While We’re on the Topic of Whitewashing…👀

Well for those who don’t know what it is, basically it’s when you depict a black character as a white character by lightening their skin or even changing their hair texture/appearance. So essentially stripping away the features of a beautiful black character.

This has happened plenty of times with my OC Rosa, for example. She’s black and Hispanic (like myself) and speaks both English and Spanish. And her skin tone is on the medium-light side (like mine) but sometimes when I get fanart, people still manage to make her skin tone even lighter than it is. I’ve even been questioned many times about what race Rosa is. A lot of people have asked me if she’s white. But I’ve never seen a white person with a big fluffy Afro before 😅 lol

Not all black characters have to be made dark. We come in a whole spectrum of wonderfully beautiful shades. And yes some of us are even born with natural freckles.

Also some people have either asked me to draw Rosa with straight hair or took it upon themselves to do so. I’m aware that black people can wear their hair straight too but I made her with an Afro for a reason. I love her hair the way it is and I wouldn’t change it. Having a character with an Afro is a powerful statement in itself since we were always raised with heavy judgment by society on our hair’s appearance and still are even to this day.

I really embrace Rosa’s beauty as is though and I wish people wouldn’t try so hard to turn her into a white character. Because she isn’t. She’s an Afrolatina. Her and Ruby are an interracial couple and that will never change. 💖

But yea, as a black/Hispanic artist in the art community I feel like it is necessary to voice my opinion about this and just spread a little more awareness 😌👍🏽✨

3 years ago 621 views 30 frames 19 Like