Zendaya is playing Mary Jane Watson, maybe. But that maybe is all it took to prove that the fight for representation isn’t close to finished. The timeline was in shambles. No comments section was safe. I saw a level of reaching that I never thought could exist. But it does, under the guise of “canon” and artistic integrity. There’s no integrity in colorism. There’s no integrity in racism. And there is, for sure, no integrity in anti-blackness.

“But Mary Jane Watson is a redhead.”

“But Mary-Jane NEEDS to have red hair” pic.twitter.com/3uE71IX6v1

— Geeks Of Color (@GeeksOfColor) August 19, 2016

Not a redhead, in this case, is coded language for “not white.” Mary Jane Watson has been portrayed in live action film a total of four times (one was cut from the movie). Neither actress that played the character had red hair. But they did have white skin. If Zendaya is playing this role, it’s because she was the best actress for this interpretation. And the reason why that’s great is because there are not enough black women playing leads on screen, especially in movies of this genre. Period.

Then came the myriad of excuses for why black women being represented is somehow a problem. They’re just casting her to pander to the black community. Does Zendaya even identify as a black woman? I just can’t see her in the role. She’s not black enough for this to count. We need brand new characters instead of black people playing white roles. If Zendaya can play a white woman, can a white man play Martin Luther King?

I wish these were things that I made up. But they aren’t. People actually said them, over and over again. So let’s make some things clear.

Race bending and erasure are not the same thing.

White women will suffer no loss of representation if in one Spider-Man film, Mary Jane Watson is not white. Mary Jane Watson has been white since 1965. We’ve seen dozens of different versions of white Mary Jane Watson across multiple creative mediums. And those versions will never go away. We have, however, had an extremely small number of black women represented in all of the mediums that white Mary Jane exists in. We have had black women and women of color erased from stories that they previously existed in for no reason. And we have had black women and women of color replaced entirely by white women in stories that belong to them. Do I really have to say any more than that?

And to you people that say a white man should be able to play MLK, does Michael Jackson count? What about the Egyptians? Well, they already beat you to it, fam. No need to complain any further.

Colorism is not the answer either.

There is 100% a colorism problem in Hollywood. Actors and actresses are very often cast based on how white passing or racially ambiguous they can be. That’s a fact. But the first thing to not do when a black woman or woman of color is cast in a role is to question how black they are. That’s never going to be the answer to the problem. It furthers no agenda, and lends itself to no solution that leads to change. And it’s shameful.

Dan Slott, the writer of the current Amazing Spider-Man comic book said it as plainly as I ever could.

Spider-Man was created 2 yrs B4 segregated water fountains went away. Times change. It’s ok if heroes change w/ them https://t.co/a3y31y3wah

— Dan Slott (@DanSlott) August 20, 2016

Final comment:
It’s ok for EVERYONE to have the most popular characters reflect them.
AND to have new, original characters reflect them TOO.

— Dan Slott (@DanSlott) August 19, 2016

I’m sorry that we had to dig deep this week. But if I stay silent, I’m just as problematic as the people who believe these terrible things. I thought I’d grown immune to the internet chatter sure to come after things like this. I’m not. But maybe that’s a good thing.

And from now on, my Mary Jane Watson is black.

Mary Jane Watson is Black y’all… go on @Zendaya!!!! #SpiderManHomecoming pic.twitter.com/en4j2Csdpg

— Rebecca Theodore (@FilmFatale_NYC) August 18, 2016

Thanks for reading Strictly 4 My Blerds. Leave a comment, I read and reply to all of them. Hit the share button and tag a friend who needs to see this.

“But Mary Jane Watson is a redhead.”

Race bending and erasure are not the same thing.

Colorism is not the answer either.

And from now on, my Mary Jane Watson is black.

Want more articles by Ira Hobbs? Sign up for Blavity’s daily newsletter.

amazing spider-man

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week