Whether it’s popular makeup brands aligning themselves with white supremacy or foundation lines forgetting that not all black people look the same, black makeup fans can’t seem to catch a break from the beauty world. While many of us are still debating whether or not squiggly eyebrows are in, it’s safe to say that one trend that we all want out is beauty influencers displaying racist behavior.
In a now deleted snap video posted by beauty blogger Jaclyn Hill, Youtube beauty influencer Kathleen Lights was caught using the “n” word while playing a video game, much to the immense disappointment of her Black fans. And while she later posted an apology to Instagram that seemed somewhat more genuine than others, the situation was only made worse by the way non-Black fans rushed to respond to her apology.
Many non-Black people tweeted at Light telling her that they’d “forgiven her” for the offense, telling Black fans to “just get over it.” Some even went as far as denying that she’d done anything wrong, telling Lights not to apologize, excusing her behavior by pointing out that she was Latina or by saying that the n-word is just “something people say nowadays.”
Digging the grave deeper, Kathleen Light’s brother inserted himself into the convo, commenting on the post.
PSA to all non-Black people: the “n” word is not and was never your word to say. It’s a word that was reclaimed by Black people from the slur historically used alongside our rape, brutalization, and dehumanization, and still modernly thrown at our faces to remind us of how we hold little value within society.
And seeing how anti-blackness is commonly perpetuated within non-Black communities, you don’t get to use the word we’ve reclaimed for ourselves while still holding on to the beliefs the original term represents.
“But it’s in my music! It’s in the t.v. shows and movies I watch! Why can they say it but I can’t?” Wow. Maybe it’s because most of the people putting it in the media are Black? Just a thought.
Kathleen Lights using the “n” word was wrong (being Latina doesn’t change that fact), but the way non-Black people responded to the offense–attempting to excuse her behavior or going as far as to dismiss it–was just as bad. Non-Black fans should’ve taken several steps back and let her Black fans decide whether or not we’d forgiven her, and they definitely had no right to be telling us whether or not we could be offended. You don’t get to define the way in which Black people deal with your anti-blackness.
Glamdom 