#Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

[sleepynegress]

*sigh* Featurism...

So, I woke up to this shit on the Twit app and I've only hit on this issue before, but today I'm digging in. Colorism is something that is not addressed often enough, but intersected within that and even more rarely spoken about, is the issue of featurism. The young actress above just got cast as Juliet in the latest big staged prestige production of Romeo and Juliet, opposite Tom Holland. And as usual the blue-checks, everybody else including "black", and even Black regulars are all-in on the cruelty.

...But I want to breakdown a nuance that is too often skipped over when this happens. The two people named with her, give away the featurism game, here; a particularly nasty form of often internalized racism. I guarantee if the young actress looked like this?

She'd definitely still get racist attacks, but the particularly nasty shit I'm seeing attacking her looks wouldn't come. In fact, I could see some people thinking they are defending her with "but she's pretty!" or more specific... "obviously she's mixed" comments. -Something pretty much every Black woman with features that don't align with a narrow perception of blackness hear often (and we'll get to why I specified women in a minute). And don't get it twisted...

These aren't exclusively nor standard white features either (see: the many ethnic features w/in white ethnic groups that also get hit to a lesser and non-racialized degree such as large "hook" and/or Romanesque noses for example, which is definitely about anti-semitism, anti-Romani sentiment, and other disparaged/discriminated against ethnic minorities in Europe) and yes, blue eyes are naturally occurring within non-mixed and dark-skinned Black people due to a mutation called Waardenburg syndrome. But there is a REASON why fetishizing even certain ethnic features within the African continental diaspora has been a thing for a long time...i.e. "the dopest Ethiopian" from the Tribe Called Quest lyric is pictured as this:

and this:

and not this:

...despite them all being Ethiopians of various tribal ethnicities.

A wide-nose, a tighter curl, coil, or zig-zag pattern of hair, fuller lips and often, but not always (because I've given examples above where features "mitigate" skin color) darker skin. Zendaya is grouped with Tracey and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, despite being both lighter in skin color and having a Black parent and a white parent because her nose isn't what has become the standard surgical look...that too many celebs have. This includes the ones who got so-called "ethnic" work or just a slight 'refinement'. No, her nose is born w/it, made for that good African air, as I call it. Nostrils prominent, nose bridge wide:

I went make-up free as well, because even make-up practices these days, go for that narrowing highlight technique i.e. just below it's subtle.

Sza is a an example of it taken to extremes, even with the Hollywood standard "ethnic" refinement she did get.

The thing is... I don't blame or attack her for that. Because you see above that is just a taste of what happens. Lil' Kim was relentlessly bullied by the men in her life for her ethnic features for her whole life...and that is why she is off-limits to this day for me when it comes to all the work she's had done.

...And this is where I explain why I specified men being mostly exempt. It's because "Blackness" including all the physical features associated with it, is by default masculinized. ...Which is why Idris Elba is considered one of the most handsome men in the world, w/o the caveats that even Lupita Nyong'o often gets. Nobody calls Samuel L. Jackson ugly. He is even idolized and fetishized by a specifically white male gaze for how culturally "Black" he is perceived to be for all the wrong reasons, his signature "motherfucka" for example (and I could go off on a whole other tangent here, but digressing). All this to say... Featurism sucks. It's not talked about enough. Blackness in all variations is Beautiful. Tracy Chapman looking as young she does?? Hell, mark it down to both her dark skin (a natural UV protector) and not messing with her given features (and being a lesbian, men will age you. lol -I got jokes-):

P.S. THANK GOODNESS for Tems and her rising prominence as a beauty as well:

P.P.S. Even Jay-Z the billionaire rapper has had the comments over the years about his lips and nose, hence that lyric in Beyonce's Formation.

[casasupernovas]

[aishabellasbigblogofeverything]

The comments about Francesca Amewudah-Rivers make me so sad and angry, to see so many people bullying and slandering a young Black girl’s appearance yet again is just anger-inducing and saddening. So sad to wake up once again to the mass dehumanization, verbal abuse, and mockery of Black women, only this time, she has a different name and face. What did we ever do to deserve this vitriol, hatred, and mistreatment? It serves as yet another reminder that we are unaccepted, undervalued, and unappreciated by the world at large. No other woman gets treated this way but Black women, because the world does not acknowledge our beauty and femininity. So sad. And the worst part is that it’s both white people AND Black people calling her ugly and manly and unattractive. Like, take a good long look at yourselves, ask yourselves why you think a Black woman with unambiguous Black features, natural beauty, and kinky Black hair is unattractive. Is it because she doesn’t look like Zendaya? Or an Instagram baddie? Is that it? Like literally deadass right now if you think that this woman right here

is ugly or unattractive in any way then just fucking unfollow me right now. Hell, block me while you’re at it, too. She is a BEAUTIFUL BLACK GIRL and anybody treating her as if she is anything but is obviously just racist. And I don’t wanna hear your excuses like “it’s not because she’s Black, she’s just ugly, there are prettier unambiguously Black girls who could’ve played the role instead—” NO I don’t wanna hear that shit! And especially from other Black people? Y’all should be highly ashamed of yourselves. I guarantee that there are a lot of women and girls in your family who look just like Ms. Rivers. In fact, I guarantee that some of Y’ALL women look just like her! And instead of uplifting her as our community ought to fucking do, I instead see so many other Black people putting her down and calling her ugly and plain and saying that she doesn’t represent the majority of Black women and “even in Africa she’d be considered ugly” and trying to separate yourselves from her. Anything to justify your own racism and not look in a mirror and reflect on your own self-hatred. Truly embarrassing and shameful. And truly shameful that anybody would think that this attitude is okay. I expect white people to be racist, but seeing Black people not even have her back is just heartbreaking and depressing, all because she’s unambiguously Black and doesn’t even try to hide it. It’s so sad.

