Let’s shed some light on a controversial post that shook Instagram users particularly in Kuwait.
In the past several celebrities have faced backlash on disrespecting culture via painting their faces black, joining this list is Ghadeer Sultan.
Influencer Ghadeer Sultan recently posted a rather controversial series of ‘blackface’ pictures on Instagram that sparked a fierce online backlash. However, in her defense she claimed that images are a representation of her artistic abilities and that she had no intention to offend anyone.Additionally she claims to feel ‘more beautiful’ in the blackface pictures.
Earlier this month, influencer Ghadeer Sultan posted a 53-second video in which she appears in blackface, as well as a single photograph seen below.
“No matter where you are from or what you believe in, we are all children of this world,” reads the caption in this video. “Beauty comes in all shapes and colors, so let’s love each other and celebrate our unity.”
However this irked quite a few users on the photo-video-sharing platform Instagram
Along with the video she also posted an image, where the video and the picture quickly amassed thousands of comments, with many users saying they were offended and shocked at the content shared by the influencer.
“This is the most offensive thing I’ve thing I’ve seen. You can portray togetherness without disrespecting an entire culture,” one user wrote. “So uneducated. This is beyond unnecessary and unacceptable.”
“Are you familiar with blackface? Do you understand the gravity of what you just posted? I don’t think so,” the user wrote. “Ignorance is not always bliss.”
In response to the growing online anger, Sultan posted the third image as seen below – again in blackface – in which she defended her actions.
In a more extended note posted to her Instagram stories as reported on Arabian Business, she wrote, “On the contrary, I looked more beautiful in my dark colors, I’ve tried to explain several times why and how I’ve done this and what was my goal behind it…I can’t change the sensitivity behind the whole issue.”
She also said in her story that, “I will work on resolving the [misunderstanding] and I will be careful in approaching or touching [other] cultures, so we can all enjoy the beauty behind the arts,” she added.
We are not sure if Ghadeer is making it worse by posting more of these images to defend herself, because she continues to receive offensive comments…well, let’s hope she has a great damage control strategy for the future!
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments
Photo Credits: Ghadeer Sultan via Instagram