Understanding Blackfishing: When Online Identity Blurs Racial Lines

In a recent video, cultural commentator Emma Dabiri sheds light on the growing phenomenon of "blackfishing," a practice she describes as white women online altering their appearance to mimic mixed-race or light-skinned black women. Dabiri explains that this trend involves a range of modifications, from changes in skin complexion and lip augmentation to the adoption of specific facial features and traditional black hairstyles such as weaves and braids. "There is little to separate these white women visually from black," Dabiri states, highlighting how these transformations are often achieved through cosmetic enhancements and styling to create a "facsimile of blackness." The discussion underscores concerns about cultural appropriation and the blurring of racial lines in digital spaces.

the Guardian

How I unlearned the internalised prejudice I had as a Black woman – one braid at a time

I decided to ditch my sleek, neat hair for chemical-free afro styles and noticed how differently I was treated. Changing my hairstyle has never just …