What Is Blackfishing and Why Would Anyone Do It?
This controversial trend has serious ramifications.
Earlier this month, Jessica Krug, a white Jewish associate professor at George Washington University confessed to pretending to be Black, issuing a lengthy apology on Medium for her transgressions. She wouldn’t be the first white person accused of pretending to be Black, or «blackfishing» as the action has been called.
Last month, British pop singer Rita Ora was called out in a viral tweet that questioned her racial identity. The tweet accused her of blackfishing as well: pretending to be (or altering her appearance to look) ethnically Black. Ora has yet to address the tweet, but the revelation that she was a white Albanian left many fans feeling deceived.
Ora isn’t the only celebrity who has been accused of blackfishing. Stars like Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, and TikTok’s Addison Rae have also been slammed by some on social media, who’ve pointed out that the racial identities they project and their true backgrounds aren’t the same.
Blackfishing, a term partly coined by hip-hop journalist Wanna Thompson, describes the phenomenon of non-Black influencers and public figures using bronzer, tanning, Photoshop, or even cosmetic surgery to change their looks to appear Black or mixed race. The word stems from the racist practice of blackface, which involves putting on dark makeup to mock the features of a Black person, often for comedic effect. Like blackface, blackfishing also treats Black features as a costume that can be removed at will.
It’s not just celebs who’ve been accused of blackfishing. Instagram influencers have also been charged with putting on a kind of digital blackface to possibly deceive their followers. Two prominent influencers who have come under fire, Emma Hallberg and Aga Brzostowska, have both denied they have Black heritage.
«When you talk about ‘fishing’ of any sort, you’re talking about duplicity,» Gail Saltz, MD, a clinical psychiatrist tells Health. «The question is whether it’s conscious, where you’re purposefully fooling others, or unconscious, and keeping up a practice for personal gain. Both can occur in different kinds of scenarios.»
So why would someone blackfish—whether or not they intend to deceive others? Here are some reasons, according to psychology and cultural experts.
Deep insecurity about their appearance
For a person to want to change their physical features so much that they take on the characteristics of another race, serious insecurities are likely to blame, LaToya Gaines, PsyD, a New York-based psychologist, tells Health. She points to Rachel Dolezal as an example. In 2015, Dolezal made headlines for passing herself off as Black (she even served as the president of the NAACP in Spokane, Washington), yet actually is a white woman with no Black racial heritage.
«For someone like [Dolezal], I can imagine within her story there wasn’t a lot of praise and appreciation for who she was as a person growing up,» LaToya Gaines tells Health. «There possibly wasn’t a lot of celebration about what was natural to her family and culture, which probably opened the door for her to adopt [Blackness].»
Adds Dr. Saltz: «Adopting another identity of any sort, including an alternative racial identity, usually has to do with some sort of intense dissatisfaction with your current identity. Whether that’s insecurity or self-loathing, [you believe] that the other identity will get you something you don’t have.»
Racial fetishism
Leslie Bow, PhD, a professor of English and Asian American studies who researches the politics of race and sexuality, believes that a person’s desire to take on the traits of another race comes from «objectifying otherness.» Reducing a culture to a type is fetishizing, Bow explains. «You reduce a whole culture to something you can appropriate,» she says.
S omeone who blackfishes might view Blackness as a commodity they can adapt in any way that pleases them. Bow says the thinking goes like this: «I want this entire people and population to be one thing and to stand for one thing.» It’s a reduction, she adds. «I can make Black women stand for this—their hair, clothing, look—and I can take it for myself.»
When a non-Black person commodifies the visual profile of people of color, they «trivialize it and glamorize aspects of it that are really a fraction,» says Dr. Saltz. Take Black hair, for example. According to the recent Dove/Crown research survey, 80% of Black women feel the need to change their natural hair in professional settings. Yet those who blackfish can transition between their natural hair textures and traditionally «Black» hairstyles easily and without discrimination—reducing these hairstyles to a trend or commodity.
«That taps into a long history in this country of people [equating] what is ‘cool’ with ‘Blackness,’ without having to deal with the consequences of being Black, like the racism and state violence,» Alisha Gaines, PhD, an associate professor of English at Florida State University and author of Black for a Day: Fantasies of Race and Empathy, tells Health.
An opportunity for advancement or social currency
With the rise in representation of people of color in media and entertainment and the success of musicians like Rihanna and Beyoncé, Dr. Saltz believes that those who blackfish may see something to gain professionally or socially. «It could be malingering, having something to gain by duplicitously putting myself forward as this other identity,» says Dr. Saltz. «I want this job, this money, this opportunity, and this identity will make me get it. That’s a sociopathic malingering aim to get something.»
It’s almost the inverse form of «passing,» a practice dating to the days of slavery and Jim Crow, whereby lighter-skinned people of color would try to pass for white for political and social gain. The difference between blackfishing and passing, however, is that passing was also a survival tactic for Black people living in a racist culture.
