Wonderful topic. People don't seem to understand that blackness is really more of a lived experience than a genetic composition. To be black is to experience racism, bigotry, micro-aggressions, stereotypes, assumptions, implicit and explicit biases, disadvantages and so much more solely based on our phenotypic traits (our appearance). Kehlani is not black. Period. The black experience is not her experience, and the same goes for all racially ambiguous people who possess black genetics but lack the visible indicators of blackness. I can't understand why people who don't experience blackness are so determined to claim it. It is perfectly acceptable for them to own and discuss their experiences as mixed, passing, or ambiguous people.

We should ask ourselves why blackness is a spectrum only when it comes to women, but not men.

This is how Rita Ora was being perceived as black like how...have we forgotten what black people look like

As a light skinned black woman with two black parents,I agree. The level of gaslighting about BW erasure is ridiculous. We all have eyes.

My sister and I had a funny conversation that ended in “if someone wouldn’t look at you and call you the n word to hurt you, don’t use it in any context” and I think it’s a great “rule of thumb”

Black in every country and black in every context. Yes. Also stunning, beautiful and fierce.

“Kehlani saying the n-word is more acceptable for you than me being upset about that.” This!! I live in northern Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C. and when I first moved here I heard non-Black Hispanic people saying the n word AROUND Black people. I was the only one in awe and even disgust tbh. I also realized I was really in a one sided cultural exchange. Many of the non-Black Hispanic boys had Black girlfriends, dressed how Black people do, spoke how Black people do, etc and not one Black person besides me was visibly upset at how they had all the “benefits” of being Black and not having one Black experience. I just remember feeling so powerless and the saddest part is how desensitized I find myself unless I see anti-Blackness in its most extreme forms. We, as a COMMUNITY, have to stop allowing non-Black people to be our representation.

Beauty/pretty privilege tends to overshadow/cloud people's judgment all the damn time. It's why some will accept shitty behavior from a conventionally attractive person versus someone not so much.

“She’s not dated anyone darker than a banana” This sent me 😂😂😂 I love your look Mayowa and really enjoy your videos. Your intro brightens my day every time 😍

I'm a white dude, but I always found the topic interesting. Growing up, when the media showed us "the ideal black woman," it was always a biracial woman, and the broader public just accepted it without question. You're not a gatekeeper for saying this. You're speaking the truth.

As someone who loves Kehlani this really made me stop and check myself. I never looked at her as a black woman honestly and when I heard that song I had already fell in love with her music prior to it so I let it slide without even thinking. I need to be fair because I talk about Cardi B all the time and how she had infiltrated black spaces without being black. I was literally letting it slide with Kehlani cause I favor her more. 😩 Thank you for this video. ❤

I feel a sense of anger towards black ppl who intentionally gaslight other black ppl into believing that someone like kehlani is black or “looks” black 🤨. I also dislike biracials being the representative of light skin black ppl who have two black parents . I love your videos . Just found your content and it’s gold💛

And don’t say it’s a Bay Area thing. As a black girl from the Bay Area, I have never been okay w/ non black peoples claiming blackness, wear AA culture as a costume, or saying the n world. Always has gotten a side eye from me

“*and mixed with black does not mean black.” THIS

The same can also be said for Jhené Aiko, people that don’t read phenotypically black but however are lumped up with blackness

Same goes for TAKASHI 69, & Cardi B ... She uses the N word more than anything and neither of her parents are BLACK, look black, nor have black names smh 😔 but every song she spit she gotta say "ni99a something "

It’s BAFFLING to me how so many people are purposely missing the whole point just ‘cause they want to be perceived as Black. It’s the cognitive dissonance and unchecked privilege for me!

I am lighter skinned black girl and I've experienced lots of racism such as being bullied for my hair texture 4b , being called the n word, being fetishized because I'm black and being called other hurtful slurs. I have always felt some way about mixed people being called black because a majority of the ones represented in media now are more white passing and I'd hate to raise my children with these ideals of what black beauty is "supposed" to look like.

Glad I could assist you in that Twitter war ☠️ people are so purposefully content with behaving dense it’s honestly eerie

As a multiracial person who is automatically read as black, I also find it weird when people like Doja Cat or Kehlani are called black women because they're not only black. There's an "and _" missing for a lot of these people or they just are something else to begin with (Cardi B for example).

