers etc are among the main perpetrators of this unfortunate colourist bias in film and music

[@raphaelsimmons4309]

What lol white men run most of hollywood

[@raphaelsimmons4309]

Statiscally impossible

[@LawrinMaxwellsmpc500]

That's bogus af...

[@raphaelsimmons4309]

@@LawrinMaxwellsmpc500 Like do they really think blk male producers outnumber the white ones. White men run hollywoodm

[@Tyda777]

That's why the 1st Aunt Viv and Uncle Phil was an amazing representation

[@ravinj8625]

But the daughter's they used were biracial. But the first aunt Viv was the greatest. Her personality was fierce!

[@AdeleKakwandi]

She was incredible. Much better than the actress that they recast

[@hmm-zoolol]

​@@AdeleKakwandi Both ladies were great.😊

[@hmm-zoolol]

​@Gokuthegreatest1999 Will apologized to her because he was being a jerk.

[@AfricanMaverick]

Uncle Phil is lightskin and probably has european paternal haplogroup. So basically, you think it's amazing to see a couple of a light-skinned black man (with euro ydna) and a dark-skinned black woman (with afro mtdna). Interesting... Continue to think like this and see if the black population has a future.

[@jessjessjess222]

Hollywood definitely has this level of “acceptable” blackness in tv and film. Especially if it is for a lead or a romantic interest. They don’t seem to have too much trouble finding black women with dark skin and black features for movies about oppression or placing them in roles of submission though. Black women almost never get to be portrayed in real everyday life situations like their white or white-passing/ambiguous counterparts in the mainstream media.

[@Lisette121]

Facts, jumping the Broom, love don't cost a thing, ATL, coming to amerca, the list goes on.

[@grizzlyalmighty2]

sorry not trying to speak over this issue but the exact wording also perfectly sums up the experience of indigenous women in media bc the ONE time one of us ever won an oscar it was some ish about suffering bc of the white man's borders or whatever i didn't see it (also the two "latinas" this entire century, selena gomez and alexa demie, have one fully white parent, they're as white as possible...)

[@a.h.i267]

Why is hollywood going backwards. Even in reruns of animated shows like Magic Schoolbus- the two black characters turned into lightskins in the new adaptation. It’s like they’re trying to get rid of us

[@Letrasse]

I bet you don’t have a problem with the new fresh prince of bel air on peacock though and it don’t even have the same vibe anymore.

[@angelr5694]

Pardon!?

[@littlewings2482]

They did the whole cast dirty giving them stereotypical eurocentric features especially miss Frizzle like what is that? Turning her into a young generic woman with an upturned nose? It's so twisted how in an era that is supposedly all about celebrating diversity people want nothing more but cookie cutter beauty standards that are so rigid they make the 90s and the 00s blush 🙄🙄

[@freeinghumanitynow]

It's called social engineering and yes, the powers that be are trying to get rid of dark skin. Lighter skin is preferred among the elite.

[@shimmer4771]

​@@littlewings2482 sadly, DEI programs are ending. AL got rid of all theirs. GA is next.

[@loveinlilac]

This whole conversation is why I need everyone to give Ayo Edebiri her THINGS. She's been WORKING, receiving awards, being talented, beautiful, and even got custom designer fits in her arsenal, yet she hasn't gotten nearly the same amount of exposure. Might I add, it's not only Zendaya's features but her body type that makes her "ideal" not only as an actress but as a "fashion girl," which is why she was able to get more eyes on her. Yet when dark skin actresses pull stunning/innovative fashion looks, it has a moment for all of two seconds. This is really no shade since Zendaya seems chill, but her acting ability (to me) does not warrant THIS much attention. Halle Berry at least had real deal acting chops. And at the time, Halle Berry came up with a slew of monoracial/biracial black actresses. It wasn't just her representing. But with Zendaya, it's really giving erasure, and that sucks.

[@Willow-cw9te]

I agree!!!🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 she is so talented. I’m talking about the thing with Ayo, not the Zendaya thing tho. I actually think Zendaya is a very good actress, her acting in Euphoria and Dune speaks for itself. But I do agree that colorism in Hollywood is unfair.

[@jman1562001]

Imo colorism in Hollywood won't change until a multi talented dark skinned actress is in a lead role outside of Hollywood. It may have to happen in the streaming space tho.

[@cygnetlake8017]

The sad thing is there is only one Ayo right now when there should be at least 7 (I’m lowballing). And it seems she has a good team and connections which is something lots of black actresses could only dream about and never get

[@jman1562001]

@@cygnetlake8017 KZbin seems to be the wave where the new black stars will probably come from. And I don't expect all of them to try and break ground in Hollywood. Issa came from youtube and found out quick how shows can get canceled. Even streaming platforms shut down whole seasons when the show ain't getting traction. But I think online folk and content creators independently will be the wave. And the ones who make a big impact will probably be outside of Hollywood.

[@laurenj6802]

​@@jman1562001 this is a lot of hope when I don't see that happening. It's very Hollywood is trying to erase black characters. Especially black women and I think people are gonna be okay with that. Cause black people are already not supportive as it is and then you have white people who claim everything is woke whenever they see a black person so...

[@VincentScales]

Zendaya Coleman has called out Hollywood's beauty standards. It's not the first time Zendaya has spoken about a lack of diversity on-screen.

[@moonlightauras1]

And yet, she keeps playing into it. She called it out once or twice, but continues to use those problematic standards to boost her own career, she does it more now than she ever has before. So, all that talk was just performative.

[@HoneyChild-8]

Why do black women want to be in Hollywood

[@sarasilviabarreto8316]

​@@moonlightauras1agreed

[@thinking6572]

⁠@@moonlightauras1I disagree. Can you think of a single time in recent years she has played the role of a character who should be dark skinned?

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

@@moonlightauras1 It’s funny how you keep trying to alienate the few allies that you have and think that’s a smart idea somehow.

[@triwii9365]

It's so nasty how they go on and on about diversity and the only black actresses they know are mostly biracials and Ayo Edebiri meanwhile every year we have to hear about how a mediocre or ordinary white actor or actress with little or no box office profit is the next big thing lol.

[@MsDesiree39]

You're thes going on about diversity. No matter how diverse Disney makes uts movies they still flop cause diversity dont mean shit. A good story does.

[@triwii9365]

@@MsDesiree39 huh?

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

You realize that American is majority white, right?

[@triwii9365]

@hitsugayatoshiro3331 obviously but that doesn't mean there should be few black actresses.

[@VesperJester]

I thinks it’s even nastier when Black Americans fought so hard to represented on Hollywood only to be replaced by Africans and Caribbeans more so than mixed Black ppl.

[@keeshab1173]

Aja Naomi King, Megan Good, Gabrielle Union, Sanaa Lathan, Regina Hall, Tikka Sumpter, Coco Jones. Lupita. I like to see these beautiful black women (Dark & Light skin) in movies representing and giving feminine black woman energy ❤

[@CC-pu6qn]

I’m a light skinned black woman and I’m angered by dark skinned black men constantly being cast next to light skinned black women. It’s actually a methodical slow erasure from society with all black women. I had a very dark skinned BM question why I dated white men, which I can. I’d say I fit into a biracial-ish look, hence possibly attracting more non-black suitors. I then asked him why doesn’t he date dark skinned black women. He said, “We don’t look right together.” The self-hatred, yet being disturbed his preference myself as a light skinned BW didn’t want him with his mindset. As a light skinned BW this hurts that my dark skinned black sisters are treated this way, even though discrimination may not happen to me at the same magnitude because of my look and phenotype, it doesn’t affect me too. I get self conscious if I ran because I know that will impact my treatment and worthiness in society.

