Wikihow Apologises After "Whitewashing" Beyonce, Jay Z And Obama In This Viral Picture

25 January 2017, 14:19

Wikihow accused of ‘Whitewashing’ Beyonce, Jay Z A

Fans were not happy.

Wikihow has issued an apology after depicting Beyonce, Jay-Z and Barack Obama as white people in a recently published article.

The image appeared in an article named "How To Become A Congressman" and featured a cartoon version of a photo taken of the trio at a fundraising event in 2012.

Many internet users flagged up the picture after it was published, accusing the popular 'how-to' website of "whitewashing" the stars.

Wikihow turned Obama, Beyoncé, and Jay Z white to explain "How to become a congressman." pic.twitter.com/QNTGz5wjaq
— FORMATION (@beyupdates_) January 22, 2017

How you do that to Obama, Beyoncé and Jay-Z??? I need answers @wikiHow https://t.co/yx86aqSORj
— x (@G0ld_n) January 22, 2017

Wikihow responded by removing the image from the article and issuing an apology through a series of tweets.

The site claims that the original photo was sent around an illustrating team, during which time the colour was removed from the image leaving a black and white picture.

Wikihow argues that the colourist "did not know the race of the models", although it doesn't excuse hosting the "terrible image" on their site.

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

@wikiHow 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

@wikiHow 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

@wikiHow 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

@wikiHow 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

@wikiHow 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

@wikiHow 7/ We’re talking with our illustrators to prevent recurrence and encourage diversity. Especially in positions of power.
— wikiHow (@wikiHow) January 24, 2017

The website is often pulled up on for it's sometimes bizarre illustrations - an internet game matching Wikihow cartoons to their related article went viral last year.