I’ve been saying this forever! Other black women even started arguing with me bc i said it don’t feel right how she uses the n word and don’t even got one full black parent. Another prominent Oakland rapper Kamaiyah even stopped fucking with her and called her colorist. She claims kehlani called her “black” and “ghetto”. I’m sick of these mixed race women profiting off of their loose ass proximity to blackness just bc they are considered “desirable”. If kehlani can say the n word does that mean Halsey can too??? They both have about the same amount of blackness. But no one wants to have this conversation bc then kehlani would have to answer for her use of the n word. It’s disrespectful af.

We’re being erased 🤦🏿‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

I'm a white woman from Barcelona. I just found your channel and can't stop scrolling and watching your videos. I think you are so polite when talking about this experiences and sociopolitical issues and really appreciate the work you are doing to spread consciousness! Keep going, thankyou! PS: love the creativity in your makeup :)

If you are MIXED, please claim MIXED. It is a Beautiful thing AND if you want to define, DEFINE, it is up to you. Mayowa You are a Arteast with your makeup.

Kehlani has actually said a few years ago she doesn’t want to be considered a black women bc it’ll erase and overshadow the black female artists

“Sometimes it don’t make no sense”🎵 Exactly how I feel about Kehlani and her antics.

She literally snapped at Nicki Minaj saying she was black. But she’s mixed like me and I’m from the Bay like her. Doesn’t mean I’m black. And love your eyeliner by the way 🔥

We live in a world that disrespects black women so much that they feel the need to erase who black women are. No one in the black community actually sees this woman as a black woman. Many people don’t see biracial women as black women but they will say they are black women and biracial women will say that they are black women. People are really out here globally saying that they don’t know the difference between a biracial woman and a fully black woman. So we are dealing with a society even within our own group who is ok with the erasure of fully black women and accepting of anyone with a drop of black blood as a full on black woman. Black women are gaslighted by our own community, the white community, and any other community that does not want to accept mixed raced people as mixed when they have a black parent. They are just considered black. So this is how the kehlani’s are created. All they need is a little bit of black blood and they feel they are a representation of black womanhood and society allows this. Society encourages this behavior,and not only do they do this, they gaslight biracial people into accepting being nothing other than black no matter how other they may look. That is how Rachel Dolezal a white woman was able to pass as a black woman because the erasure is so strong that if you tell a biracial or multiracial woman that they are not black like you. Society will say that you are wrong, these women are black and you have to shut up and accept these women representing you, when they don’t. They will also tell Meghan Markle a white passing biracial woman how much of a black woman she is when that has never been her lived experience. It’s a perpetual cycle of gaslighting actual black women into accepting their own erasure. Every woman no matter the race can pretend to be a black woman and the world is ok with it, as long as it’s not an actual black woman. It’s crazy out here.

I’m black. I don’t use the n-word. I consider it an insult no matter the context or whose mouth it comes out of. I just wish that we would get away from this idea that just because someone is black that they are cool with this.

I really like your advocacy and perspectives on blackness.

when I first saw Kehlani pop out dating YG…I knew it said a lot about her. she clearly likes being labeled as “black” so she can profit off of the culture and cater to black men. i also feel like she used those pictures with sza to pander to black women. thanks Mayowa for being bold enough to speak out on this because it IS problematic.

we need to do a part 2 but with Logic.

Honestly i dont even think its a perception thing either. Cause zendaya has color to her but shes not black to me . Black folks need to start gatekeeping blackness . If you have two black parents ya black . If you have a black parent and a white parent ya mixed no matter if u look blk or not . I agree with your message nonetheless. I always feel like blk women like to live vicariously through biracial women and will crucify a fully blk woman for saying something about gatekeeping

Love the make up! Black folks always shine when adorned in yellow! 😍 And I totally agree with your analysis: people are definitely fine not digging too deep if someone is conventionally attractive and crosses a line.

Mayowa's intro just lights up my day😂❤️ "Hi,welcome to Mayowa's world"

Hair and makeup are always on point 🥰

you ain’t lie sis. i’ll never forget when i was watching one of her videos with my friend, and she said “ni**a”. they instantly were like “ is she even black?” 😂😂

You were the first person who I heard say that race is about perception and I've adopted this understanding since because it makes so much sense. Race is a made-up construct so its always been about perception. Also, as a dark-skinned black woman, its exhausting to be placed into the same category with racially ambiguous women as it pertains to beauty. They don't represent the majority og black women, but get the most exposure. I totally agree with you. I think your African heritage allows you to have a different perspective about this because this "one drop and you're black" rule is exclusively an American construct. ❤❤❤

Also I’ve noticed that anyone can claim to be black if they have a percentage of black in them but if I as a black woman had 25% white in me the same percentage as logic and so many more . I can’t be white which I don’t ever get

Always saw her as a mixed woman w/ more indigenous heritage than anything. Maybe a quarter black if anything but nowhere near the level of being labeled as black. Sad to see the black woman erasure continue to go on in the media

Your eyebrows look amazing lady👸🏽 Regarding your discussion, this is just gaslighting 101, but mad props to you for calling out this foolery👏🏽

👏👏👏👏👏 A WORD!! I'm Tired of the gaslighting black women have to deal with and I'm happy more of us are standing up for ourselves.

