Last week, Kerry Washington took to Instagram to express her disappointment in the most recent airbrushing scandal of her career. Like many actresses in Hollywood, her features were altered to the point that some said she looked nothing like herself. Someone commented that she looked more like Scarlett Johansson. But the real problem wasn’t the contouring, the highlighting, or the airbrushing on the pages of AdWeek, it was the seeming lightening of her skin.
A photo posted by Kerry Washington (@kerrywashington) on
Washington is more than a beautiful woman. She is a beautiful black woman, a role model, and an inspiration to millions of other black women. At a time when the media is constantly talking about the browning of America, it is unacceptable to see mainstream magazines, photos, and billboards still whitening models. This sends the message that a lighter complexion is still better.
In fact, this has happened to Washington before. Last year, after appearing on the cover of InStyle, she addressed fan concerns about her skin being lightened in a tweet saying discussions about race perception are “an important [conversation] to be had.” Instead of complaining about the changes, she noted that it was disappointing, but an opportunity to talk about race in America.
Her recent commentary on Instagram should be applauded. Not only did she thank the magazine for the opportunity and platform, but she gracefully handled the situation by expressing her frustration with alterations as a whole. She even noted the quality content of the print interview and a couple of photos inside the spread.
Washington could have said “shame on you” to AdWeek, or spurned them viciously, but she didn’t. She expanded upon her statement in an interview with Oprah on Super Soul Sessions by saying, “I was very taken aback and very uncomfortable about looking at an image that I did not recognize as myself. I felt like, in a way, that is not okay with me because that echoes that little girl that thought I wasn’t enough. And I know that I am enough, so don’t make me feel like I’m not enough by changing me to fit some idea of what you think I’m supposed to look like.”
I think she is perfect just the way she is.
Nicole Fisher, is a Senior Contributor at The Federalist, the founder and CEO of HHR Strategies, a health and human rights focused advising firm. She is also a senior policy advisor on Capitol Hill and expert on health reform, technology and brain health - specifically as they impact vulnerable populations. Fisher curates a monthly international dinner series, “A Seat at the Table,” bringing to-gether thought leaders for an off-the-record discussion of moving health policy and planning forward. She also runs the nonprofit Global Brain Health Coalition and is pursuing a doctoral degree in health policy at the University of North Carolina.
Her writing has appeared in numerous journals and publications, and her talks can be found on the United Nations website and various news outlets. Before pursuing her PhD, Fisher earned her master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago and her undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri. Her health care and policy work at those institutions emphasized underserved populations, women's and children’s issues, and brain health. She serves on several boards for domestic and international health organizations and frequently speaks on health reform, innovation, human rights, and the context surrounding health.
