Black Lives Matter
Stop Stealing Black Identity: You Don’t REALLY Want To Be Black
Blackfishing, Blackface, and Black Culture
Before we dive into society’s thievery of Blackness, let’s back up.
Africans were sold and taken from their country, stripped of their history, stripped of their families, and stripped of their rights.
From here, they were then forced to build America for a long time, without any credit or pay. Also, there was constant rape, beatings, abuse, poor nutrition, no education, disrespect, and lack of equal opportunities.
Oh, and black people, the people who built this country, are still being shot, killed, discriminated against, and diminished for no genuine reason.
Our culture, our food, our speak, our fashion, our music, our everything, well it’s pretty damn good, right?
Hell yes.
This is why so many people enjoy it, appreciate it, listen to it, wear it, and profit from it.
What many people want in today’s world:
- The fat [black looking] ass
- Full lips
- Tan or darker skin
- Black fashion/style
- To speak like black people
- To look like black people
BUT, people don’t actually want to be Black. They just want all of the black culture and features without actually having to bear the burden of living in America and the rest of the world as a Black individual — because who would?
Being Black Comes With A Few Cons:
- You might get shot for no reason.
- You might get pulled over by the police and harassed for no reason.
- You will be judged based on your skin color.
- You will often be praised for speaking “like a White person.” It’s always such a surprise to some people. I suppose black people aren’t supposed to develop and demonstrate eloquent verbiage and vocabulary.
- You will be overly surveilled at stores because of your skin color.
- People will double-lock their doors when you walk past their cars (this has happened to me).
- You might be offered salary packages less than your skills are worth because of your skin color.
- People will constantly try to steal things from your culture and profit off them — even in non-monetary ways.
And with all of these things, we still have people conveying this is not happening.
A Dive Into Blackfishing
Remember, Blackface?
What Is Blackface: Involves putting on dark makeup to mock the features of a Black person. — Health.com
I thought Blackface ended, but it didn’t; it evolved into Blackfishing.
What Is Blackfishing: Describes the phenomenon of non-Black influencers, public figures, and non-Black people, in general, using bronzer, tanning, Photoshop, or even cosmetic surgery to change their looks to appear Black or mixed race; pretending to be (or altering her appearance to look) ethnically Black. — Health.com
Call me extreme, but blackfishing or “N*ggerfishing” (cosplaying black people) is the new blackface.
Blackface is not gone. It’s alive and well .
We now have people worldwide trying to appear more tan or dark than their natural skin tone. Society has adopted the trend that being dark is beautiful, sexy, and appealing (because it f*cking is — we POCs always knew this).
Black & brown is a new standard of beauty — Queens, we are finally, publicly, deemed attractive. But we already knew that right? Even the slave masters conveyed this to our ancestors through their troubling transgressions.
I saw it. I witnessed it in some of my own friends from the past, but I never knew what blackfishing truly was until I came across some articles that really broke down what the situation is. I always felt URKED about some of the things I regularly see, but it never really clicked for me as it did later in my life.
Dear Non-Black & Brown People Who Want To Look Like Us
Please embrace your natural bodies and do not try to be or look like us. You don’t need to take our skin color, hairstyles, butts, lips, and bodies to be sexy. You have your own traditions and genetics that you have been blessed with; why not make the most of them?
People Steal Other Black Things, Too (i.e., Culture)
People of all races have been stealing stuff from our culture since we came over to this country — unwillingly, I might add.
When will Black people be praised for being dominant in literally EVERYTHING? Cause let’s face it….we dominate it all (e.g. sports, music, entertainment, business, fashion, art, research, etc.). We even have been granted the opportunity to experience a phenomneal Black president and vice president out of all the white presidents to date, and they have both nailed it.
If you are going to take our shit, can you all at least give us credit for establishing the foundation and ideas that so many of you flourish off?
Dear Everyone Else
Stop taking ALL of our stuff without giving the appropriate Black party credit. For generations and generations, you’ve consistently done this. It’s time you stop. Make some of your own stuff.
“I am inspired by black culture. I have benefited off of black culture. My style, how I sing, dance, perform, and my fashion have all been influenced and inspired by black culture. I am committed to using my platform from this day forward to learn, to speak up about racial injustice and systemic oppression, and to identify ways to be a part of much needed change,” — Justin Bieber
Educational Materials On The Black Experience
Destiny S. Harris is a writer, poet, entrepreneur, teacher, and techie who offers free books daily on amazon. Destiny obtained three degrees in political science, psychology, and women’s studies. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, or @ destinyh.com