Ashleigh Murray from Riverdale has been dealing with some subtle racism on social media and she just handled it in the perfect way!
Murray, who plays Josie (as in Josie & the Pussycats) on Riverdale, is often tagged in pics online. The problem? They’re usually not of her, but rather pics of other young black actresses! WTF!
Call it “a simple mistake,” but the truth is it clearly falls into the classic racist rhetoric that “all black people look alike.” Um, no, they do not.
Murray shared images of the mistagging and posted, “Pro tip: we’re not all the same #webeautifultho”
Pro tip: we’re not all the same ✌️ #webeautifultho pic.twitter.com/nlMIRs7ZY8
— Ashleigh Murray (@iamamurray) June 14, 2017
We love how Murray was able to throw some playful shade while still very clearly getting her point across. You don’t need to rant and rave in order to make your feelings known.
Ashleigh has previously spoken out about how important representation on TV is to her and told Teen Vogue,
“I’m not playing a stereotype. Even though I’m embodying this character who has never lived or breathed or done anything — she’s completely fabricated — I’m embodying this character that is different than the way that I look. Yet I still stand for the same things that I believe she stands for. I still believe that Josie… she’s a powerhouse! And that’s what I want to play up, that she’s gritty and she’s willing to dig deep and do whatever it takes to succeed. That’s something that also rings true for black women. We have … It’s almost like it’s in our DNA to survive. We’re caretakers, we’re strong, fierce mothers. We rear people like nobody’s business, and we succeed. So I think that’s going to ring true especially to people like my niece. I want to be able to give a positive image for people to look up to.”
Ashleigh has done an amazing job as Josie. She’s strong and tough and totally someone you’d want to be BFFs with. She also doesn’t let anyone take advantage of her. A key moment in Riverdale season one was when Archie offered to write songs for Josie & the Pussycats and Josie very clearly tells him that he can’t understand her viewpoint.
“With Josie and Archie, it’s really important to have that conversation in a constructive manner. It’s a tough conversation to have, and I believe that it’s all about inclusion and being able to word things properly so that they land the way that they need to. I also think it’s important to show a young woman standing up for herself, and not allowing a male influence to stop what she believes.”
Get it, girl!