[@roseredremix]

He likes who he likes. You like who you like. Are you erasing black men for choosing the white suitor instead? Brown skinned black women come in many varieties and are beautiful. They keep being born as well so obviously dark brown people are attracted to each other.

[@CC-pu6qn]

@@roseredremix You missed the point. It’s clear you have a lack of insight to respond to me, maybe respond to those that are on your educational level? Nothing I said sounded like I gave a crap you pick-me. Get your bitter demon energy away.

[@Leno323]

@@CC-pu6qn You’re the one who sounds like a miserable pick me. Get over yourself you arrogant joke.

[@so.many.obstacles]

@@CC-pu6qnI didn’t read past their first few words. Some people are determined to be obtuse.

[@TexanforHarrisWalz]

@@roseredremixShe said he wasn’t interested in brown or dark skin women. He said they don’t look right together. He wanted a light skinned woman.

[@racheluk87]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, for those black people who like saying "they're not mixed/biracial, their black!" this is what you get. If you're not willing to prioritize true blackness this is what is going to happen.

[@Lemoncakelover678]

Excluding mixed people from their own identity isn't gonna dismantle the racist system

[@EtherealSolana]

Thank you! People are so dumb

[@alishamertelus1340]

Exactly, but they refused to acknowledge that.

[@winifredeghrudje9427]

Yup I reflected on this as growing up I knew zendaya was mixed but assumed she should be called a black women

[@xeathenia8539]

“True blackness” stop gate keeping other people’s identity 🤡

[@brendacook5103]

I noticed that light skin Black men with yellow 🟡 or pale ⚪️ skin tones are also invisible in Hollywood movies and other media. Only Black men with 🟤 or ⚫️ skin tones are visible in movies and other media. So you are right. Black women with 🟤 or ⚫️ skin tones are considered too “masculine” and Black men with 🟡 or ⚪️ skin tones are considered too feminine. I receive dozens of catalogs every year. When couples of Black people are shown, the man is 🟤⚫️ and the woman is 🟡⚪️. Sometimes the woman shown with a Black man is White, Indian or Asian.

[@adamblack6867]

Really . What about ice tea shemar moor vin diesel. Will smith etc .

[@toomuchinformation]

I think LSBM are more likely to be considered for romantic leads with White (often non US) female leads.

[@AfricanMaverick]

The reverse is also no better. We live in a Men's world so this is why it happens. Black men with yellow 🟡or pale ⚪skin tones tend to have euro y-dna so its better to be vigilante. Historically the Men was on the sun working all they off and females where in the kitchen doing their stuff, so the Men come dark 🟤⚫and women fair.

[@cygnetlake8017]

All the obtuse Zendaya Stans in the comments are making my head hurt 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@jbland7737]

Lol mine too😂😂😂

[@ricaard6959]

As a Namibian, I find the term "biracial black" to be self-contradictory. Biracial people over here are seen as only biracial or Coloured, and stop me if I'm wrong, but I wonder if Black people in America allowing "biracial" people to be black is part of why this is happening. I don't know why but for some reason the only people who aren't allowed to gatekeep are Black people, this same phenomenon happens here as well. If you search anything on Namibia, you'll either see the Himba tribe (who are already less than a 1% of the population) or White Namibians, but not the black people who are 88% of the population... I don't want to offend anyone, but IMO this is happening because we black people do not gatekeep and we don't defend our identity as other groups of people do.

[@C_And_P]

Yup. Black Americans allowing anyone to be black is the issue. A full white woman was able to claim black and even be a spokeswomen for Black people until they found out she was fully white.

[@cyberpunkalphamale]

Black women tried to claim any pretty woman with a drop of Black as "Black" so they could feel included in the marketing. They did it to themselves. Many older youtubers have commented on that trend for almost 15 years and predicted exactly what was going to and did happen.

[@laylah150]

​@cyberpunkalphamale stop blaming black women when it is the entire black community's fault. Why is Obama (a biracial man) considered "The First Black President"?

[@Lisette121]

Bp didn't start the 1 drop rule, also ppl mxd with blk are still called just blk by wp. There is no coloureds' category in the u.s, so mxd ppl are automatically lumped with bp. But non bp do see the difference and use it accordingly,hence the b girl erasure.

[@cyberpunkalphamale]

@@Lisette121 look at Joy Reid and Amber Rose recently. That is what I am talking about.

[@tooflessmusic]

This problem is in every form of media. I was hired to make a commercial for a restaurant so I used the employee I found the most beautiful, she was a darksin woman with long beautiful locs. But after showing the finished product to the owner, they requested I reshoot the commercial with one of the lightskin mixed employees because it was "a better look"

[@nigerianprincess777]

White people definitely see and care about how black someone is thats why they didnt mind zendaya playing the little mermaid but were racist to halle for playing the role. especially since halle has locs

[@FunkayJunk]

Exactly! I remember this too, I was baffled when people were suggesting Zendaya when Halle was clearly the more qualified of the two bc she’s a better singer. And when that was happening the conversation shifted to “see, colorism doesn’t exist since they’re both light and people still have their preference regardless” it’s like this hidden bias that people have inside of them, where both are viewed as black but they all unknowingly still preferred the biracial girl over the black girl despite both having light complexions.

[@jbland7737]

This is very interesting info. So Zendaya who is biracial would have been seen as acceptable to play Ariel. But not Halle who is clearly more qualified. People are such clowns lol. Oh well Halle was still phenomenal in the Little Mermaid, so who cares what the haters think.

[@kittensmitten3287]

Biracial black makes as much sense as saying biracial white. Oh wait, y'all never say biracial white. Please stop saying biracial black. Thanks

[@chubbybunny3778]

Like?? Wth is a "biracial black?"😭

[@Joyride37]

I think it’s a product of our language historically treating white as the default in the US. I think the intention is that it acknowledges they’re going to be seen predominantly going to be seen as black in the US, but they’re light skinned and mixed and probably have a white parent. So it’s acknowledging that too. But like you said, biracial white sounds weird. I can also see an argument that the term could other them from the black community as not “fully black” and thus not fully belonging. But then they’re too dark to be considered white either. But also dark skinned black women and dark skinned people of other ethnicities as well may (potentially, some individuals may not have this experience) face more systemic discrimination from our society as a whole bc of the preference for lighter skin. And on and on the cycle goes

[@sharmindecruz9757]

@@kittensmitten3287 biracial is not black nor white its biracial

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

Biracial black is just a PC way to say mulatto. I don’t see the problem.

[@bretube9294]

So what do u want them to say…. Cause race is based on phenotype. Appearing white is different because then they’re benefiting from white privilege.

[@LangBellsChannel]

I appreciate this video as a light skin girl. I may not experience colorism. But the texturism and feauturism negatively affected me.

[@Ash_Queen16]

Of course! We all have your struggles we faced

[@grizzlyalmighty2]

lightskin people are on the flipside oversexualized and stuff. all the self hating men of color constantly losing their shii over me literally just bc the white man convinced them to hate themselves is legitamitely traumatizing and the reason why i've always just avoided them entirely.

[@grizzlyalmighty2]

not nearly as bad as racism but it does make me wanna rip all my flesh clean off my body so it's definitely not nothing...

[@Daydreamerr13]

I’m 26, I feel this soooo deep!! Ugh, the old days of One on One, That’s So Raven etc was just!!! I still till this day watch all them shows for comfort. Today’s show will never give me that magic. I feel like there was a huge shift during my high school years. Especially around 2013/2014…

[@saladcaesar7716]

Time to gatekeep blackness.

