Actor in racism row after posting THIS Christmas photo online - but says it's tradition
A BLACK actor has ignited a row online after posting a Christmas snap of an ‘inside joke’ which was heavily criticised for being racist.
Lance Gross describes cheeky moment with fan
American actor and model Lance Gross uploaded a photo from the holiday season, showing him alongside his wife Rebecca Jefferson and seven of their friends.
It shows couples kitted out in christmasy clothes, but one woman is sitting on her own at the end looking into the distance.
Soon after the photo was made public, the 35-year-old received a tidal wave of abuse, with users accusing him of being insensitive.
Critics were quick to brand Mr Gross as racist, as the woman sitting on her own had darker skin than the other four.
American actor and model Lance Gross uploaded a photo from the holiday season
Couple beaten in Christmas Day 'homophobic attack'
One person responded saying: “I honestly have to ask inside joke or not. How did you think the original picture would be received?
“Black people aren't going to see her as the single friend on a trip.
The 35-year-old received a tidal wave of abuse
“They see her as the dark skinned girlfriend who can't get a man. While her light skinned or white friends can.”
And another, while not accusing Mr Gross of being discriminatory, agreed with his critics.
They said: “I believe the picture was posted innocently and no malice was intended.
“However, it does strike a chord with many women who have grown up with the general message: the lighter, the better (note I said general, not all).
One woman is sat on her own at the end looking into the distance
“This is demonstrated in media and the push for women's use of bleaching creams in many parts of Africa and Asia.”
Some failed to see what the problem was, and pointed out any single person - regardless of colour - would be sat on their own.
Black people aren't going to see her as the single friend
One social media user wrote: “What's the issue? She's single so she sat by herself and of course people took it like she was being left out because of her skin color.”
And addressing the unprecedented barrage of hate he received online, Mr Gross posted another photo showing a collage of the past three Christmases.
He captioned it: “We've Been doin the same joke for years...#insidejoke [sic].”
In each photo the same woman can be seen sat by herself.
In each photo the same woman can be seen sat by herself
And a further message to critics, he posted a photo of someone giving the middle finger, posting alongside it: “All I have to say about all this ignorant s*** at the moment . . .”
Questions surrounding diversity have been thrown into the spotlight recently, with the controversial OscarsSoWhite debacle and the Black Lives Matter movement.