I heard California men especially black men are very colorist.

You are very pretty. Love your eye make up. You got me experimenting with different colors around my eyes😀 great commentary. I don’t think a lot of black folks are ready as they choose to live vicariously through their mixed friends and family. 🤣🤣🤣

I think a lot of people default to calling biracial women Black, because the question becomes “What is biracial culture or society? Or “what is mixed-race culture?” It all goes back to the “one-drop rule” that people refuse to discard. But I understand 1000% that being Black versus biracial operates differently. There is a privilege behind being “exotic.” Exoticism is real. It’s the reason why so many little girls grew up saying “I’m mixed with Indian” even when their features were unambiguously Black. And when it comes to anything, Black women are not allowed to be angry. As soon as we are, we’re called bitter or a hater. But most times, we aren’t even angry. We just present facts and challenge brainwashed thinking.

I'm 💯 with you on this. I'm having a difficult time accepting some folks as black even though society considers them as such. The 1 drop rule ended over 50 years ago. Besides, we don't even know how these folks identify on paper. For me, to be black you have to have mon, dad, and at least 2 black grandparents.

I'm in NYC, and here we have become so desensitized to hearing non-blk Latinos & others say it, nobody bats an eyelash. We hear it from when we are little until adulthood growing up around them in the hood, so it's become normalized here. I'm not defending it, I'm just saying the northeast is a different world, so that's why people from other regions are flabbergasted, and yes these people pretty much adopted our culture to the point where everyone mimics us here. They also call each other that though. Like you will hear Arabs call other Arabs the N word, everyone wanna be down until real 💩 happens.

I love seeing this shyt. I’m biracial, & I love to see black women being their own genre. Same as seeing biracial as our own genre. It’s actually so different and I’m glad to see people putting more attention towards this. The “one drop” rules doesn’t exist

Love you girl & appreciate you for using your voice unabashedly 💕

Kehlani herself kind of changed her narrative of her blackness (or lack thereof) but once you’ve said it once no one hears the correction.

Loooooove these earrings!! They go so well with the shells in your hair

I loveee your makeup and hair clips (for lack of better word) looking amazing and beautiful as always ☺️❤️

Love the makeup and hair look ❤ as always! I loved your take on this topic

Ngl I literally added that song to a playlist last night 😭 this video really clocked me, I was obsessed with that specific album and music back in middle school. I never saw her as black but again the pretty privilege had me with rose tinted glasses. Thank you for brining this subject to light cause it’s definitely important to have these convos. Also you’re stunning & the makeup/ face card is givingg💓

Lmao Kehlani is part black at all? I had no idea. She’s a Latina woman to me. I am half white half middle eastern and while my father is not white, I pass as white rather easily, so I call myself white. I was recently talking about this with my biracial (half black, half white) boyfriend because we saw a video of a white girl saying she’s not white because she is half black. Yet if she hadn’t said she was part black, nobody realized she was. She said she was half, but she is actually a celebrity. I looked her up. She’s actually only a quarter. And I’ve seen this with a few people on social media. They cling to blackness when they do not possess it. I’m from the south and have been raised predominantly around black people. Black people have been my only friends. And it honestly upsets me for black people to see it. It almost offends me. My boyfriend agreed with me too. I said that your race is whatever you are perceived as. I’m not interested in you pulling up pictures of your parents, or your hair without a flat iron, or DNA tests to prove that you’re black. In my opinion if you don’t look it, you aren’t. It doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate what you come from on the black side as well as the other, but to call yourself black I feel is disrespectful to actually black people. I think there’s a difference between someone asking you your race and someone asking you what your full heritage is. I think if you are perceived as white then you are white. And if someone asks you what you are further than that then that is your opportunity to talk about being part black. But don’t claim it as your race. It’s disingenuous to people that are undeniably black. So I agree with you. This video is amazing as usual and I love your gentle approach to things. You’re beautiful and I hope you’re having a beautiful day. I always love your makeup. It looks so good today! I’d also like to mention my boyfriend that is part black looks black. But he also looks half white. He doesn’t say he is black. Because clearly he is light skinned and is clearly not BIEC (great acronym btw). So he says he is mixed. And I think more people need to be doing that instead of calling themselves black men or women when they’re just not. Kehlani isn’t EVEN a mixed woman I didn’t think. She does not appear mixed. I don’t listen to her music or follow her so I had no idea this was going on. But yea I agree, this is messed up. I do see a lot of people especially women doing this and I always look at them sideways. Cardi B is always a great example. That woman isn’t black. It’s so disrespectful and you shouldn’t have to feel bad for not allowing these people under the same label you are forced under.

