So what I would like to say is: believe Black people. That is all. There are so many instances where we tell you: this shit is racist. Believe us! And then pay us to tell you how to do your jobs better. A #Thread
(To press the point, I reproduce racist images. Very sorry.)

1.

I am not an expert on advertising. I did not study this, I learnt a lot of what I am about to write about from Sandrine Micossé-Aikins ( https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/diversitaet-im-berliner-kulturbetrieb-wir-koennen-der.911.de.html?dram:article_id=457039).

Advertising works by using shortcuts. Symbols and images are needed to get a message across quickly.

2.

Images of Black people are often used to transport messages to do with holidays, party, sport, music, dance, sexual virility, lack of intelligence etc.
The shortcut I am going to focus on in this thread is "black equals unclean" "black equals less clean than white"

3.

There is a tradition of showing Black people having their "blackness washed off" in soap adverts.

4.

This is no accident! The racism was the point. It was important to show the superiority and desirability of whiteness.

5.

Countless Black people have suffered real physical and psychological harm because of images like this. The skin-bleaching industry is huge.

6.

And yeah... if you can't wash it off, you could try painting over it...

7.

So, viewed in this context, the intention of the individual who designed the advert is irrelevant to the effect that the image has on Black people.

8.

These images slot neatly into an established narrative. Again - there is a structural point to this. Regardless of whether an individual intends for it to happen or not. The structural effect is that the racist tradition is upheld. Black people know this.

9.

And so when you bring children into it, and when you are trying to raise money for the "poor starving children in Africa" the racism speaks louder.

10.

Let us focus on effect. Let us focus on repairing the damage. Hire Black people. Consult Black people. Read Black people. Believe Black people.
As long as this isn't happening, racism in advertising will continue.

End.