A surprising new alliance has formed online after a viral video with over 64 million views dubbed redheads as "the Black people of white people."
Now, what started as one woman's hot take has taken over everyone's algorithm, sparking solidarity across a newfound community, with thoughtful insight and humorous skits. However, some believe the trend has overstepped the mark, with certain white creators appropriating Black culture.
The clip quickly took off on TikTok, opening the viral floodgates to the creation of a confused community.
"As a ginger, I am very confused but happy to be invited to the cookout," wrote one user.
"Wait. Is that why I'm the only one in my family that can properly season my cooking?" asked another.
"Orange is the new Black?" a third joked.
Pop-culture commentator, @torijjensen, offered an explanation on TikTok. She said the trend has revealed how both groups have historically faced marginalization and ridicule for physical features—Black people for their skin color, redheads for their hair.
Jensen described the trend as "really, really cool and heartwarming," highlighting how many TikTok users have shared stories of being bullied or misunderstood, and how the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
"So many redheads so excited to be a part of the community, and so many individuals from the Black community are welcoming them with open arms," the commentator said in her video, which racked up over 600,000 views.
Dickens told Newsweek that he has connected with many redheads in recent days who shared similar stories of being mistreated or outcast.
A split image of Shamar Dickens speaking on camera in a car.
@shortman3000/@shortman3000
"There were so many of them with very much similar stories about their childhood and upbringing, which is what shaped my view on this," Dickens said.
"Gingers are definitely the Black people of the white community, especially after hearing of their history and their hardships."
He said that redheads aren't claiming to be Black, but appreciate being embraced rather than bullied.
"As a Black person myself, and how I feel about this, I'm looking it at this from a different angle! There's so much negativity in the world and even more division in the world also. I'm loving this because it's producing so much positivity and love," Dickens said.
Redden said: "The trend is referencing the historic marginalization of 'gingers,' a phenotype highly associated with the Irish. The treatment of the Irish, particularly at the hands of the British, is well documented, and their discrimination continued well into American colonization. This historically created solidarity between African American and Irish population."
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass often delivered speeches to crowds of Black and Irish Americans about discrimination.
Douglass spent time in Dublin in 1845 and later said that his time Ireland helped him become a man, and not a chattel, adding that the experience was personally transformative.
The blight of the potato crops that led to the Great Famine at that time emphasized to Douglass how the Irish were oppressed economically, socially, and religiously by Britain. However, he said: "The Irish man is poor, but he is not a slave. He may be in rags, but he is not a slave. He is still the master of his body."
File photo: A portrait of Frederick Douglass.
Corbis Historical/Corbis Historical
Redden said: "Several phrases in the American lexicon originate from Irish-based discrimination such as 'ginger stepchild' and 'paddy wagon.'"
However, Redden added that some TikTok creators have taken the trend too far—appropriating Black culture.
"Instead of referencing the ways in which gingers have been treated, e.g. being deemed either unattractive (aimed at men) or fetishized (in the case of women), some videos have devolved into co-opting Black cultural expressions in order for the creators to demonstrate their 'Blackness.'
"It was a Black creator who highlighted the ways that gingers are mistreated and it's unfortunate to have that turn into an opportunity to disrespect African American traditions," Redden said.
"I stand strong in my opinion that gingers are the Black people of white people," Venzant told Newsweek. "They face prejudice, backlash, hate … but they are some of the best-looking, most-sexualized, and hardest-working people I've seen. We should celebrate them more.
"I think we should highlight and celebrate underrepresented communities is a lot more in this country. Let's celebrate all wins," she said.
Melanie Preston, a licensed mental-health therapist at Matter of Focus Counseling, told Newsweek that, while the trend may be intended as humorous, it could prove problematic.
"Comparing being a redhead to being Black might feel edgy or even affirming to some, but it's a false equivalence. Redheads may face teasing—Black people have faced generations of systemic, legalized oppression. Borrowing Black pain to validate other struggles doesn't build solidarity—it erases context. It's one thing to build solidarity; it's another to borrow struggle for clout," Preston said.
