There is an understanding, misguided or not, that the individuals we see on TV and in movies are supposed to be beautiful — the sexier, more perfect versions of real life. But when a light-skinned, wavy-haired woman is cast to play a dark woman of African descent, it’s not the same as blonde Jennifer Lawrence playing brunette Katniss Everdeen. It’s telling society — and in the case of Jem and The Holograms, young teens — that the closer you are to being white, the better.Now, I’m not here to say who is Black and who isn’t. Blackness is a construct and the U.S. is unique in the way it has used race to draw clear lines in society. The one-drop-rule , which developed in the 19th century and meant that anyone with even the smallest bit of African heritage qualifies as Black, was a way to make sure white people knew who was property and that any child of a female slave would be a slave, too, no matter the shade of his or her skin. Later, it was used during the eras of Jim Crow and segregation to ensure that the right people got the prime seats on the bus.So “Black” has an incredibly broad definition. In fact, it encompasses a variety of colors, features, and textures. Unfortunately, these very distinctions make a difference in how women in particular are treated within the Black community and in the world at large. And when Hollywood casts a light-skinned actress in a role meant for a darker woman — based on source material or, in the case of biopics, reality — the industry is not just taking away a job from an actress who has precious few to chose from in the first place. It’s not even about ethnicity. It’s about erasing an entire group of human beings from pop culture. The erasure of dark-skinned women from our country’s most widespread form of communication has consequences on how we’re seen and treated in real life. If we’re constantly portrayed as people not worthy of attention and storylines, as stereotypes of sassy best friends and loud women, why would would we be treated any differently in real life?I want to see people who look like me on the big or small screen every once in a while. But judging by the pop cultural landscape, I am asking for too much.