whitewashing
whitewashing is something that happens in tv and movies a lot. It’s changing the race of a character from books or comics, and making them white in movies and tv shows.
Sometimes we will say that the actors had nothing to do with it, that it was the directors, writers, and producers who are responsible, but those actors are in a position to stand up against it. By taking a whitewashed role, they are participating in white supremacy and taking a job from a non-white actor. Nobody makes them take that role, and we will go to the movies or watch the shows where this happens, which is financially supporting it, and thus, upholding it.
We as consumers must demand better from our entertainment. We speak with our dollars by not going to see those movies or watching the shows. This is a “loss” for us, but one we must embrace if we want movie and show-makers to do better.
whitewashing hurts Black actors and creators, further employs already easily-employable white actors and creators, and upholds white supremacy. To dismantle white supremacy, we will all need to make sacrifices. Sometimes that means quitting an acting job, or not accepting one in the first place.
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