A Story:
Picture this (a true story):
A Person of Colour and a White person are texting (you pick who you want to be in this scenario). They are discussing plans, and at the end of the exchange the Person of Colour sends their White friend a brown “thumbs up” to indicate that they agree. The White friend sends back a thumbs up – and it is the same brown one.
How do you feel?
I have asked this of a handful of people in the last few days – Black, People of Colour, and White. The answers were generally all the same in principle: “That’s weird.”
Racially Diverse Emojis
It hasn’t been that long since emoticons on our telephones have had different skin tone options. Until April 2015, the only option for faces, people and hands were yellow. The yellow option still exists as the default, but now we have 5 skin tone choices to choose from. Five is not enough, but at least there are more than just brown and white, reminding us that skin tone comes in a variety of shades.
I celebrated when the “racially diverse” emoji’s arrived.
“Finally!” I thought. “An opportunity to be ‘seen’ in text.”
As I used them I notice that the brown ones become the default on my device, which is nice. It means I don’t have to go searching for “me” when I’m typing.
But here’s my question: Who are the skin tones for?
I have competing thoughts on this.
Who are the emoji skin tone options for?
Before the conversation I relayed above, I saw the options of skin tones as representative of racial diversity and relished the idea that anyone could use any tone as an affirmation of both diversity and inclusion. Why not use a brown thumbs up as a White person? After years of Brown and Black people using white emoticons, why couldn’t a White person use a brown or black thumbs up? In fact, why not change the default to brown?! – see how it feels!
And then when I look around, the emoji is just a small scale example of a larger problem – because just like life, people with brown and black skin tones are around, but we barely see them in comparison to our white-skinned brothers and sisters. The default in society is still White – despite the evolution of the emoji and “flesh tone” Band-aids. Look around. In Hollywood, most characters in movies are White, unless it is a movie about Black people, or People of Colour. Covers of magazines feature mostly White people, and most ads still use White people. (I was interviewed on EBC Live about this last week). So the emoji? A small victory. Does it matter? Yes, of course it matters. But if you think about the default, is it trivializing this issue for anyone to use any skin tone?
Which brings me to my third thought – if it’s a small victory, then let us have it. We finally have emoji’s that are at least trying to represent our skin tones, let us be the ones to use them.
And yet…
Despite these thoughts, and my commitment to inclusion, my reaction to the conversation I relayed to you above was visceral: “That’s not your emoji! It’s ours! Use your own!”
It’s complicated.
What do you think?
See more.
I emailed to someone who is Af-Am and used the med brown thumb up. I am white. Was that ok? Should the emoji represent yourself or the recipient? Confused!!
Hi Donna!
I think people use it both ways. But it would seem that it’s more common for people to use their own skin tone – if they have the option.