Keke Palmer Shuts Down Colorism Conversation Comparing Her To Zendaya
by Yolanda Baruch

July 25, 2022

Keke Palmer Shuts Down Colorism Conversation Comparing Her To Zendaya

Keke Palmer seemingly shut down a discussion on Twitter that wanted to dissect the trajectory of her career compared to Zendaya.

On Saturday, a Twitter user questioned the mainstream popularity of the two women; Palmer stars in Jordan Peele‘s latest suspenseful film Nope, and Zendaya, who has won an Emmy for her work on HBO’s drama series Euphoria. Many were contrasting the success of the two actors based on colorism, according to Hello Beautiful.

However, the discourse also suggested that the two actors serve as “one of the clearest examples of how colorism plays out in Hollywood.”

While both started their careers as child stars and Palmer has accumulated more acting credits, Zendaya has experienced mainstream success in a shorter period of time. Palmer’s fans believe that she deserves the same adulation and hype bestowed upon Zendaya, TMZ reports.

Understandably, Palmer doesn’t want her accomplishments overshadowed by the issue of colorism and firmly rattled off all her accolades to emphasize that her skin complexion has not prevented her notable achievements.

 

 

Yet, Zendaya does recognize the privilege she holds by being of a fairer complexion, and has publicly said that she wants to use her opportunity to uplift the Black community within Hollywood, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

 

The 28-year-old film and television star’s sci-fi horror film Nope opened in first place over the weekend, bringing in an estimated $44 million. Palmer co-stars with Daniel Kaluuya.  

Palmer’s resume is full of hitters, with credits for the title role of Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP,  Akeelah and the Bee, Scream Queens, Hustlers, and voicing a character in this year’s Pixar film Lightyear, according to The Hollywood Reporter.


×