YouTube sensation Jackie Aina is thought for being outspoken and never shying away from tough conversations on her insanely popular channel. As well as to reviewing the newest mascaras and highlighters, the sweetness vlogger is thought to call out brands — something often surmised from their limited shade offering —who refuse to acknowledge Black women.

In her latest video titled “I Don’t See Color,” Aina explains why it’s extremely problematic to dismiss race as insignificant. Through the black and white tutorial, where she does her makeup under the guise of not seeing color, Aina proves just how silly that sounds. The final result is a face of ill-matching foundation with terribly colourful brows and lids.

While it’s easy to dismiss the tutorial as silly, it illustrates a vital point. “I feel like people say things like ‘I don’t see color’ after they don’t have as much experience with different ethnicities and cultures,” Aina said after completing her look. “Why do you get to disregard something that I don’t get to disregard? Would you be Black, and Black with dark skin, for a day?” Aina asks her viewers.  

As Black women, we don’t have the possibility to not see color, our race is ever present and for somebody to precise otherwise is ridiculous. As Aina points out, people don’t walk into Sephora and grab any foundation and expect it to match. Color is in actual fact very essential. 

“In 2018 we aren’t going to disregard race. I’m uninterested in being ignored and I’m uninterested in individuals who appear like me get stepped on,” she said. Greater than anything it’s time we acknowledge and have fun our differences.

Aina, who’s been blogging for nine years, said she’s going to proceed to make use of her platform to talk up and advocate for people of color. In an industry where it’s nearly unimaginable to decipher truth from marketing, we’re thankful to have individuals like Aina working to create change.