[@laylah150]

Let's start by accepting Obama is not black and there has not yet been an African American president of America. And in November it will be the 2nd time, we will have a mixed heritage president (first for the blasian sub-community tho lol).

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

If you’re american, worry about gatekeeping the borders.

[@Sheepcakezzz]

Or don't be racist towards your own people

[@destinylover_.]

@@hitsugayatoshiro3331 As an American, LMAOO😭😭😭😭

[@emilydowepa-c8975]

I wish we would start doing this just as they gate keep whiteness

[@imetwurld-ey9sx]

Even look at the blk women that comes to yr mind when u think of extremely successful female artiste / rappers .beyonce , Rihanna, nicki ... All light skinned with eurocentric features ( can pass for mixed race too )blk men do not lack this in the media .

[@laylah150]

Also, they are ALL mixed. Beyonce is half Creole, Rihanna's dad is mixed, and Nicki's dad's family were immigrants from India who came to the Caribbean during the British empire.

[@Lisette121]

​@laylah150 this isn't a coincidence, it's a pattern. Now here comes the tylas, ice spice etc to repeat the cycle. Don't you all get it by now, they don't like showcasing talented, beautiful bw, only the ratchet ones. They don't want bw/girls to be seen as 'demure'.

[@thealchemist5653]

Rihanna is litteraly mixed

[@thealchemist5653]

@@laylah150 That's how much damage the one drop rule has done to americans fr

[@imetwurld-ey9sx]

@@laylah150 that was my point ... Some mono racial blk women do look like dat too but this women have one half white parent.

[@itsjessguys7005]

They tip toe around interracial dating and I think seeing a fully black women as a romantic interest scares them.

[@hild-demongoddess7498]

But why? I notice it too.

[@HoneyChild-8]

Scare who?

[@astralyeti]

@@HoneyChild-8 hollywood execs

[@SunnyHeartKay]

This is exactly it. Keeping black womens image in the garbage is intentional and it’s obvious

[@EtherealSolana]

Yup. It changes things

[@Shineynsparkles]

You forget who are the gate keepers of said culture ….. Bm directors , music moguls even down to the stylist When people praised Gugu , thandie , Zendaya etc vs Viola , Gabriel etc that’s when it all got messed up

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

No. The gatekeepers are white Hollywood executives. Who do you think really casts TV and film? That is not Black men. Look at who actually runs Hollywood.

[@chiefinspector6895]

This is a consequence of DSBW trying to live vicariously through mixed women.

[@keirahleesha486]

Yep!

[@octbaby88]

And that's a discussion DSBW need to have, but won't.

[@amorelockster1023]

I agree and colorism in the black community

[@beauty-jc9xy]

Elaborate

[@sharmindecruz9757]

@@chiefinspector6895 facts

[@infinitedreaming222]

Zendaya produced Casey under cover and could have chosen a mixed family but instead chose to give opportunity to actors/actresses that wouldn’t normally get booked. I wish you would have chosen a different example. She also goes after non-black roles (dune, spider man, and maybe challengers).

[@traumaqueeen]

I wish we would stop fighting so hard for biracial women. Zendaya's boyfriend is in the play that Francesca Amewudah-Rivers got so much hatred about her looks, his name is Tom Holland and he didn't ONCE defend his co-star in that Romeo and Juliet play - no statement, nothing when he is dating a supposed black women, Zendaya... and he has nothing to say to defend a black girl? So stop defending people that do not care about black women!

[@bae2308]

@@traumaqueeen As a mixed woman your first sentence shocks me. Who is fighting for us? They fight for mixed starlets not for the rest of us. And why does Zendaya not care for black women? It's her boyfriend. She is not her boyfriend. There is so much hate towards mixed people it's ridiculious. Mixed woman are not the people in charge and not the reason why white people put only light skin and mixed people on the screen. Facing racism from the white side and mono racism from both sides can destroy you. I went down a horrible spiral after discovering that hate towards mixed people is a growing disease on the internet. FYI we are already aliens for the non-black side. This whole thing made me feel weird putting my 4a hair in braids. Stop hating on the wrong people!

[@g3neve]

That's not the point. She has become representative of black girlhood as a whole. She's biracial (which is fine) but she shouldn't be the prototype or the go-to. There's a reason Zendaya was cast in Dune or Spiderman and not someone like Ryan Destiny. Although she received backlash, she's palatable to white audiences because of her proximity to whiteness.

[@bae2308]

@@g3neve She also became representative of black/white mixed girlhood. Not for mixed people, but for white people. For us she's just representative of the hate we face from both sides.

[@bae2308]

@@g3neve and you're right she should not be the prototype of black girlhood. No person could be that. We all have different experiences. There are mixed girls who don't look like it, that fly under the radar of monoracism and there are white passing mixed girls who don't really face racism in there day to day life's. More at home where people know. Both of them could not represent me, even though all 3 of us are mixed. So the same goes for black women in general. We are treated so differently, but we all face struggles a white person does not know of. This whole discussion is important, but it also gives monoracism a lot of room and people who are simply demonizing the wrong people find their space. I think that's sad and we should stick together. We cannot ask Zendaya to not apply to jobs and we cannot criticize her for her white boyfriends actions or ask her to break up with him. That's so encroaching. We need to be able to fight for representation without fighting the wrong people. There is space for all of us.

[@LOVELYLONDONGURL]

Actresses such a Viola Davis only really got her shine when she was older and it pains me that many dark skinned black actresses don't get their shine early so they can ride that wave all through their careers whilst in their prime.

[@gloriathomas3245]

If you were a mixed race black woman in the 90s your chances of getting role was much higher than if you were dark-skinned woman. Even Jasmine Guy has spoken about this

[@HoneyChild-8]

So, white women dominate Hollywood

[@BimRen246]

Tyla is from South Africa and identifying as 'coloured' is how you would Identify racially there if you are of mixed racial heritage. And to use the "colored" definition from the United States is to intentionally misconstrue her words and identity. She has never denied her Black heritage but she doesn't use the word black as a racial identifier. This is what most Black Americans can't understand. For Tyla to identify as Black in the way Black Americans want her to would be insulting to South Africans, especially Black South Africans.

[@amorelockster1023]

Thank you and she has said this several times

[@MsDesiree39]

The part I found funny was Tyla said she is coloured but got hate from alot of black Americans who call themselves pple of colour! Make that make sense. She just wanted to focus on her music. Smdh

[@Jr-Raven]

But you have to understand that black Americans very much were groomed by the one drop rule in America so they look at however the law enforcement treats you then your black

[@lamarlo4437]

Yet she's in the USA trying to appeal to black Americans and copying black Americans style.

[@brudapeace]

​@@lamarlo4437 So Amapiano and South African dances is copying black American styles now???? How arrogant can yall be....

[@STARK0181]

This is why we need more shows like Netflix Supacell. All of the main female characters were really attractive. Hell, same is true for the dudes.

[@naomiparker2502]

I wish the writing were better. I couldn't get past episode 1

[@sonderexpeditions]

​@@naomiparker2502whattttt. I binged it in one day.

[@astralyeti]

Supacell is a british show outside of Hollywood. if you watch british shows, they generally cast a lot of dark skin black women (in comparison to american shows)

[@Masanumi]

Is that was counts? Attractiveness?