Connor said that other white people are no longer allowed to use the "G word" and established the POHC—the people of hair color community. He called out "leprechaun" as a slur and called out the media portrayal of redheaded women as temptresses, with an exception for Dolly Parton's Jolene. He added that the Black community could keep Juneteenth, but that redheads wanted 50 percent custody of Malcolm X.
While acknowledging the "unserious nature" of the trend and the video, Connor drew some important parallels between the two communities. He noted that redheads make up around 2 percent of the U.S. population, and the African American population accounts for around 14.4 percent.
"Growing up, I was defined by my hair, bullied for it, stereotyped for it," Connor told Newsweek. "That 'othering' is something I now know is a shared experience."
He drew unlikely parallels; for example, the mutation that causes red hair leads many redheads to have higher pain thresholds, thus they have a higher tolerance to anesthesia, which can be overlooked by medical professionals. He emphasized that Black women endure this kind of ignorance on a much-larger scale.
Connor said: "At the end of the day, a white ginger is white, which carries with it all the privileges, perspectives, and experiences common with being white. We will never truly be able to compare our experiences with the average Black person, but we can empathize, support, love, and stand in solidarity because of that overlap.
"This is a moment where two groups of 'othered' people can come together and embrace each other with compassion, camaraderie, and a healthy dose of unseriousness that leaves all of us feeling closer and appreciated without becoming caricatures or trying to imitate one another," he added.
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Now, what started as one woman's hot take has taken over everyone's algorithm, sparking solidarity across a newfound community, with thoughtful insight and humorous skits. However, some believe the trend has overstepped the mark, with certain white creators appropriating Black culture.
The TikTok That Started It All
TikTok creator @scorpiostellyla1meramera posted a now-viral video declaring: "Everyone who is ginger, who has red hair; those are Black people. All gingers are Black people. If they have red hair, they are Black."The clip quickly took off on TikTok, opening the viral floodgates to the creation of a confused community.
"As a ginger, I am very confused but happy to be invited to the cookout," wrote one user.
"Wait. Is that why I'm the only one in my family that can properly season my cooking?" asked another.
"Orange is the new Black?" a third joked.
From Confusion to Connection
As the trend gained traction, creators from both the Black and redhead communities began exploring its deeper implications.Pop-culture commentator, @torijjensen, offered an explanation on TikTok. She said the trend has revealed how both groups have historically faced marginalization and ridicule for physical features—Black people for their skin color, redheads for their hair.
Jensen described the trend as "really, really cool and heartwarming," highlighting how many TikTok users have shared stories of being bullied or misunderstood, and how the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
"So many redheads so excited to be a part of the community, and so many individuals from the Black community are welcoming them with open arms," the commentator said in her video, which racked up over 600,000 views.
Meet the 'Gingahs'
Shamar Dickens (@shortman300), a 33-year-old Black creator from Atlanta, took the idea and ran with it—welcoming what are now know as the "Gingahs" into the fold.Dickens told Newsweek that he has connected with many redheads in recent days who shared similar stories of being mistreated or outcast.
A split image of Shamar Dickens speaking on camera in a car.
@shortman3000/@shortman3000
"There were so many of them with very much similar stories about their childhood and upbringing, which is what shaped my view on this," Dickens said.
"Gingers are definitely the Black people of the white community, especially after hearing of their history and their hardships."
He said that redheads aren't claiming to be Black, but appreciate being embraced rather than bullied.
"As a Black person myself, and how I feel about this, I'm looking it at this from a different angle! There's so much negativity in the world and even more division in the world also. I'm loving this because it's producing so much positivity and love," Dickens said.
A Shared History of Marginalization
Dr. Ty Redden, assistant professor of urban planning at the University of Toronto, told Newsweek that the trend touches on real historical parallels.Redden said: "The trend is referencing the historic marginalization of 'gingers,' a phenotype highly associated with the Irish. The treatment of the Irish, particularly at the hands of the British, is well documented, and their discrimination continued well into American colonization. This historically created solidarity between African American and Irish population."
