Everything you need to know about Blackfishing

What is blackfishing and why do it exist?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpEBD2vnJWA

RICHMOND, Va - Recently the internet has been canceling numerous celebrities, influencers and content creators for blackfishing.

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According to CNN, blackfishing is “the process of white women embodying/borrowing/parroting the aesthetics of Blackness.”

The most recent blackfishing scandal involved former Little Mix Singer Jesy Nelson in her recent music video for her single Boyz. Jesy Nelson is a Caucasian woman from England. In the music video she appeared darker than usual along with additional black features.

The Kardashians are the face of the blackfishing. The Armenian family regularly has scandals. From wearing box braids to surgical implants to the darkening of their skin. Many other influencers and content creators have also followed along with this trend regardless of the hate they may receive.

Nov. 6, 2018 journalist Wanna Thompson has had enough and started a thread on Twitter and said “Can we start a thread and post all of the white girls cosplaying as black women on Instagram?”. This thread immediately went viral with numerous accounts being accused of blackfishing with nonblack women wearing textured hair, with darken skin, and black body and facial features.

Just eight days after that tweet Wanna published an article on Paper mag titled “How White Women On Instagram Are Profiting Off Black Women.” From there the term spreaded around like wildfire.

Jazmynn Vaughn is a local micro-influencer. She creates content focused on fashion, beauty, lifestyle and mental health. She said it is upsetting to see some influencers and content creators profiting off black culture.

“It's a theme in America to have things originating from black people stolen from them and people that aren't black profiting off of that,” Vaughn said. “Now we're in a time where it's easier to call it out. It's easier to find the originator and it's easier for the platform for them to be balanced out, but it still shouldn't have to get to the point of calling someone out and then finding the original person. Like, why can't we just give black people their flowers, give them their credit?”

Vaughn said she doesn't think there is a malicious intent behind those blackfishing.

“I think a lot of people are just ignorant,” Vaughn said. “And that's not always in a negative sense, but just like, I don't think enough people pay attention to the harm they could cause, or the backlash that could occur from portraying themselves the way they decide to portray themselves.”

Vaughn does not think that those who blackfish should be canceled but rather educated. She said the person will get canceled for maybe a week and then go back to normal without a lesson learned, hence the importance of having an educational conversation.

“I do not like cancel culture at all and I don't think it's very helpful or informative in any way,” Vaughn said. “It's like modern day getting stones thrown at you to me, like it's just online bullying. I think the best way to teach someone is to like, like I said before, people may not know what they're actually doing, is to kind of let them know in a way that they can understand without attacking them.”

Dr. Shawn Utsey is a professor of psychology in the department of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He currently does research on the psychology of the African American experience. Utsey said blackfishing may occur because of how much black culture influenced the American culture.

“It's the influence that black people have had on American culture and world culture,” Utsey said. “We are trendsetters. We have changed the game. And so now we see that white folks are now getting on board with the rules that we're setting. About what's beautiful, what's attractive and so I don't see blackfishing as being racist or hateful, it's a reflection of what's really going on. And the influence that black people are, have always had. But now there's less reluctance for white folks to embrace it.”

Utsey said when it comes to the darkening of the skin it may relate to looking healthier or sexier.

“Europeans in terms of Italy and Greece, those are the desirable locations in Europe,” Utsey said. “I think it's always been acknowledged that that melanin. That darker skin is kind of sexy, It's kind of attractive. It emulates or exudes health and well-being. And for humans, as it is with all creatures being healthy and looking healthy is desired. And so if having a tan makes you look more healthy it makes you look younger, more exuberant, then you want to get a tan.”

Utsey said that black people tend to celebrate when others explore and appreciate our culture.

“So somehow we're asking like the black community is asking for these representations of blackness that are absent of blackness,” Utsey said. “We delight in the idea that white people value our culture that we, the light and the idea that others value our culture.“