I think the perfect person to talk about in this topic is zendaya!!! The amount of black women & men swear she is black swear she is underprivileged when she literally fits every beauty standard possible the black community only claim her cause she is deemed as attractive the way they live through her is scary they will never be able to experience life like the mixed person she is & that’s not to discredit her success or talent.

Thank you so much for posting this video. I agree with your points about Kehlani and nothing you said was aggressive, in fact I think you were rather measured in your assessment. Similarly to Kehlani, I am mixed race (white/black) but pretty fair-skinned, big curls, and can pass for Middle Eastern, Italian, Hispanic, etc. I have always been very, very intentional about NOT labeling myself as a "black woman" because I do not look like one. My family and some of my friends don't like this and tell me it's wrong to say I'm not a black woman, but I say the same thing-- that claiming to be one contributes to erasure of visibly black women. I would find calling myself a black woman to be so unethical when I have a lot of privilege in the black community, and I also benefit from white/racially ambiguous privilege in many contexts. Many colorist black men don't denigrate women like me, they treat me like a "preference" (eye roll), while at the same time saying sickening things about "black in every context" women. I can't think of a single time I've experienced misogynoir from any race or group of people. So it would be wrong on so many levels for me to say that I am living the experience of a black woman. I don't, but I believe in listening to you and joining you in your causes. Also I wasn't gonna comment this until you said you are comfortable with compliments... you're absolutely radiant!!

LUV the look sis! 💘

Hey mayowa happy Sunday it’s so wonderful to see you just a breath of fresh air and oh my your locs have grown you’re so beautiful love ❤️ and light 🌞 my daughter one ☝🏿 love ❤️!!

Yes Queen, you look stunning! I lovveeeee your eye makeup every try time! And to your locs looking healthy and beautiful! Love the updo! 😍

Love the conversation and the makeup look! The pop of yellow 😍😍😍

Awesome video! And your makeup is always stunning! I wanna try some of your looks. You're a beauty!

I used to live in Brooklyn and people of all races used the “N” word. I was on the train once and these boys were talking. One was black, one was Indian, and the other one was Latino. They were recounting something that happened and one guy was like, “The Chinese n*gga said this and the Indian n*gga did that…” Puerto Ricans use the word often, no matter if they’re white, black, or tan.

I’m a mixed race guy from NorCal and I would never use the n word myself because I don’t feel that I fully experience blackness to claim ownership of it. I also generally dislike mixed people from using it even when we aren’t “passing” just because it helps draw the line for calling out white and other POC using it

"A villain and a superhero at the same time" woo a word! Idk how much of this is our fault because we don't guard our spaces, gatekeep and we try to claim everybody as Black. The Kehlani's and Doja Cats are like squatters in our house that we can't get rid of 🤦🏾‍♀️

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾❤️❤️❤️ on point analysis as always, and the look is fabulous 😍🙌🏾

Amazing video and you look beautiful!!❤

I appreciate that Kehlani did take accountability for her ignorance surrounding her saying the n-word casually & in songs while not actually being black (enough). She actually doesn’t even use the word anymore as opposed to others like cardi

I love your hair and your smile, yes the makeup is popping ❤

Thank you for doing this video … i’m a little older than your target audience, but in my teens it was often common for mixed children to be labelled black. I now see that this can become problematic, because like you say whereever we go are in the world. If you’re black, you’re black, no questions asked. Ambiguous you can literally be anywhere and people won’t know what your culture or your background is until you tell them. I do feel that society has allowed this to happen ( black men)and it needs to change , My memory is of Jay-Z being interviewed by Oprah years ago explaining why using this word was a good idea. And nothing to worry About . I totally disagree with anyone using it ..the N word to me means pain and less than.. I hate that word. (I think Jayz idea was that if you used it enough, it wouldn’t hurt. Well that plan failed).