[@wellbuttermybiscuits7]

The trend of having a black family where the mom and daughter are always lighter than the rest is a problem as well sometimes, like of course families like thise exist but still its really especially important to represent darker women in a good light and giving them central roles

[@eddierascalhaskell4954]

In a way, black sitcom husbands having a lightskin wife is almost the black equivilant to the fat white dudes with thin attractive wives trope.

[@jayxtacee5695]

Coco Jones is just as talented as Zendaya, but somehow when there's a role for a black girl, biracial Zendaya gets it, not her. Also, the outrage about a black girl playing Juliet was because Romeo & Juliet is a story set in 13th century Europe, why would you cast a black person as a 13th century European? Doesn't make any sense

[@Ash_Queen16]

This!!

[@sonderexpeditions]

Fax

[@PieceMeals]

That was why some white people were against it, but I saw plenty of bw saying she was ugly and unattractive then asking if this UK play couldn't have cast (insert US black actress).

[@jayxtacee5695]

@@PieceMeals lets be honest, we have so many better looking dark skinned actresses they could have cast. Anyway Juliet was written as a white woman, that's who they should be casting, I'm not a fan of this race / gender swapping nonsense

[@Lemoncakelover678]

​@@jayxtacee5695The whiteness isn't important to Juliette's character though so I don't think it matters much. Plus actors aren't suppose to look pretty for you, their suppose to act. That's what the actress was doing but people harassed/mistreat her for let's be honest, colourist racial reasons

[@sxt4447]

I work in film and I have always taken issue with the casting problem in Hollywood, but Zendaya is the one biracial actress that doesn’t really take roles that would be given to fully Black women. KC Undercover may be the only example where the casting is so obviously off, but I understand why she did that because Disney rarely showed fully Black families at that point and if you’re going to employ people, she chose to give the job to Black actors. I think the more interesting question and the bigger problem is: why does the media fetishize biracial actors (specifically biracial Black women) but doesn’t want to show the blended families that produce these children? It is very rare that we see a show about interracial couples raising mixed families and joining their cultures together. We may see interracial couples, but they either don’t have kids, or the couple is sleeping together behind their spouse’s back and that spouse is usually of the same race as them, etc. It’s always treated as taboo, toxic, tragic, or used as comedic relief. It’s never taken seriously or shown as an everyday experience even though the fastest growing demographic in the county is multiracial. It’s very clear that the media keeps casting biracial Black women as fully Black women because they are uncomfortable with the racial dynamics of a blended family even though they prefer the phenotypes of mixed Black women. At the end of the day, Hollywood is a propaganda machine and they’re sending a message. It’s deeply rooted in our history. Think Sally Hemmings and her children by Thomas Jefferson. Think of all of us who are African American who are mixed because we are descendants of slavery and we’ve lived here for nearly a millennia. What does it mean to be “monoracial” when most African Americans are mixed because of this history? We all know why, but the mass media doesn’t want us to talk about the big white elephant in the room.

[@cygnetlake8017]

Let me explain how the industry works because y'all pedestalize people for everything. Every Biracial actress that comes in the industry has taken Black roles. From Halle Berry (she even identifies as solely Black which is another problematic topic) to Zendaya and every mixed body in between, they ALL have taken the roles. It is ONLY when they get enough AGENCY to call the shots (i.e fame, status, wealth) then they get to audition for DIVERSE roles (re: white/unambiguous). So the Roles Halle& Zendaya are looking to take now are obviously far from the "Black roles" they took at the beginning. It's an obvious career progression/privilege they get and NOT something to get a pat on the back for SMH. Y'all don't think celebs observe/study social media and pander to the fans? They do/ say anything to look good and their Teams are there to help them navigate. Anyways carry on.

[@HoneyChild-8]

@@cygnetlake8017you’re so smart! But who is in charge? Biracial women control Hollywood? Do you think white casting directors don’t know what a REAL black women looks like and where to find them?? They actually just don’t want dark skin on tv. So no biracial people can’t steal something that doesn’t belong to YOU in the first place. They never wanted dark skinned women on tv. It’s not a mistake, or a taking of something. It’s what they want! And it’s not dark skin. Blame white supremacy

[@Lisette121]

I'm a 90s kd and definitely notice a shift. Little b girls now have very little stars to look up to. It's done on purpose.

[@MsDesiree39]

Or you could start doing yiur own shows. No one else owes you any of that. Besides yall are so openly racist and hostile these days who da heck wants to even bother? Your behaviours are way too hood and most pple dont want to see that

[@Lisette121]

​@MsDesiree39 you're the one coming off as hostile honestly. Also bw are not a monolith but here you go lumping all of us as one.

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

The shift is made up. Gen Z black girls would rather watch mainstream white shows instead of black shows like black women used to in the 90’s and prior.

[@MsDesiree39]

@@Lisette121 there are so manyy that are fat/masculine/aggressuive tht they're the least married group pf females for good reasons and others are saying the same thing so grow up

[@a.h.i267]

Why are we going backwards though?

[@madhistoryn]

I really enjoyed this video, but I’m curious why you chose Meghan Markle as the hook, especially since she identifies as mixed and her most prominent role on Suits also had her portraying a mixed character?

[@lafemmenikita123]

Because anything MM hate brings views. Even though MM has spoken up about her privilege she still gets dragged.

[@madhistoryn]

@@lafemmenikita123 Really sad to see a black woman talking about colorism using a WOC who constantly receives targeted hararresment from racists, media and royal instituons just so you can get some clicks and views. Very sad behaviour.

[@astralyeti]

zazie beetz & alexandra shipp shouldve been on the cover instead

[@MrAbbsterz]

Add Kamala Harris to this list…

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

Oh God. You're one of those creeps.

[@a.h.i267]

Im not voting for her a$$

[@Ash_Queen16]

@@ScoobySnacksYumFound the Kamala stan 🤡

[@HoneyChild-8]

@@ScoobySnacksYummeaning what?

[@Leno323]

@@MrAbbsterz another one of you people…you’re embarrassing to the Black community.

[@Crumpets7377]

Saying Tyla didn't acknowledge her black identity is incorrect. She did. By saying she is coloured, and as per the definition in South Africa which you referenced in your video, she acknowledged being a mix of black (zulu), Indian (Mauritius) and white. Black Americans view people either as black or white but racial indenity is hardly ever so simple. With more multicultural and multiethnic marriages its time for black Americans to rethink their approach to the 1 percent rule because you can be black, white and Indian.

[@papa6bell]

Why is she coming into Black spaces trying to gain fame and fortune? Let her focus on the Coloured community for her support.

[@Crumpets7377]

@@papa6bellwhat black spaces did she enter?

[@papa6bell]

@@Crumpets7377 They're trying to market her to Black Americans to give her some sort of credibility. She's not Black, so let them market her through the Colored or white community! She even has a settler colonist boyfriend!

[@LuffyBlack]

The point of this video was woefully missed by you

[@Crumpets7377]

@@LuffyBlack then enlighten me as to what the point was?

[@MadStories-now]

Jazz Raycole (dark skin) was cast as Claire in the tv show my wife and kids, she was then replaced by Jennifer Freeman (light skinned) in season 2. She was asked why she disappeared and she said she was let go because the show received negative feedback from black folks who were not happy that she was dark skin. Yes black people reached out to the show to complain that she was ugly and and too black to represent black americans. so this is not a network issue but a colorism and black people issue.

[@DavidKitchen-SoWhat]

I doubt that .

[@Gloriacx52]

Liar. She left cause she didn’t like the “grown” direction in which the show took her character

[@sharmindecruz9757]

@@MadStories-now but they wont talk about that.