«Blackfishing for followers on social media is not about survival or navigating the threat of racial terror, it’s [about] social media likes,» says Alisha Gaines.
Those who blackfish view Black features as a thing that sells films, music, beauty products, and more. Even more important is that blackfishing can be done without any of the negatives that come with living as a true Black person. «People who blackfish do it because they’re marketing an appropriated commodity that they can then walk away from,» says Alisha Gaines. «It’s creating a space in the market that sees the aesthetics of Blackness as cool and capitalizing on that.»
Desire to fit in with or show sympathy for another race
In an increasingly multicultural society, people who are not Black are learning more about inequality and racial injustice. They’re also being exposed to more coworkers and peers who are Black or mixed race. Dr. Saltz believes that blackfishing might be a way for non-Black individuals to show their concern and solidarity—or a way to overcompensate for their real identity.
«In a situation where someone is feeling intensely attached to or identified with someone of another race or culture, they might appropriate those elements,» says Dr. Saltz. «Someone who is [blackfishing] for the moment may think they’re doing it to attain sympathy or be seen as on the side with or sympathetic to the point that they over-appreciate that attribute.»
From white people of 1960s counterculture wearing afros and dashikis to the streetwear boom of today, donning another ethnic group’s traditional hairstyles and clothes becomes a means of declaring affinity or sympathy for that group—but without recognizing the implications of it. «Appropriating these styles became a cultural declaration of where one stood ideologically,» explains Dr. Saltz. «It was a recognition of the beauty, the power, and wanting to be liked.»
The impulse to want to express sympathy or solidarity isn’t wrong, but blackfishing is not the way to do it. «We’re seeing more images of [Black people] embracing our natural hair and having darker skin, and there’s a story behind the journey of us getting to this point of embracing it,» says LaToya Gaines. «As we become more mainstream and those images become more mainstream, white people can use their white privilege to mimic these images and our ways of making ourselves feel beautiful, without really understanding the story or struggle behind it.»
What people who blackfish need to know
Dr. Saltz acknowledges that not everyone who blackfishes is aware of the cultural implications of treating ethnic features and styles as a trend or commodity. «This is feeling secure enough to do whatever you would like to your body, irrespective of the implications of this,» says Dr. Saltz. «We’re in a time where we’re understanding that it’s never just a ‘style’ and they’re fraught with real suffering.»
Bow wants those who blackfish to consider that they have the ability to stop the charade at any time. «You have the freedom to walk away from that. Black people do not have that freedom,» says Bow. «They can’t pick and choose or compartmentalize. That’s the notion of the privilege of it—the idea of taking it on as a masquerade or a costume though it appears to be an homage, like a Halloween costume.»
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‘Blackfishing’: A problematic trend where people pretend to be black
A white Swedish Instagram model is being accused of pretending to be black on social media in an attempt to gain followers.
Emma Hallberg, 19, is facing backlash after an image of her with noticeably lighter skin and straight hair recently started circulating online. Hallberg, who has 245,000 followers on Instagram, is known for posting photos of herself with darker-toned skin and curly hair, which has led many people to believe she was black or mixed-race.
White girls if you want to pass as Black, how about using your platforms to address the injustices and discrimation actual Black people face. Don’t just appropriate, Appreciate the people you are imitating #emmahallberg pic.twitter.com/gpmkvB0BZj
One social media user on Twitter said Hallberg was “painting herself black for mercantile purposes” and that presenting herself in this way was a form of cultural appropriation.
Others have accused her of “blackfishing,” a term used to describe non-black people adopting black features through heavy makeup, tans, textured or artificial hair and photo filters.
In response to the backlash, Hallberg told BuzzFeed she gets “a deep tan” naturally from the sun and never pretended to be anything but white. The teen also denied ever intentionally misleading people about her race and said she is “sad” that some of her “natural features are hurting and upsetting people.”
But Hallberg is among a slew of non-black women on social media who seemingly present themselves as black — a behaviour experts say is incredibly problematic.
According to Dr. Aria Halliday, an assistant professor of Africana feminisms at the University of New Hampshire, “blackfishing” is an extension of blackface.
Halliday pointed out that using race as costume is not a new practice, but the way in which women are using social media, makeup and beauty culture to alter their appearance is.
“The ability to costume oneself with makeup is something that people are really fascinated by,” she told Global News. “Being able to costume oneself via makeup as a completely different culture or ethnicity just [helps people] perform [blackface] even more.”
What Is Blackfishing? The Controversial Beauty Trend You *Don’t* Want to Get Behind
Why can’t you just leave it in the past? Blackface doesn’t happen anymore.