I totally agree with you. I’m a mixed Brazilian woman with strong black features (my daddy is black), but given the climate of today I just can’t bring myself of identity as a black woman because I know my native Brazilian and white heritage influence how I look. I hold my blackness dear to my heart, but I don’t want to take the space that should be for suited for someone else that truly cannot ‘escape’ being perceived as black. Great topic

Super interesting! Here to learn and grow my awareness around these topics. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻

I loved everything you said thank you for this content and it is a privilege!!

Your right 4c hair should be a thing I also feel the same exact experiences. I have the same exact plights. I really hope you keep giving content and yeah your right though. We need more women with 4c hair throughout the qfrican and African American community. ❤️❤️❤️

Your makeup is STUNNING! Love bright colours.

This whole look is a serve🔥 Excellent discourse on this subject, I always learn so much from your channel

What you said was valid! Kehlani definitely has a type even the woman she is seeing now is light skin I would be surprised if she stepped outside of that preference 🤷🏾🤷🏾

Love the tied back hair and the sound of the earrings and shells in the mic😍❤

Girl thank you for saying what I could never put into words

I absolutely love this so happy you voiced your thoughts on this which is important and something brushed under the rug for so long can’t wait to hear other topics about colorism and such that you will speak of

It's crazy how I've always felt pressured to accept mixed people as black out of the social fear (fear of rejection and abandonment) of being seen as bitter and or jealous. I can definitely say my younger self (mostly elementary and high school) was envious of the lack of attention and automatic discard that I would get as these types of cultural gates were opened for mixed women based off of my immediate and unambiguous identity. It was interesting how as an East African dark skinned woman I felt bothered so quickly yet pressured to accept and be accepted by the very people who are rejecting me. WILD. I also have to be completely honest with myself as a dark-skinned black woman and look at the way that I was so quick to want to claim people like her as black because there was a part of me that wanted access to that desirability and that social acceptance. Desirability in this society whether we want to admit it or not creates opportunities. I thought, especially when I was in middle school and high school, that I would gain some desirability via association and through some sort of distorted social osmosis?? I'm not even sure I'm using osmosis in the best way lol, but yeah. In a way when you look at your wounds and trauma and see how you've downloaded societal messaging and exhibited them through these actions, it's scary and fascinating! Thank you for this analysis!

You are so beautiful and creative. I love watching your videos. You are such an inspiration to me

Yellow is so cute on you! The makeup has fairy vibes💛

Your hair looks so pretty today friend 😍😍

I'm lighter skinned and I've never been mistaken for anything but black in the US(granted I live in a rural place that's kind of a nightmare of racism sometimes) but when I went to europe and was wearing a wig with straight hair some people thought I might be Portuguese who also can have brown skin. I got high once and some asked me if I wa Asian. I don't think they were asking in a mean way. Is it crazy that I wear my natural hair because I don't want to be mistaken for anything than what I am?

I ALWAYS LOVE YOUR EYE LOOKS!!! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!

My beautiful sister back at it with another great video! ❤ I had to subscribe again because KZfaq unsubscribe me. 🙄

It's always a pleasure to listen to you.

You look beautiful! Love the yellow on your skin tone 🥰💛

your videos get me through the week

This is Gonna b so Insightful🔥🔥🔥👍n Happy Sunday😀….

I came across your channel yesterday and have been watching a handful of your videos, and I LOVE that you show off your makeup and look at the end of each video!! Your natural beauty plus skill and aesthetic are unparalleled!!

This discourse baddie is the main reason I come to KZfaq

I really like conversations like this. People need to understand that there is a difference between being black and being biracial. Just like there's a difference between being white and being biracial.

You are so beautiful sis , keep up the amazing work ❤❤❤

love the makeup and the hair, siss!

The green inner eye situation is mesmerizing!

New subbie, I love your videos; been a silent watcher for a while. I notice in the media how it seems to be easy for them to find unambiguous BM for roles but the women have to look mixed.

Um, you're spot-on in your analyses & soooooo beautiful!

I laughed out loud when you said "BIEC Black" as it reminded of Trevor Noah's comedy skit where he was excited to "finally be black" when he moved to the USA because in South Africa, the moment you're mixed with anything😅🇿🇦... Whether your great grandfather on your mother's side is other than black, then you're not black. You're colored - in spite of your dark skinned color