[@sharmindecruz9757]

@@DavidKitchen-SoWhat i believe it. Bp very selfhating especially when it comes to dsbw. Smh

[@DavidKitchen-SoWhat]

@@sharmindecruz9757 yea but we ain't doing all that..I find it interesting that you never hold no smoke for white folks.

[@frt3329]

That's why UK TV and movies are superior

[@bronze2811]

We have the same issues here what are you talking about?

[@sweetcheeks5775]

hardly

[@pewngting7797]

@@bronze2811 can you give examples cause all of the Tv shows I’ve watched have mono racial black representation and if they are biracial there is a clear distinction

[@muraismybby4617]

That's what I said, ironically Europe seema to actually show actual black girls, this always surprises me

[@MsDesiree39]

Lmao, they over feature ethnic pple to the point where they act like whites arent in England. Go wayyyy overboard. That's not being better. Just look at the Whole Dr Who debacle

[@sersastark]

we need more Keke Palmer's, Tasha Smith's, Issa Rae's, Yara Shahidi's, Lupita N'Yongo's, Danai Gurira's, and Jill Marie Jones's on all of our screens!!!

[@cygnetlake8017]

A whole sneak lol

[@ClassyGyal]

Yara is mixed race. Shes got an arab father.

[@Ash_Queen16]

@@ClassyGyalIranian

[@ClassyGyal]

@Ash_Queen16 yes I know but Iran has more than 1 ethnicity and the surname Shahidi is of Muslim origin so imma say he's of Arab descent.

[@inesmaroua5419]

Persians are not arabs stop the ignorance ​@@ClassyGyal

[@aliviablount]

I like and appreciate the topic but I think there are a few things to keep in mind. 1. KZbin has a MUCH larger reach and impact than ANY of the other media platforms right now. 2. Zendaya and her background are important but her story in unique and one specifically for biracial women. The barriers that she has broken have NOT been for black women they have been for biracial women like her who look like her and have a similar story to her own. This isn't a bad thing but black women who are falsely clumping her into stories of “blackness” are being disingenuous. 3. There are MANY stories of black women telling their authentic stories and I think once you start to follow one you find many more. BUT if you are following mainstream media then you won't find those stories. 4. Which content creators are you currently consuming? Or which movies.

[@laylah150]

That 👉 2nd point is amazingly put. Zendaya has definitely made huge grounds for biracial community and she openly talks about how her mixed heritage affected her growing up and as a star in Hollywood. Ironically, mixed heritage people are normally "blackwashed", so nobody learns about their unique experiences in society. She also respects black women's boundaries and makes sure to reject roles that are meant for black women. She is a perfect example of good ally to black women.

[@keirahleesha486]

Completely agree

[@loveinlilac]

Didn't the Emmy's claim her as the second BLACK woman to receive the leading actress Emmy though? Therefore she has been seen as "breaking barriers for blackness" according to white Hollywood/mainstream spaces.

[@iidentifyasaPSLGoddess]

​@@loveinlilacThey gave a white Italian man an award for colored folks, he was shocked. If you care too hard about this stuff that's your business. Zendaya is bi racial rep, not blk, end of story

[@aliviablount]

@@loveinlilac that’s true. It’s like a weird situation because América is VERY black and white. Zendaya will NEVER be white in America so she has to be something else. She has to represent some group. She is proximal to black women, she is is “black” but in terms of media it’s not an appropriate representation. Not all but many white people don’t have real relationships with black people IRL. To most white people you could put a Cookie Monster in a “black” role and I don’t think the white community would really care… that’s a simple way to put it but kinda. There is something else when it comes to young black girls and children. Africa is a continent with mostly black people and the 13% of black people in America know what black people look like and it’s not Zendaya. These shows don’t really represent stories or situations any black people are living so it’s like all made up

[@Satawolf]

Zendaya goes after white roles though and she understands that

[@moonlightprincess449]

She doesn’t want to be. Stereotype

[@Satawolf]

@moonlightprincess449 she spoke about this years ago. She talked about her biracial and light skinned privilege so she asked her team to send her to auditions that were meant for white women to see if she could change their minds which is why we have movies : greatest showman, dune, spiderman all of which were meant for white women. There are many biracial actresses that go only after black roles but Zendaya isn't one of them

[@chrisel4349]

Haha...are you giving her credit for that, though? The fact that she has more opportunities as a “biracial” person? What are “black roles” anyway? Maybe she likes to go for “white roles” because it benefits her career. Maybe she relates to “white stories” more. Don’t give her credit for that 😂

[@Desmondenae_]

​@@chrisel4349 A "white role" is what it sounds like. Roles meant for as in written specifically for a white actor/actress. White roles are usually more diverse. Roles for black women are not diverse, they play the same two or three types of characters. So really she is privileged to be able to do that.

[@tonijackson3421]

@@chrisel4349 well her privilege isn’t her fault and she’s taking a stand as an ally who knows that she’s placed highly in the black category and goes for white roles

[@dollhouseq1530]

I would suggest letting people identify THEMSELVES. Usually when a biracial or multi racial person identifies as such other blacks tell them that they're just black or that don't make them special. Also biracial children raised solely by their black parent may identify as black because culturally that's who they are although not ethnically. Biracial children raised by their white parent solely may easier identify as biracial.

[@beepboop2842]

true. i like that take that it should be considered a personal journey.

[@imetwurld-ey9sx]

Lets not forget amandla Sternberg in the hate you give .plays a mono racial character but biricial in real life though she could pass for a monoracial blk girl but still ..... Just knowing shes biricial in real life is y shouldnt be casted for monoracial roles all the time

[@true3197]

Yep she only plays a mixed actress in 2 of her films every other film she portrays a mono-racial black woman I'm tired of seeing it. The hate

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

Good Lord. How the hell do you not understand that the majority of Black Americans are of mixed ancestry? Have you not read a history book? For the love of God, google "African American genetics admixture." You'll quickly learn that the Black Americans have an average of 20% white European ancestry. People should stop tossing around terms like "monoracial" as if it means a damn thing. Race is a social construct. In the United States, "Black" is a racial caste and ethnic group comprised of people from African, European, and Native American ancestry.

[@imetwurld-ey9sx]

@@ScoobySnacksYum im not African American .I'm African .plss piss off

[@imetwurld-ey9sx]

@@ScoobySnacksYum despite blk Americans have mixed ancestry u can't tell.... They mix with white and baby still come out blk amandla Sternberg is an example of biricials who still looks blk .leave me the tf alone I said wat I said .

[@imetwurld-ey9sx]

@@ScoobySnacksYum I'm African btw .not African American

[@brit7522]

These movies are made for a mainstream audience and mainstream audiences dont want to see black people, but they can deal with light skin biracial. It's actually going to get worse as they continue to pursue audiences in Asian markets. The only option is to make movies for black audience. Tyler Perry does that and he does well. Maybe someone else will reach his level.

[@jinx526]

No he doesn't he makes some of the worse depictions of black women. Always having dark skin women abuse and dark skin black men the villains

[@biancamichelle11]

To double down on the erasure is the fact that actresses like Zoe Kravitz, Zendaya and Meghan Markle, Halle Berry have all gotten nose jobs, this makes them more ambiguous and much less “ethnic”

[@SideEyeee_]

Black ≠ Mixed

[@Minney-Me]

Please realize, You CAN be darkskin and biracial at the same time SMH 😅

[@doll.ov.poetrii4682]

It's not as common as the latter though.

[@Minney-Me]

@@doll.ov.poetrii4682 I highly encourage you to travel more often

[@TheLordofPain]

Great vid, I've been hoping more people would cover this issue.

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

It’s been covered a thousand times.

