{"id":26242,"date":"2018-11-17T11:10:45","date_gmt":"2018-11-17T11:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevoiceoflondon.co.uk\/?p=26242"},"modified":"2018-11-17T11:10:45","modified_gmt":"2018-11-17T11:10:45","slug":"my-blackness-is-not-for-sale-blackfishing-another-form-of-cultural-appropriation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/my-blackness-is-not-for-sale-blackfishing-another-form-of-cultural-appropriation\/","title":{"rendered":"My Blackness is not for sale: ‘Blackfishing’ another form of cultural appropriation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The social media phenomenon of white people posing as black, shows how the culture and look of people of colour are seen as a commodity.<\/b><\/p>\n

It has some people on Twitter in an uproar – some calling it \u201cblackfishing\u201d. A Twitter thread was created calling out Instagram influencers who are allegedly blackfishing.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/WannasWorld\/status\/1059989829486690304<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/WannasWorld\/status\/1060189184202235905<\/p>\n

The tweets highlight the frustration people have with these influencers – they are capitalising on black features when in fact, they are white. <\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s disheartening for Black women, such as\u00a0<\/span>model and blogger Lauren Campbell who competes with white counterparts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs someone who\u2019s in the industry, it\u2019s frustrating because those girls tend to have thousands and thousands of followers in comparisons to dark skin girls or someone who\u2019s just my complexion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Lauren Campbell – Credit: Instagram<\/p><\/div>\n

Lauren has an impressive 13,000 followers. Yet, Emma\u00a0Hallberg, one of the influencers accused of “Blackfishing”, has 200,000 followers. Lauren is aware of the privilege of having European features.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think for me it’s different, in some ways I fit into the Eurocentric aesthetics but\u00a0<\/span>obviously not in others. I think my experience is going to be much different to a dark skin black woman.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have friends that have felt that way and it\u2019s disheartening especially when you have girls that\u00a0are faking it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

It\u2019s funny how it\u2019s okay for everybody to be black except for black people. pic.twitter.com\/j33F5f3uGx<\/a><\/p>\n

— Migi o0\u00a9\u2077 (@Claviqal) November 7, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n