This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Using images with people of color for medium articles
To date, I still don’t know if the answer to this question is yes or no. Despite this uncertainty, I often find myself exploring the use of POC images for my articles because I want to ensure I encourage diverse representation.
This Type Of Thinking Is Worrisome
Why am I thinking about whether or not audiences will want to read my article if a black person or other minority is in the image, though? I find it problematic that I’m having these types of thoughts.
Have I adopted a hidden message from society that using minorities in articles, media, and advertisements is not the norm or not always accepted?
Well, duh.
What Is The Norm?
The media is starting to make more effort to have a diverse representation of minorities. I now see more minorities and interracial couples in commercials and movies. We still have a sh*t ton of work to do, and we’re nowhere near equitable (i.e., I still see more white individuals in all forms of media), but we’re making progress.
However, I don’t want to think about whether audiences will read my work or not if there is an image of a person of color.
Unconscious Bias
It’s not necessarily racist to opt into reading an article with an image of a white person versus an article with an image of an Indian person, but it is a perfect example of unconscious bias.
Three Examples of Unconscious Bias:
Conformity Bias: This unconscious bias is most common in group settings. For example, people who gather in groups tend to think alike – even if they disagree. If one person gives their opinion, many others will follow suit.
Affinity Bias: “Affinity bias is based on the idea that people are naturally drawn to like other people who are similar to themselves. These similarities can be based on age, race, gender, and more.”
Attribution Bias: “Attribution bias is an unconscious bias where a person tries to evaluate or understand why another person behaves the way they do. This means that a person will try to make attributions or assumptions about certain people based on their actions. This can be toxic to the work culture in a company since it allows employees to belittle other employees by downplaying their accomplishments and inflating their mistakes. An example would be if a person thinks of a coworker as lazy or disinterested if they are sometimes late to work. This can hurt workplace morale because the person will then only see that coworker in that light regardless of their positive performances.”
Source for 2 & 3: Easy Llama
Society And Culture Are Our Teachers
Society teaches us what is preferred, attractive, standard, and within the comfort zone. “Minority” doesn’t quite fit into these boxes yet. Hence, why many people might click on the article with the white image more; we may not even mean to pick the article with the white image because we often make the decision unconsciously.
So, how can we beat these habitual and problematic practices?
We need to engage and think for ourselves actively. We must question everything; who we are, what we do, and how we interact with the world around us often reflects what we’re taught to be versus who we could be, or more importantly, who we are without toxic influences.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.