[@MA-yc7pz]

Spanish is from Spain....

[@lamarlo4437]

Yes and yet the language is spoken in Central and South America.

[@merchii443]

​@@lamarlo4437 Anddd in a country in Africa called Equatorial Guinea

[@anndeecosita3586]

@@lamarlo4437It’s spoken in North America too.

[@anndeecosita3586]

Technically the language is called Castilian. There are multiple languages spoken in Spain. I have a friend who is from there and didn’t speak Castilian/Spanish until he was almost an adult.

[@astralyeti]

@@lamarlo4437 and? calling someone who isn’t from spain “spanish” just because they speak the language is like calling an american “english” just because they speak it, despite the fact that they’re not from england

[@DolphineAchonga-gn6kn]

I've noticed that in the film and music industries. However, the high fashion run ways of the world seem to favor darker skinned black women. Why do you think this is so?

[@justrandom4304]

Zendaya is where she is because of that, I will die on this hill. I also hate the new Across the Spider verse they had us at the first one but lost me with the second movie pushing bunny hopping on our black boys 💔💔

[@doll.ov.poetrii4682]

Agreed!

[@yasminogbu8929]

People are waking up, change will come. Saying all this, I think it’s good to celebrate the high fashion industry celebrates dark skinned women ( actually more then mixed ) not the commercial Indrustry but fashion Indrustry 100%! I agree with the video. Yet I believe change will come! UBW should be repesented in the film industry- not by mixed people & Mixed people should represent themselves. Agreed! It’s the people who are casting the films not the people playing the parts . It’s good to put the blame where it belongs

[@laylah150]

Thats thanks to the African girlies. I love to see the supermodels models from the Sudans, Somalia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa. All these countries have mixed heritage communities too, but they have a healthy understanding and boundary setting. So a mixed heritage person would never encroach on black spaces. Tyla knows she isnt black, because actual black people in South Africa would flame her on Twitter if she came out and said that 😂😂

[@yasminogbu8929]

@@laylah150 yep! I’ve had very different opinions thrown at me. I have black friends who say I’m black and other people say I’m mixed. Saying that tho, in Africa / Nigeria there are people are paler if not whiter then me/ look mixer then me - blonde hair. I personally see myself as mixed as that’s what my dna says and my dad is Nigerian and white mum German decent. I don’t think many mixed people have a problem with being mixed & not “ black” but you would be incredibly surprised that some black people don’t like that. They think they you are denying your black side 😵‍💫! In the mist of race - people are all individuals, everyone has a different idea of this. Out of interest what is a black space to you? You mean a mixed person won’t represent a black person in Africa? If that’s what you mean 100% it’s a European thing not an African thing. Mainly in the commercial / film industry- not in the fashion industry. Again I think it’s important to say, it’s not mixed people encroaching on the black space - it’s the person casting the jobs that the issues lay with. The power lays with the person making the decision not the person who turn up to the casting. It’s important that mixed people are not blamed for a casting director’s decision.

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

Most mixed women already represent ourselves.

[@chrisel4349]

Yeah, the fashion industry treats models like a showcase of the natural specimens of the earth.

[@yasminogbu8929]

@@hitsugayatoshiro3331 correct, I was talking about the media. Mainly commercialy / film industry

[@7damon8ietheredge54]

people complain about biracials then celebrate them for being black when they succeed. thats a litte weird. either dont claim biracials as black or dont hate them for getting opportunities

[@astralyeti]

should’ve had alexandra shipp & zazie beetz on the thumbnail instead of megan and zendaya

[@YourCrystalDealer]

I completely agree with this video. Well done

[@User-q8d9j]

Coloured in South Africa is mixed so she would be mixed in USA and coloured in SA simple there is still a black race in South africa if you didn't fit there why are you suddenly black in US make it make sense

[@VesperJester]

There is no legal classification for mixed race in America. Mixed Black ppl are still Black. Mixed race is nothing but political jargon that has no real value in the America. So what are you taking about. And as a foreigner you can’t just force your racial classification system on to us in our own country. The arrogance. Especially when you’re trying to appease to Black Americans and cosplay parts of their culture. We don’t have to adhere to the systems you Africans have. So it makes sense that if you go to another country you abide by the cultural practices of that country. And do your research about the country you plan to visit. A lot of you Africans are very ignorant and arrogant. Because if we did what Tyla did in your country, you’d have a problem with it.

[@mayanevergaf]

THANK YOU. I'm half South African and I hate this trend of colored coming here and trying to push this black bs, it's irritating.

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

"Coloured" in South Africa is a specific ethnic group that refers to people who are usually of Indigenous descent. This is different from a mixed person. The majority of Black Americans are of mixed ancestry. "Black" in America's racial caste system simply means someone of Black African-descent regardless of admixture.

[@User-q8d9j]

@@ScoobySnacksYum there people who were mixed with white black and Indian due to apartheid what are you on about

[@Robert-ur8mi]

But these people are from America, so who cares about South Africa!

[@90snebula]

I've felt this for the longest and seen these convos on tumblr and twitter. I love this video it's very in depth and covers the nuance. thank youuuu

[@Ash_Queen16]

Right?? It needs more exposure

[@undaunted1065]

As kiaora said, this is nothing new. As an 80's kid watching tons of movies and TV shows, I saw early on that Hollywood gave us actors like Denzel Washington (and Wesley Snipes and Eddie Murphy). But Denzel was their top pick. So even within movies and TV sitcoms they had Black actresses and music artists mention his name when talking about attractive Black men. Saying things like, "He's no Denzel", " I want a man fine like Denzel" or " A body like Arnold with a Denzel face."(Whatta Man by Salt-N- Pepa) So Denzel was chosen to represent for Black men. And for the women, who's name did they ( Black actors and actresses throw out there constantly when wanting to describe an attractive Black woman in Hollywood? Well when it wasn't Janet Jackson or Nia Long, the majority of the time it was automatically who White Hollywood selected to represent Black women: Halle Berry. Some people, including Black people, still aren't aware that her birth mother is a white English woman.

[@Utada379]

It’s nothing new but the scale was a bit more eve. Brandy was the IT girl at one point, we had Monica, Sanaa, Regina King and Hall, Nia Long, etc. all bombshells who were working and definitely represented the average Black American woman. Now it’s tipped too far to the left.

[@itstonycia]

Preach. When I think black girl what I imagine..actually I don’t even need to imagine I can just look in the mirror..is not at all like the actors casted as the black girl role. Especially biracial actors. Like they have a whole white or non black parent. I CANNOT RELATEEEEE

[@TheLunablackheart]

This was so well spoken and so well researched AND so well edited. Thank you for posting this!

[@jairmesa6210]

Biracial encompasses all People who have biological parents of different races, we are our own group and I find it funny when certain famous Biracial people do not advocate for that space more rather than just accept the box they get put in, the amount of biracial children in America has skyrocketed and a real discussion about us and where we fit in this lexicon of White, Black and Other.

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

First, you are trying to impose an identity on other people. That's gross. Second, learn the difference between race and ethnicity. Race is a social construct. How people choose to define themselves is their business. Similarly, people are born into or can be adopted into ethnic groups.

[@Ash_Queen16]

@@ScoobySnacksYumNo they’re right

[@astralyeti]

biracial is no more it’s own group than monoracial is lmao. this logic is so weird when biracial can mean ANY combination of two races. you really think white and black people are their “own group” because they’re both monoracial? those are just loose terms that tell the bare minimum of the bare minimum

[@jackiem1682]

MM is on the thumbnail but was she ever portraying a black character?

