Shortly after Serena Williams’ defeat of Maria Sharapova last week, the dubious #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter hashtag began trending worldwide on Twitter. Twitter’s response was swift, and witty. In a plethora of responses, Twitter users defended women of color by rebutting the #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter hashtag.
The hashtag got even more attention when The Hunger Games actress Amandla Sternberg accused Kylie Jenner of cultural appropriation after Jenner posted a photo of herself sporting cornrows. “When u appropriate black features and culture but fail to use ur position of power to help black Americans by directing attention towards ur wigs instead of police brutality or racism #whitegirlsdoitbetter,” wrote Sternberg. Whew!
Here are 15 responses to #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter that we’re still talking about.
#WhiteGirlsDoItBetter making fun of naturally tan and dark WoC but using tanning beds and bronzers to look like Doritos
— ✨TRB NEW YORK✨ (@Yoonginese) July 10, 2015#WhiteGirlsDoItBetter -being racist towards black people but wanting mixed kids
— Karissa Witcher❣ (@KarmaKarissa) July 13, 2015#WhiteGirlsDoItBetter by using deception to joining the #NAACP
— Malcolm X Trill (@GoTthatJuiCeMan) July 13, 2015I don’t understand what the ‘it’ in #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter is supposed to be. Like appropriation? wanting to marry our men? casserole?
— Haddiyyah (@haddiyyahhh_) July 13, 2015Wanting to be mixed-race. AKA, claim our “exotic” culture and aesthetic, not our struggle. #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter
— Yoko (@yokocani) July 13, 2015#WhiteGirlsDoItBetter at using their salty tears to season their dry food
— Indian Stats (@Indian_stats) July 11, 2015#WhiteGirlsDoItBetter getting skin cancer via tanning to look like the people they oppress
— sadgalriri (@SamerSum) July 12, 2015#WhiteGirlsDoItBetter do what better? burn in the sun? steal cultures? exclude woc in their feminist movements? age every 5 seconds?
— Lil’Will (@real_lilwill) July 11, 2015Looking at this #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter hashtag trying to figure out exactly what “it” is pic.twitter.com/hMwn8Llk1q
— Jeremy M. Vasquez (@ThatsWhatJVSaid) July 11, 2015#WhiteGirlsDoItBetter Losing. pic.twitter.com/mRI3iZxZsF
— Xavier (@SoulfulBrotha) July 11, 2015I mean if black, Hispanic, and middle-eastern women didn’t exist…sure… #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter
— Aaron Abiff Hylton (@bighylton) July 11, 2015when white girls swear #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter but all they do is appropriate other cultures pic.twitter.com/BgeHpdRvNA
— pamela (@expressjacks) July 10, 2015I don’t get how anyone can argue that #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter when the queen of the world is black pic.twitter.com/TMngsu1D5n
— Kima (@KimaAnderson21) July 10, 2015convincing themselves they’re twerking when they’re really causing themselves spinal damage #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter
— Treytoven. (@TRYVNS) July 10, 2015