Literally leave her alone, she is a beautiful Black queen just being herself and I’m embarrassed that I even have to type up this post because some of y’all don’t know how to fucking act. Keep your damn mouths shut! Francesca is gonna get that bag and the rest of y’all making fun of her won’t have shit to say then. So zip it. 🤫

[aishabellasbigblogofeverything]

Same it’s so horrible. I’ve talked about it before but the fact that even other Black women were throwing her under the bus and going “she’s just ugly and looks like a boy it’s not because she’s Black” is just sad. 😢 Nobody else has our backs so why can’t we have each other’s? It’s so sad.

It's a shame an announcement like this even has to be put out honestly. 🙄

Poor Fran. 😔

[ohmsservice]

[ai-yo]

The amount of foolishness I have seen on social media relating to Jamie Lloyd's Romeo and Juliet and then Rapunzel is so annoying/funny weird that people making fun of older people believing everything they see on Facebook and WhatsApp group chats need to shut up.

They believe everything they see on tiktok and twitter getting their info from people who don't read and/or spread misinformation intentionally.

White People getting upset over the casting of Avantika Vandanapu as Rapunzel in the Tangled live action. But wait a Tangled live action was never announced. Meaning white people and others were getting mad that a Avantika Vandanapu fanpage I think made a fancast video and photo edits of her as Rapunzel

Now with Romeo and Juliet so many people think that it's a movie, and a remake and are talking about Hollywood. When it's actually a stage play happening in London West End and is set to go to Broadway too I think.

Even the ones that do know it's a play are still doing the most, they don't care about theatre because they are unaware that colourblind casting and even genderbent casting in Shakespeare plays happens all the time look at the posters for upcoming productions at the globe theatre

Twelfth Night in central park starring Anne Hathaway and Audra McDonald

The only reason they are paying attention is because of the stunt casting of Tom Holland and the only media they consume is superhero movies. People from different countries saying they won't watch, you don't live in England and you're not rich you ain't flying here to watch a play. You do not even watch plays.

So much racist stupidity over the past few days I had to rant

[youcallyourselfafilmcritic]

A BLACK Juliet?! What next?! Juliet played by a boy?! An underage actress playing Juliet?! A Juliet in the 1990s where the families are shooting at each other?! A Juliet who's a gnome?! A fucking gnome?! Fuck off

[alwaysbewoke]

[thollandnewsbra]

STAGE TO PAGE has given 'Romeo & Juliet' a 5 star-review!

Jamie Lloyd has taken the greatest love story of all time and made it into the most gritty, visceral piece of theatre I've ever seen. 

Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers share some of the best onstage chemistry I've ever seen in live theatre. Holland is a quietly charismatic Romeo against Amewudah-Rivers' fiery and bold portrayal of Juliet. The intimacy co-ordination from Ingrid Mackinnon must be applauded here as she's created what appears to be the perfect atmosphere for the pair to thrive and bounce off of each other.

Watching Holland's descent into madness and animalistic rage, and his acting in the end of act one is as raw and exposed as you'll see. Amewudah-Rivers domineers the stage and demands you to take notice of her sensational take on one of literature's most loved female characters. Jamie Lloyd has once again created an absolutely ground-breaking production. Whether good or bad, this adaptation will certainly have people talking and is a true reflection of the subjectiveness of theatre.

[tinas1469]

romeojulietldn: We’ve arrived Duke of York's Theater

Performances begin tonight.

📸: @justine35mm

[on-break-read-my-last-post]

Black actor who faced abuse over role in Romeo & Juliet calls for industry-wide action

[destinyc1020]

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers at the Stage Debut Awards in London (September 29, 2024)

I still don't understand why this poor girl got so much hate. 😔 She's cute! 😊

[sleepynegress]

800 Black Women and Non-binary Performers signed an Open Letter Condemning the Racist Abuse Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is Facing...

These are just a few of the ones I recognize... Talk to Me's Sophia Wilde:

Susan Wokoma from the criminally underseen Crazyhead and the recent Enola Holmes movie:

Wunmi Mosaku from His House, Loki, and the just released BBC series, Passenger:

Lashana Lynch from Still-StarCrossed, The Woman King, No Time to Die...

Sheila Atim from The Woman King and Dr Strange The Multiverse of Madness

Freema Agyeman from Doctor Who and New Amsterdam:

...and the legendary Oscar-nominated, Marianne Jean Baptiste:

among many, many, others... I love that it is Black women and non-binary people who are Black who are uplifting Francesca.

[feminegra]

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers Racist Backlash Highlights Lack of Industry Protection

The lack of industry protection became apparent earlier this year; Francesca Amewudah-Rivers faced racial abuse after being cast as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet. This incident exposed the entertainment industry’s glaring lack of care for actors of color. Her casting, meant to challenge traditional norms, sparked a wave of racism, misogynoir, and colorism. The backlash came not only from white critics…

[aishabellasbigblogofeverything]

Thank you, Rachel Zegler. Queens support queens! 👸🏿

[there-are-many-ways-to-smile]

I think Tom might have called Zendaya “His MJ.” In an instagram post awhile back But I think that’s all he did vs the racism she faced. I mean he still could have spoken out about it..