A number of white Instagram influencers have been accused of 'blackfishing' – pretending to be black or mixed-race on social media. Among them is Aga Brzostowska, a 20-year-old University of Birmingham student who says her skin is naturally 'not pale' but admits to making it darker through tanning.
Brzostowska, who asked to be referred to as Alicja, told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat that she does not believe she has done anything malicious. 'With things like tanning, I don't think I've done anything in a malicious way. So I don't feel like I need to stop doing something because... why would I stop doing something that's benefitting me or that I enjoy doing?' she said.
Critics have pointed to her fuller lips, curvier figure, and hairstyles including braids as evidence of blackfishing. Alicja claims her appearance is natural, the result of gym work and holidays. She also says her Polish heritage means she does not fit 'stereotypical' Polish features.
Swedish influencer Emma Hallberg, who has over 260,000 Instagram followers, has also faced accusations. She defended herself by saying she gets a deep tan naturally from the sun and does not see herself as anything other than white.
Dara Thurmond, a nurse from New York who has spoken out about blackfishing, says the trend is unfair to black women. 'Even now in certain work spaces, black women can't wear their natural hair out... to wear braids or to wear locks is seen as unclean or untidy – it's not professional,' she said.
The term 'blackfishing' gained traction after a Twitter thread by writer Wanna Thompson went viral last month, highlighting women accused of the practice.