[@lafemmenikita123]

MM hate sells

[@touristtea6076]

I’m 46 and like she pointed out it’s going back out of style to cast black women as black women. In my time it was Vanessa Williams being celebrated as first black Miss America. While her parents are both black she didn’t look like me or any of my friends. Sadly it seems if we don’t keep it top of mind casting directors fall back into old habits.

[@chrisdavis2161]

ummm... I never looked at TV, movies, or entertainment as a whole for "representation". I'm not knocking anyone who does, I just never understood when people say this...the fallacy in that viewpoint is that: the media portrays for the masses to be a certain way, meaning they are the ones setting the trends and you're the outsider/subscriber who's following/not following it. That's like me turning on BET and feeling like they don't represent me (They don't by the way), but I never expected them to! I don't feel like they portray ALL black culture, but they are not trying to do that... they are trying to SET the culture for everyone who watches, and that's why I don't watch. Nothing worse than people in the entertainment industry trying to tell you how you're supposed to be as a person of color. If I need representation it needs to come from family and community, not from entertainment. A picture is accurate representation...but they belong in an album or gallery. A caricature is a picture, too... but that's entertainment...part of it is true... part is exaggerated...people want to be entertained by the caricature not the picture. so why would I want the caricature to accurately represent me, when that's not its purpose. just food for thought.

[@astralyeti]

it’s regressing back to how it was at the start of black women’s representation in film. oscar mischeaux was the first black filmmaker and his black female leads were always played by women who were just a little less than white passing. yet no one ever mentions the blatant colorism

[@4CHAMBuurs]

Great comment & observation.

[@neutraliserjanine]

Now the more black men's influence changes white men's films. That started in the early 2000s. I no longer watch western media.

[@charlita25]

Fax 📠 this is why I left Hollywood. I knew my talent would have been enough as a 95 % African American. I would have thrived in the 80’s or the 90’s as an actress

[@ialya391]

Exactly 💯. They do this to Arabian characters as well. They cast INDIANS actors 😅

[@dustinmaxwell259]

You all won't like what I have to say but here goes. It's because Hollywood knows their WM audience likes to see a WM protagonist with a pretty BW. But that same WM audience gets turned off if the BW's skin is too dark for their liking. It's sort of a paper bag test thing. BW are going to have to start protesting against it or it won't ever end.

[@neutraliserjanine]

Growing up in the 70s and 80s I know white men have no problem with darkerskin women on screen and it was not until more black male influence in Hollywood that this changed and I no longer watch western media.

[@ClassyCourtesan]

I worked in the entertainment industry. You're correct. They want women that WM like, and are ambiguous in for global ticket sales.

[@toomuchinformation]

@@dustinmaxwell259 What you see more of is mixed race women with WM like Zendaya. Mixed race people are, due to the One Drop Rule, coded as Black (although I don't consider them that). I'm not sure what form of protest BW should be taking other than withdrawing their money into certain portrayals of BW and creating/supporting their own.

[@ftm2ray]

Biracial is two different races. I hate that the dictionary said two different “ethnicities”. I am Gambian-American and Black. But my ethnicity is the Soninké tribe. If I had a baby with another Black person from another ethnic group, that baby would still be Black.

[@Bell-Power190]

They always tangle things. Race and ethnicity always seem to perplex me for the many cultures (countries) in the world 🤧

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

Black Americans are a specific ethnic group whose ancestors were enslaved. The majority of Black Americans are of mixed ancestry, with an average of 20% white European ancestry. Just as it would inappropriate of another people to tell you how to define what it means to be Soninke, it is also inappropriate to tell Black Americans the criteria for defining themselves.

[@perfectallycromulent]

@@ScoobySnacksYum What does that have to do with that dictionary definition that uses ethnicity instead of race? My ancestors come from 4 ethnicities, but being partially German, English, Dutch, and Croatian still makes me a white American.

[@annaa3772]

The reason is probably, because race isn't a scientific category. It doesn't follow rigid scientific genetical standards and has more to do with perceived phenotype. Think of the black and white twins (look them up, if you don't know them). Technically they're both mixed, but only the dark skinned one will be perceived as such.

[@michaelhurley3171]

Good luck, coming from a white guy. I'll watch shows with dark skinned black women if I can. Great point and I hope they cast more black women in media!

[@firegirl_lanae]

As a lighter more medium skinned black woman I use to wish I was darker growing up so people wouldn't question my blackness. It gave me a lot of stress and identity issues because when I was at home with my family everyone was black but outside of my home I was called bi-racial due to my appearance and I internally struggled with that label.

[@Dovelunalove]

rihanna is mixed, green eyes, and light skin, from her full white irish grandpa and half white dad yet ppl always identify her as a black woman.

[@raphaelsimmons4309]

If she didn't black american wmn would come for her throat

[@HoneyChild-8]

Now what

[@astralyeti]

most black americans have similar ancestry due to history. she identifies as a black woman because she is one

[@Dovelunalove]

@@astralyeti no. most black americans do not have a half white dad and a grandpa from ireland. if your parent is not half of another race, or you don’t have 1 parent 100% another race you are not mixed. having a grandparent from the 1800s or early 1900s does not make a person mixed. most black americans are simply africans forced to america.

[@Dovelunalove]

@@astralyeti no. most black americans do not have a half white dad and a grandpa from ireland. if your parent is not half of another race, or you don’t have 1 parent 100% another race you are not mixed. having a grandparent from the 1800s or early 1900s does not make a person mixed. most black americans are simply africans forced to america.

[@aishambengue3024]

Great video!!!! This just shows that we need to have more diverse representation when it comes to unambiguous black women, especially those doesnt deal with giving black women/fem actors with nuanced or non stereotype roles. Also ill always appreciate actors like Ayo Edebiri, Lupita Nyongo, Quinta Brunson, Issa Rae, Danei Geraa, Marsai Martin,etc( just in case i forgot) for being the main representation for unambiguous black woman rn.

[@djlivvy46]

It's interesting that all the women you mention are older.

[@Menehune3461]

I learned recently that Zendaya told Disney that she would only do the show if her family was black. They were going to meet the family by Rachel and she said no I want the family to look like my cousins look like other black families or she would walk from the show

[@user-bg7nm4ez3i]

As a black British girl I would like to make a distinction between American shows and British shows because while Britain is predominantly white we still have a lot of shows that represent fully black women as lead characters, shows like chewing gum which is a comedy type series that has a black female protagonist navigating through her life, queenie which is another comedy with a similar concept, noughts and crosses which is a drama that has an interracial couple (black girl and white boy) fighting through the odds in a world were things are reversed as in black people are on top and white people are the ones being mistreated, some girls a comedy starring 4 girls (1 black and 1 Asian) playing teens in high school, Desmond a 1980s family sitcom starring a black Caribbean/ African family, tapped out a pranks show with 3 out of the four presenters being black. There’s many more examples but all I’m saying is that this may seem like an American problem or just because something isn’t popular or in the mainstream doesn’t mean it isn’t representation however it’s doesn’t mean I disagree with what’s being said or don’t think there shouldn’t be more representation.

[@Solunadaye]

True, but that’s because a Black Brit’s speech the closest to “proper English.” So it’s actually the same thing. The way you speak is way more palatable to White people than the way other Black people all over the world speak. Your accent is more acceptable than mine (Black American).

[@fireandsugar2625]

How do you.know what accent she has? There are many many accents and countries in Britain not just one.