Sure, minstrel-show Blackface of the late 19th, early 20th century may be in the past, but just like other types of racist behavior, it’s evolved and modernized. So, no, we haven’t exactly left it behind. Take Blackfishing, for example. Coined the modern-day Blackface, this trend has made its way through social media, especially in the beauty world. Here’s everything you need to know about Blackfishing and why it’s so problematic.
Can we start a thread and post all of the white girls cosplaying as black women on Instagram? Let?s air them out because this is ALARMING.
What is Blackfishing?
Blackfishing is when non-Black folks “fish” for features that make them appear Black, mixed-race or racially ambiguous, like altering skin tone, hairstyle or facial and body modification that they profit from or are celebrated for when the culture they’re stealing from has been historically punished for those exact things. Most of the time, heavy makeup, extensive tanning and even photo filters can achieve this look. It has been dubbed “modern Blackface” and a form of cultural appropriation.
Back in 2018, the term began circulating across the internet when journalist Wanna Thompson posted a viral tweet that called for examples of white women “cosplaying” as Black women on social media. The thread garnered over 30.4K retweets and fired up an important discussion about how common Blackfishing is in the world of influencers and celebrities.
OK, so why isn’t it just called Blackface?
While Blackfishing is a form of Blackface, there are subtle but important differences. Blackface overexaggerates and heightens features to degrade and ridicule Black people. Blackfishing is flipping the script and using these “new features” for monetary or other gain. Influencers have strategically profited over “the look” to score sponsorships, popularity and product collaborations.
White girls if you want to pass as Black, how about using your platforms to address the injustices and discrimation actual Black people face. Don’t just appropriate, Appreciate the people you are imitating #emmahallberg pic.twitter.com/gpmkvB0BZj
What’s an example of Blackfishing?
1. Emma Hallberg
A prime example to come out of Thompson’s thread was Swedish influencer Emma Hallberg. The thread was flooded with side-by-side photos of Hallberg—the left photo showing the influencer’s light skin and straight hair as the right photo shows Hallberg with darker skin and curly hair. While she identifies as white and denied any wrongdoing, some fans felt deceived since she never corrected people. This is especially problematic when she regularly received coverage for her “aesthetic” and Black beauty accounts reposted her images.
2. Rachel Dolezal
Another far less subtle example is the Rachel Dolezal saga. In 2015, Dolezal was outed for pretending to be a Black woman. Her physical features and hair style as well as her role as a chapter president of the NAACP had people completely fooled. In reality, Dolezal is a white woman who profoundly confused her “appreciation” for Black culture and used it as a costume to further her career and lifestyle. Why is this deeply problematic? She profited off a culture that has been historically discriminated against for the exact things she copied.
3. The Kardashian-Jenner Family
The Kardashian-Jenner fam have a major following and fans rely on them for the latest trends. But sometimes a style can send the wrong message. Like, say, Blackfishing. Take Kim Kardashian’s darker skin on 7Hollywood magazine cover; Kylie Jenner essentially “cosplaying” as Beyoncé (compare that photo to what Jenner’s actual skin tone); or Kendall Jenner sporting an “afro” for Vogue in the name of fashion. Time and time again the family is blurring the lines between appreciation and appropriation for monetary gain, popularity and influence.
How can Blackfishing be harmful?
When BIPOC celebrate and highlight their features, they have been deemed unprofessional, undesirable and ghetto, while white women who borrow these features are seen as attractive, trendy and fashionable. As a result, these marginalized communities are overlooked, misrepresented and have to work twice as hard to get the same opportunities.
“What we are seeing—especially on social media—is another way of white women co-opting, profiting and benefiting from appropriating another race, and brands are encouraging this,” writer Stephanie Yeboah told The Independent. “A lot of these women receive endorsements from beauty and fashion brands based on the ‘black aesthetic’ but unfortunately when it comes to using real black women for campaigns, we are often sidelined and forgotten about.”
Influencers and celebs can pick apart features they deem desirable like they’re shopping at a clothing store. They can resell it as their own, return it when it’s not trendy anymore and emphasize society’s “beauty standards” that white, thin, curvy waist, straight hair and tan skin, to name a few are not only the “norm” but only right for certain individuals. The most harmful part about it? Some don’t see the issue and are quick to deny that they’re doing anything wrong.
But BIPOC women can’t just take off their features and swap it to finally be accepted by society. Influencers and celebrities accused of Blackfishing should take a step back and understand how problematic these beauty practices can be. Maybe then we can stop making it a constant trend on our social feeds and move towards more inclusion in these spaces.
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Иван Зотин
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BLACK FISH: производство и продажа продукции для карповой ловли. Ссылка на тему форума: http://www.carper.su/forum/showthread.php?t=11460
BLACK FISH BAITS: карповое питание, пеллетс, ликвиды, добавки. Ссылка на тему форума: http://www.carper.su/forum/showthread.php?t=10826
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Всем покупателям присваивается скидка 5% на последующие покупки продукции BLACK FISH.
