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Hello, I'm Tina Dehealy and this is Beyond Today, a space to ask one big question about

one big story.

Today, is it okay for white girls to look black.

As a British Asian woman with dark skin, I am all too familiar with colorism, which is

prejudice against people who have a darker skin tone and the preferential

treatment of those who are of the same race but lighter skinned. Having a

lighter complexion is something women in my community and women in other non-white

communities all over the world continue to strive for. Growing up for me that

white European beauty ideal that standard was also reinforced in

mainstream popular culture. Colorism has become a global talking point this year

but over the past few weeks a new word has emerged

on social media after a backlash against white Instagrammers who've been accused of trying to

look black or racially ambiguous.

The term used to describe what these girls are apparently doing, blackfishing.

Now I didn't know what blackfishing meant up until a few weeks ago but I've had some pretty heated

conversations with my own friends about it since and we've also been talking about it in the

office with Jaja and Serin.

I had no clue about Blackfish and like I didn't even know it was a thing.

I just didn't know that there was a term for it.

I guess which says a lot because I've been so used to seeing people make themselves look different

whether it's by having their lips done having lip fillers or using fake tan or using foundation that's darker, a lot darker than the original skin tone and even you see like slabs like the

...