QCQ 9 – Stevens

Quotation (with page number or parag number or time stamp if video/audio)

“The light-skinned, loosely textured hair and plump lips featured in their content are indicative of normative white beauty standards as a measure to which the Black feminine body should aspire.” Page 12, Final Paragraph

Comment (250-500 words)

I chose this quote to comment on because I think it’s a good way of explaining how damaging blackfishing can be. When white people use Black culture or imitate Black features, they are showing that they don’t respect that sometimes things just aren’t for white people. Certain protective hairstyles are healthy (hence the term protective) for a Black person’s hair, but can be extremely damaging to a white person’s hair, not to mention the double standard in professional settings. It is now illegal in some places for workplaces to discriminate against a person for their hairstyle, but not everywhere. As a white person, it isn’t my place to say what is or isn’t offensive to Black people. But, it is my responsibility to call out other white people when they are being racist and direct them to a resource that can explain why what they did/said was wrong.

Question

How can we do better to call out and educate when people are being racist without them just getting angry and shutting us out?