What is blackfishing? It is when Caucasians or people of European descent excessively tan themselves and/or use makeup several shades darker to look as if they are of African, Arab or Hispanic origin. Usually these individuals apply the makeup in such a way as to change their facial structures to appear like other races and sometimes surgery is even used. Blackfishers also sometimes photoshop their pictures to appear more Black or use excessive filters to accomplish this look. Like catfishing, blackfishing is appearing to be someone you are not, but it differs in its specific offense of stealing the identity of Black culture.
The concept of blackfishing started gaining attention in 2018 when older photos of Emma Hallberg—a Swedish woman who excessively tanned, allegedly wore braids to texturize her hair, and bronzed heavily—revealed that she was actually a pale white woman. People online were shocked and outraged, but Hallberg claimed that she was not pretending to be Black and that she simply tanned a lot. Influencers are also guilty of blackfishing on Instagram, profiting off of perceived Black features. Celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Rita Ora, the Kardashian sisters, Kylie Jenner, and more have also been accused of blackfishing.
Why is this wrong? Blackfishing hurts the people it is stealing from. It is a form of cultural appropriation and harmful to people because it diminishes and silences the experiences of Black people, who face discrimination from their race. Blackfishers take advantage of Black features when it’s trendy or appealing and often make money off of this, but don’t have to be Black when it’s time to face Black issues. They maintain their privilege. They don’t wake up Black. They can be their real identities whenever it is convenient to them.
Some blackfishers have gone so far as to steal minority scholarships with their fake identities. Whether blackfishers go to these extremes or not, the act of blackfishing is still wrong. Oftentimes mixed-raced Black people can find themselves being called not Black enough or being compared to blackfishers. Other times, ethnic women with naturally ethnic features are accused of copying the Kardashian/Jenner family, who changed their appearance to look like and profit off of these groups.
Another component of blackfishing is its fetishization of Black people and culture. Professor Leslie Bow noted that blackfishing is like someone molding Blackness into a commodity they use as they please when they see it as appealing. This is extremely unhealthy and again disrespectful, disgraceful, and harmful towards Black people. No one should have their features or their cultures used as a selling point or fetish for people who are not even in their community.
Today blackfishing seems to be getting increasingly popular, whether it starts with excessive Snapchat filters, makeup several shades too dark, or ridiculous amounts of tanning. Our society needs to change the way it profits off of and works against Black People and this trend needs to be addressed and taken seriously. Some compare it as today’s blackface and like the previous, racist act, it needs to go!