How-to website WikiHow issued several tweets on Tuesday, apologizing for depicting Barack Obama, Beyoncé, and Jay Z as white people.
“When we saw the whitewashed image of Obama, Jay Z and Beyonce, we were disgusted and ashamed,” they said. “It never should have been on WikiHow.”
The apology followed a tweet posted by Beyoncé fan account @beyupdates, which called out the website for the illustration that appeared in an article about how to become a congressman.
https://twitter.com/beyupdates_/status/823268475087060992
WikiHow posted seven tweets in response to the initial post. The account explained that the illustration was created three years ago by a team of illustrators. They claimed the sketcher and the colorist in the team worked independently, so the colorist was unaware that the sketch was supposed to depict people of color.
1/ When we saw the whitewashed image of Obama, Jay Z & Beyoncé, we were disgusted & ashamed. It never should have been on wikiHow. https://t.co/tCIgpPpD2R
— wikiHow (@wikiHow) January 24, 2017
2/ Within minutes of the 1st tweet, a volunteer removed the image. We then started investigating how it got on wikiHow at all.
— wikiHow (@wikiHow) January 24, 2017
3/ We learned it was made 3 years ago by a team of illustrators who work as one. One person sketches, the other person colors.
— wikiHow (@wikiHow) January 24, 2017
4/ The sketcher sent the colorist a black and white sketch. The colorist did not know the race of the models.
— wikiHow (@wikiHow) January 24, 2017
5/ The colorist wasn’t aware it was Obama and Beyoncé. We don’t think the illustrator intentionally whitewashed here.
— wikiHow (@wikiHow) January 24, 2017
6/ This doesn’t excuse the fact that we hosted a terrible image on wikiHow and we needed more diversity on that article period.
— wikiHow (@wikiHow) January 24, 2017
7/ We’re talking with our illustrators to prevent recurrence and encourage diversity. Especially in positions of power.
— wikiHow (@wikiHow) January 24, 2017
Some users on Twitter remained skeptical, and pointed out inconsistencies with WikiHow’s apology. They questioned why Obama’s hair style was changed, or how the colorist knew to color Beyonce’s dress red.
@beyupdates_
yeah but…
the hair…
👀 pic.twitter.com/wfbvVhiZSN— Tiny DeMarco (@DeMarcoDraws) January 25, 2017
FOH!! Never have you saw a black person with the hair in that illustration @wikiHow
— Ken 🥇 (@K9thagreat) January 24, 2017
and the biggest gag…if they never saw the initial coloured pic, how did they know to make Beyonce blonde with a red dress…
— Ẹniafẹ́ Momodu ✨ (@EniafeMomodu) January 25, 2017
Others responded more positively to the apology, thanking WikiHow for the clarification.
@beyupdates_ Thank you for the clarification. Hopefully something like this won't happen again
— BrittanyNicholle🌸 (@britt_bratt27) January 25, 2017
@beyupdates_ props for addressing the issue. A good case as to why having an in-house art team is better than outsourcing.
— Hirotsu (@hirotsu) January 25, 2017
Thanks for taking the time to walk us through the process. It *does* help.
— Himothy 🇯🇲 🇨🇦 (@VancouverTim) January 25, 2017
WikiHow’s final comment on the issue regarded the lack of diversity among its staff.
“We’re talking with our illustrators to prevent recurrence and encourage diversity,” they wrote. “Especially in positions of power.”
H/T Pitchfork