пеллетс куплен!
спасибо Ивану за быструю отправку!
спасибо Ивану за быструю отправку!
получил сегодня свою посылочку 15 кг 5мм пеллетса,запах просто обалденный,мне понравился, думаю карпам тоже понравится!
Зачотный кабанчик на фото!) Вчера получил пеллетс и поплавки, правда мешок ещё не вскрывал, т.к. очкую, что по багажнику разлетится, вечером отвезу на нужное место и вскрою. Очередной раз спасибо Ивану.
Получил черный мешок на молнии, качество огонь, всем рекомендую.
Вань, спасибо за пелетс. Уже протестировал на водоеме. Был на короткой сессии, рыбка отзывается хорошо
пока доехал до места, мой салонный ароматизатор сменил аромат на рыбный 
Тоже хочу присоединиться к положительным отзывам. Брал у Ивана пелетс 12мм запах отличный.
Отловился максимально удачно, делал микс пелетс+кукуруза. Ивану спасибо, в скором времени еще возьму.
ок.
пеллетс очень хороший, был опробован на двух дневном выезде. рыбку тянет на себя своей жирностью просто отлично.
Сегодня получил пелетс Внешне довольно хорошего качества думаю рыбкам понравиться Спасибо Ивану за хороший пелетс и оперативную отправку.
Пользуюсь мешками, качество на высоте! всем советую.
День добрый, Иван! Спасибо огромное все пришло в лучшем виде. За дополнительные тестовые образцы отдельное спс.! Отчет за мной.
Добрый день, вот только недавно удалось опробовать пелетс, который 12мм, на диком водоеме, не могу говорить на сколько хорошо сработал именно пелетс, но в совокупности со злаковыми, бойлами и другими вкусняшками принес не плохой результат в виде трех хрющек от 5 до 10 кг и это меньше чем за одни сутки. Так же хотелось бы отметить ярко выраженный запах рыбы или рыбной муки, не знаю как он точно называется, это оценил не только я, но и стайка собак из 4-х псов, которые прибежали сразу после замеса прикормки, пришлось откупаться так же им, а то бы меня съели))
Так же, так как я любитель фидерной ловли, добавлял 7мм пелетс в фидерную прикормку, если не перебарщивать с количеством, то в месте с ним хорошо лепятся шарики для заброса рогаткой и из кормушки не высыпается.
Иван, доброе утро! Посылку получил, спасибо огромное! Думаю, что уральскому карпу этот пеллетс будет по вкусу, отчет за мной.
Получил мешки и поплавок!! Все очень достойно! Спасибо. Рекомендую всем.
Получил мешки и чехол к ним. Порадовало качество. Спасибо. Рекомендую.
Тема: BLACK FISH
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Компания BLACK FISH разрабатывает и производит широкий спектр продукции для карповой ловли: багаж, аксессуары, расходные материалы, одежду.
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Сборка увлекательных материалов о нашем интересном хобби, которую можно взять с собой куда угодно: на рыбалку, в туристическую поездку или почитать за чашкой кофе.
Запах глянца, познавательные тексты и красивые картинки в одной обложке. Приятный привкус олдскула от чтения бумажного носителя информации.
Купил спальник от Трэкэр и сгоняв с ним на соревы, еле впихнул его в родной чехол, боролись со спальником вдвоем и конечно победили, но чего нам это стоило, фууфф!!))) Встал вопрос что делать и как с этим бороться? Помониторив просторы карповых сайтов нашел только две альтернативы сумок для спальника от ФОХ и Блэк Фиш (трэкэровские вёдра уже проходили, не фонтан, имхо). Решил остановить свой выбор на отечественном производителе. Позвонив в BLACK FISH получил профессиональную консультацию, какой размер сумки мне нужен и стал обладателем вот такого товара http://blackfishteam.com/bagazh/sumka-dlya-spalnogo-m. В отличии от сумки для спального мешка от Фох, у сумки от BLACK FISH стяжки для спального мешка расположены внутри сумки, что позволяет утянуть спальник внутри и спокойно застегнуть молнию.Купил, рад, не прогадал! Большое спасибо!
Держи сердце в тепле, а голову в шапке
Чехол Oval Landing Net Case предназначен для безопасного хранения и транспортировки голов для подсака овальной и круглой форм.
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1 пользователь сказал cпасибо Bad Fisher за это полезное сообщение: :
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Леска Sensor Clear больше ориентирована на любительские рыбалки, имея крайне комфортную цену.
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Чехол Throwing Stick Сase, в первую очередь, спроектирован для карбоновых кобр прямой формы.
«Кривое» отделение чехла, выполненное на молнии, удобно для выгрузки и загрузки кобры.
В нижней части чехол имеет петлю из шнура, которую удобно использовать для подвешивания чехла — как на рыбалке, так и при хранении.
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