[@Kaesar24]

@@Solunadayeas a fellow black brit, whilst you may be right in saying that just in general the british accent is more palatable to white people, we also have our own speech (like MLE- multicultural london english which has significant black (african and caribbean) routes) and our black british culture still gets demonised and ridiculed and yet other people (including other black people from around the world) like to use it. So i personally think its a different side of the same coin. And you cannot assume which british accent she has because again there's so many diff accents, like there is in america

[@MoncœrCoyoteSmith]

British women are also used to play African Americans. This is especially true for biracial.

[@Utada379]

We also need to discuss this

[@ghsense2626]

Aren't African Americans used to play Africans in movies? It's acting... I actually find it more impressive if a British Black can play and African American and an African American can play an African role. That's a mark of a true actor

[@MoncœrCoyoteSmith]

@ghsense2626 AA females are rarely seen playing Africans. Many Americans can't imitate the accents of other countries. For example, Nigerians who live in America can switch in and out of Nigerian English and US English. It's not the same. If you are a black actress, wouldn't you ask yourself why the light-skinned British woman is given the part of an American character over yourself? Out of all the Americans cast, only a British girl I sufficient? Think of it that way.

[@MoncœrCoyoteSmith]

@ghsense2626 no. Think of casting directors closing light-skinned British children to play Southern African American children. What's wrong with all of the African American children? There are millions to choose from.

[@lanazak773]

As a white woman it has bugged me for decades that in tv shows and movies the lead female was usually lighter than the male. Even in the Cosby Show. Not to mention the obligatory age difference.

[@EtherealSolana]

Yup! We see this time and time again. My own father praises my mother’s lightness

[@cracmar03]

Same, for me it was mind boggling that they never seem to get really dark skinned woman for lead role. Like they are afraid to admit that there is beauty in them. I hate white washing. And I detest Hollywood for what it stands, I despise the subtle messaging that all black girls should aspire to be european instead. And I am white.

[@TeaWitcher]

Yes seriously 😒 like why it is so difficult to have a DSBW with a dark skin man, they constantly perpetuate colorism in this way.

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

@@TeaWitcher Ask DSBM actors to request DSBW actresses to play their love interests.

[@gibbygibbygibby7237]

Lupita Nyong’o, Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri supremacy! ❤

[@TokzanTee1]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ReadbyWisteria]

Hollywood LOVES racially ambiguous / mixed women. We need more black directors and producers so we can have more of a variety of black women

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

Black directors love us too! 🤭

[@ReadbyWisteria]

@@hitsugayatoshiro3331 Jordan Peele though…. Love him

[@exoticbabes1.0]

All groups of people a walks of life have agree that MLS people overall are more likely to be attractive and culturally shift an audience. We have more influence globally because of our genetical makeup 🫶🏾

[@NoodleDoodle-w5y]

Yes full African women should be represented in the media! Bi-racial being only 50% or less African should not be the standard! Black Africans should be the face of blackness, because it is the true black. ❤️

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

African women make up a very small part of the American population. Nobody owes you anything, you’re not black american.

[@r.walker7986]

The VAST MAJORITY of actors and actresses in Hollywood who are working and black are unambiguously black. Unambiguously black women get the lionshare of roles written for black women. Sometimes we accuse who we pay the most attention to, with who is getting the most work.... There can be a film with a whole chocolate brown cast and people will focus on the lightest one. its actually harder for lighter skinned actors and actresses to find work becasue they are not seen a black enough, called too pretty, to refined, then when they try and get a role not written for black actors they are told they are "too urban" like they did Zoe Kravitz when she tried to get a tiny role in The Batman, Dark Knight series.

[@13579hee]

2 of the 4 actresses on Girlfriends and the 2 co-leads on Sister/Sister are mixed race

[@molebohengmaphepha80]

7:17 Tyla's race has caused "controversy" amongst black Americans, the rest of South Africa, and Southern African region gets it. But then again Black American centralism will have you thinking Tyla being coloured is a big deal when it is not for the rest of the "black community"

[@bronze2811]

Even black British, other Africans and Black Caribbean get it… the issue is only with Black Africans

[@Lisette121]

I think the issue for many with Tyla is she wants to other' herself to be seen as better than or not like us' in an elitist way so to speak

[@cinnannmon]

@@Lisette121what the hell are you talking about? She’s not “othering herself” or trying to be “elite”, she is LITERALLY coloured. That’s who she is. What the hell is wrong with her being who she is?? It’s literally her identity, her family’s identity. The fact that you even correlate that with trying to be “elite” shows YOUR own personal inferiority complex cause why do you automatically assume that her being coloured is her thinking she’s better than anyone else? When she stands in her identity as a coloured woman, you guys say she’s trying to seem elite and you bully her into claiming unambiguous blackness, and then when she says she’s black in America to make yall happy then yall will turn around and say she’s cosplaying or that she’s replacing black women.

[@chubbybunny3778]

@@Lisette121 You literally just made that up. Did you even watch the video? You're just mad that her making that distinction has destroyed your little fantasies of living vicariously through mixed people. Y'all are not the same, it's very pathetic

[@amorelockster1023]

@@Lisette121lol no that’s not how she came off at all people asked her about her heritage and she responded other artists who worked with Tyla including dark skin women have said she’s a nice genuine person

[@allenleong8220]

I like Zendaya, but she barely seems black to me.

[@fredasdshnablo6248]

great video on a topic that doesn't seem to get the attention the overall topic seems to be getting, and you're totally right. The thing with Tyla is quite interesting as she's primarily South African, was born and raised there. I am fully black but was born and raised in Germany. I look the part, but don't have the environment, if you will, meanwhile she's more African than me. It would be a different issue if the question was rather if she feels more black or African. I also feel like the term black is mainly a US or western thing. When I went to Africa I didn't once hear anyone say it.

[@tymeburglar86]

Megan Markle is used as the cover for the is video, but she's not even an actress now nor was she ever a well-known one like Zendaya. She had one major role on a 2nd tier cable channel that blew up years after airing due to streaming. I actually see more medium to dark skinned black women getting popular in the last 10 yrs than the decade prior (ie: Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Viola Davis, Taraji Henson, Normani, Megan the Stallion, etc). Obviously there is a bias against black women in media, but I wouldn't say it's gotten worse. How does this video essay move the conversation forward? I feel like the execution was half-baked.

[@yabudimsure]

I still laugh that people were mad as hell at the Halle Bailey cast as Ariel. I feel like if she had been a mixed-looking people wouldn't have been that mad.

[@Sheepcakezzz]

They were mad about Rachel being snow white tho

[@imashoe1029]

It has nth to do with that. Ariel is a white character whose story is of European origin. Why all of a sudden just change that for absolutely no reason besides from being *woke*. If they wanted a black mermaid, they could've created a whole entire show for that. It's stupid to change races of a character because if Ariel was a *black* character originally and they did the opposite (making her white), ppl would pissed asf calling them racist.

[@yabudimsure]

@@imashoe1029 Can you show me proof that Mermaids are descendants of white Europeans ? oh ok

[@hitsugayatoshiro3331]

Ariel is a white redhead and should’ve been played by one. The movie was an underperformance and grossed half of what Aladin and Beauty & The Beast did.

[@ScoobySnacksYum]

Hallie Bailey is obviously of mixed ancestry. Come on. Look at her. How do you not understand that? The majority of all Black Americans are of mixed ancestry. This is well documented in all genetic studies. People really need to understand that Black Americans have been in North America for 400 years! During the era of slavery, rape of enslaved Black women by white men was horrifically common place. As such, Black Americans have an average of 20% white European ancestry. Thirty-five percent of Black American men have a Y-chromosome from a white European male ancestor.