Is sharing Oprah Memes akin to 'Digital Blackface'? Some people think so.

The Oprah Winfrey interview with Meghan and Harry sparked many debates. This wasn't one we saw coming. 

As Oprah memes rushed in people were entertaining themselves sharing them online. 

Oprah's expressions were relatable and seemingly applicable to all situations. 

People really related with Oprah's reactions to the many eye-opening things that the Duchess and Harry revealed.

This, however, sparked a debate initiated by The Slow Factory Foundation. 

A non-profit organisation, Slow Factory issued a warning on Instagram regarding Digital Blackface and how using Oprah memes was offensive. Their post said that 'Digital Blackface' perpetuated stereotypes of 'sassy' women and showed them to be aggressive. 

They pointed out that while sharing these images may seem harmless, it is a way to co-opt in black identity without experiencing the culture itself.

They then shared an example of Oprah's meme saying that it was 'Digital Blackface'.

The post also included an instance of people using darker toned emojis when they may be lighter-skinned in real life. 

Others joined in on the conversation in an attempt to educate people of the issue. 

Users poured in with support and continued to share the concept of 'Digital Blackface'.

Another user stated that she felt discomfort at seeing white and non-black individuals sharing Oprah's memes and now understood why. 

She stated that sharing 'blackness' in that manner was performative.

The memes however continued to come in.

Some were overwhelmed with the discussion at hand

Commenters on the post however were split in the middle. Some said that they were happy for the education and would try to do better in the future. 

One black commenter however chimed in and said that the conversation was more nuanced than that. She stated that the situation was becoming overly complicated and that coining a term such as this without research would do more harm than good. 

Others were quick to shoot down the idea in its entirety. 

Other commenters while supporting the concept of 'digital blackface' stated that it did not extend to Oprah's memes. 

One user asked for further clarification with a promise to do better in the future. 

Commenters mentioned that using darker-skinned emojis may fall within the realm of blackface but policing gif usage may be divisive. She even stated that placing boundaries such as this may end up ultimately hurting black businesses.