If you were wondering what Zendaya has said about the recent Keke Palmer drama, the answer is nothing. The star hasn't (yet) said anything about the viral tweet that alluded to the fact her success is backed by colorism.
The tweet juxtaposed Zendaya's career to Keke Palmer's and wondered why the two haven't attained the same level of success. Keke responded by reminding everyone that she's incomparable, with good reason.
The MCU star hasn't said anything about the incident, but has been vocal about the colorism and racism in Hollywood in the past. She has also acknowledged the privilege that comes with being a light-skinned black woman and has used her platform to highlight these issues.
She's directly affected, some fans opposed her being cast as Spider-Man's love interest in the franchise because she's black.
Nevertheless, the 25-year-old forged her own path and is thriving on both the big and small screens.
On Being 'Hollywood's Acceptable Version Of A Black Girl'
Zendaya got her big break at 14 years old on the Disney Channel. She starred in Shake It Up alongside Bella Thorne and became a household name. She's since featured in several productions like Euphoria and even made it to the MCU as Michelle "MJ" Jones in the Spider-Man franchise.
Not only that but she's made a name for herself and is currently one of the biggest stars in the industry.
Her career hasn't been without its challenges, the star was once forced out of Lifetime's Aaliyah biopic by fans. Fans were opposed to the idea, so much so that they started a petition to have the role recast.
Some comments pointed out how the Disney alum looked nothing like Aaliyah and wondered why the role wasn't awarded to someone else. The star dropped out of the movie, citing an issue with the production value. Over the years, some fans have alluded to Zendaya being "Hollywood's token Black girl."
Speaking at the Beauty Con Festival, the Euphoria star revealed, "As a black woman, as a light-skinned black woman, it’s important that I’m using my privilege, my platform to show you how much beauty there is in the African-American community. I am Hollywood’s, I guess you could say, acceptable version of a black girl, and that has to change."
She told the audience, "We’re vastly too beautiful and too interesting for me to just be the only representation of that. What I’m saying, it’s about creating those opportunities, sometimes. You have to create those paths. And that’s with anything, Hollywood, art, whatever."
Zendaya Uses Her Influence For Good
It's evident that Zendaya is passionate about issues affecting the black community and has often used her influence to shine a light on some of those issues. The actress acknowledges how being a light-skinned black woman accords her some privilege, and hasn't shied away from publicly voicing her opinion on that.
She told Cosmopolitan, "I feel a responsibility to be a voice for the beautiful shades my people come in. Unfortunately, I have a bit of a privilege compared to my darker sisters and brothers."
She added, "Like people question, Would you listen to Zendaya if she wasn’t the same skin color? And that’s an honest question. Can I honestly say that I’ve had to face the same racism and struggles as a woman with darker skin? No, I cannot."
Zendaya went on to say, "I have not walked in her shoes and that is unfair of me to say. But I’m completely behind that woman. I want to be a part of the movement and growth. And if I get put in a position because of the color of my skin where people will listen to me, then I should use that privilege the right way."
Some Fans Didn't Want Zendaya To Play MJ Because She's Black
When news of Zendaya starring in Spider-Man: Homecoming broke in 2016, some fans weren't open to the idea of a Black "MJ." They took to social media to express their displeasure with the choice of actress.
Once again, the majority of the critics cited the difference in appearance between the "original" iteration of Mary Jane to Zendaya.
Despite Mary Jane being a fictional character, some angered fans were fixated on the character's race and refused to accept a black woman playing role.
One Twitter user wrote, "Since Mary Jane is being played by a black woman, can MLK be played by a White man in a next movie about him?"
Another one said, "Zendaya being the next Mary Jane is just wrong. Mary Jane is not black. Why can't Hollywood ever stick to the story? smh."
However, not everyone was opposed to the then 19-year-old portraying MJ. Writer and director, James Gunn, came to Zendaya's defense in a lengthy Facebook post.
He wrote, "… Yesterday, a rumor broke out that the character of Mary Jane was being played by a young black woman, Zendaya, and all hell broke out on the Internet (again). I tweeted that if people find themselves complaining about Mary Jane's ethnicity they have lives that are too good…"
He added, "… Whatever the case, if we're going to continue to make movies based on the almost all white heroes and supporting characters from the comics of the last century, we're going to have to get used to them being more reflective of our diverse present world. Perhaps we can be open to the idea that, although someone may not initially match how we personally conceive a character, we can be - and often are - happily surprised."
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