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass often delivered speeches to crowds of Black and Irish Americans about discrimination.
Douglass spent time in Dublin in 1845 and later said that his time Ireland helped him become a man, and not a chattel, adding that the experience was personally transformative.
The blight of the potato crops that led to the Great Famine at that time emphasized to Douglass how the Irish were oppressed economically, socially, and religiously by Britain. However, he said: "The Irish man is poor, but he is not a slave. He may be in rags, but he is not a slave. He is still the master of his body."
File photo: A portrait of Frederick Douglass.
Corbis Historical/Corbis Historical
Redden said: "Several phrases in the American lexicon originate from Irish-based discrimination such as 'ginger stepchild' and 'paddy wagon.'"
However, Redden added that some TikTok creators have taken the trend too far—appropriating Black culture.
"Instead of referencing the ways in which gingers have been treated, e.g. being deemed either unattractive (aimed at men) or fetishized (in the case of women), some videos have devolved into co-opting Black cultural expressions in order for the creators to demonstrate their 'Blackness.'
"It was a Black creator who highlighted the ways that gingers are mistreated and it's unfortunate to have that turn into an opportunity to disrespect African American traditions," Redden said.
Stories of Recognition and Reflection
Medical student Akilha Venzant, 28, from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, said she had a similar realization years ago when talking to a college mentor. Having just moved from a culturally mixed area, she noticed how redheads could hold their own and marked similarities between both communities. Her TikTok garnered over 2.5 million views."I stand strong in my opinion that gingers are the Black people of white people," Venzant told Newsweek. "They face prejudice, backlash, hate … but they are some of the best-looking, most-sexualized, and hardest-working people I've seen. We should celebrate them more.
"I think we should highlight and celebrate underrepresented communities is a lot more in this country. Let's celebrate all wins," she said.
Melanie Preston, a licensed mental-health therapist at Matter of Focus Counseling, told Newsweek that, while the trend may be intended as humorous, it could prove problematic.
"Comparing being a redhead to being Black might feel edgy or even affirming to some, but it's a false equivalence. Redheads may face teasing—Black people have faced generations of systemic, legalized oppression. Borrowing Black pain to validate other struggles doesn't build solidarity—it erases context. It's one thing to build solidarity; it's another to borrow struggle for clout," Preston said.
A Redhead's Perspective
Connor (@casten_eldrich_blasts), a 27-year-old redhead known for satirical content, took to TikTok with a manifesto that racked up more than 2.2 million views.Connor said that other white people are no longer allowed to use the "G word" and established the POHC—the people of hair color community. He called out "leprechaun" as a slur and called out the media portrayal of redheaded women as temptresses, with an exception for Dolly Parton's Jolene. He added that the Black community could keep Juneteenth, but that redheads wanted 50 percent custody of Malcolm X.
While acknowledging the "unserious nature" of the trend and the video, Connor drew some important parallels between the two communities. He noted that redheads make up around 2 percent of the U.S. population, and the African American population accounts for around 14.4 percent.
"Growing up, I was defined by my hair, bullied for it, stereotyped for it," Connor told Newsweek. "That 'othering' is something I now know is a shared experience."
He drew unlikely parallels; for example, the mutation that causes red hair leads many redheads to have higher pain thresholds, thus they have a higher tolerance to anesthesia, which can be overlooked by medical professionals. He emphasized that Black women endure this kind of ignorance on a much-larger scale.
Connor said: "At the end of the day, a white ginger is white, which carries with it all the privileges, perspectives, and experiences common with being white. We will never truly be able to compare our experiences with the average Black person, but we can empathize, support, love, and stand in solidarity because of that overlap.
"This is a moment where two groups of 'othered' people can come together and embrace each other with compassion, camaraderie, and a healthy dose of unseriousness that leaves all of us feeling closer and appreciated without becoming caricatures or trying to imitate one another," he added.
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