[<a href="//storify.com/cbccommunity/apple-finally-responds-to-plea-for-more-racially-d" target="_blank">View the story "Apple finally responds to plea for more racially diverse emojis" on Storify</a>]<h1>Apple finally responds to plea for more racially diverse emojis</h1><h2></h2><p>Storified by <a href="http://storify.com/cbccommunity">CBC News Community</a>· Wed, Mar 26 2014 13:56:30</p><div>Bbcimg</div><div><p>For those unfamiliar with <a href="http://graphics.wsj.com/emoji/#/home" class="">emoji</a>, the fast rise of thesetiny smartphone-based graphics has raised many questions in recent years.</p><p><br></p><p>What do they mean? (everything from "what's up?" to an<a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/text-me-ishmael-reading-moby-dick-emoji-180949825/?no-ist" class="">800-page translation of Moby Dick</a>) Who uses them? (<a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/436149842683756544" class="">The White House on Twitter</a>,for one) and how did they get so popular? (Available in Japan since the '90s,emoji fever <a href="http://www.wired.com/magazine/2013/04/emoji/" class=""></a><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/4/3966140/how-emoji-conquered-the-world" class="">spread like wildfire</a> in the west after Apple launched its firstmobile OS with a native emoji keyboard in 2011.)</p><p><br></p><p>But for millions of iPhone owners who use emoji every dayto communicate with friends via text message and on social media, one importantquestion continues to come up again and again: </p><p><br></p><p>Why are all of Apple's humanemoji Caucasian?</p><p><br></p><p>"If you look at Apple's Emoji keyboard, what do you see? Two <i>different</i> camels. A smiling turd. EVERY PHASE OF THE MOON," reads the text of <a href="https://www.dosomething.org/petition/emojis" class="">a DoSomething.org petition</a> calling for more diversity on the emoji keyboard. "But of the more than 800 Emojis, the only two resembling people of colour are a guy who looks vaguely Asian and another in a turban."</p><p><br></p><p>"There's a white boy, girl, man, woman, elderly man, elderly woman, blonde boy, blonde girl and, we're pretty sure, Princess Peach," the petition continues. "But when it comes to faces outside of yellow smileys, there's a staggering lack of minority representation."</p></div><div>Apple: Add More Diversity to the Emoji KeyboardShaniqua J 1 hour 50 min ago There should be equality in emojis too! Hope G 6 days 3 hours ago To make emoji less racist Christie L 1 week 6 days ago Diversity and racial inclusion has been expected to be integrated into everything, in the modern day.</div><div><p>This tension over a lack of racial diversity on the iPhone'semoji keyboard has been <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/the-petition-to-make-emoji-less-racist" class=""></a><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3016256/fast-feed/are-emojis-racist" class="">well-documented</a> in recent years, coming to light most prominently when Miley Cyrus <a href="http://betabeat.com/2012/12/miley-cyrus-emoji-racist-iphone/" class="">tweeted about the issue</a> in late 2012.</p><p><br></p><p>Responding to a tweet about an increase in emoji nail polish colours from the beauty company Sephora, Cyrus wrote "Umm before they add nail colors they BETTER add black people!!!"</p></div><div>@Sephora umm before they add nail colors they BETTER add black people!!!! #wtfemoji Am I right or am I right @GREY__NAT ?!?!Miley Ray Cyrus</div><div>The singer then started her own hashtag, #emojiethnicityupdate, to rally her followers around the cause.</div><div>RT if you think there needs to be an #emojiethnicityupdateMiley Ray Cyrus</div><div>Apple's emoji keyboard has been updated since that time, most significantly to include images representing gay and lesbian couples <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5918381/apple-adds-gay-and-lesbian-couple-icons-to-ios-6" class="">when iOS 6 was launched</a>.<br><br>Unfortunately for those who had longed to see more people of colour represented on the keyboard, the majority of human characters remained white.</div><div>So there's gay couple emoji's but not black person emoji. Just gonna point that out.Bun Bun </div><div>Wow they have an emoji for a gun, a gay couple, and a cigarette before they have a black dude.</div><div>Emoji's have ... - Chinese - Indian - White - Animals & - Gay - Straight - Drake from Degrassi But no Black PeopleKeep It Swavey</div><div>Some have attempted to remedy the problem with external apps like <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/blackemoji/id703229775?mt=8" class="">Black Emoji</a>, but despite Apple's assertion that its emoji keyboard is based on the <a href="http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1F300.pdf" class="">international Unicode standard</a>, many have been <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/people-are-really-mad-that-there-are-no-black-emoj" class="">persistent in their push</a> for a more diverse set of characters.</div><div>my mommy bought me the black emoji http://t.co/usRApKCE74Chlo</div><div>Earlier this month, actor Tahj Mowry voiced his displeasure over the lack of black emoji characters available on the iPhone's native emoji keyboard.</div><div>It makes me mad that there are no black emojis...Tahj Mowry</div><div>Inspired by Mowry's tweet, MTV Act blogger Joey Parker <a href="http://act.mtv.com/posts/apple-responds-to-lack-of-diversity-in-emojis/" class="">decided to email Apple CEO Tim Cook</a> and ask if a new, more racially diverse emoji set was in the works.<div><br></div><div>Within a day, Apple's vice-president of worldwide corporate communications, Katie Cotton, replied to Parker's query:</div><div><br></div><div>"Tim forwarded your email to me," wrote Cotton. "We agree with you. Our emoji characters are based on the Unicode standard, which is necessary for them to be displayed properly across many platforms. There needs to be more diversity in the emoji character set, and we have been working closely with the Unicode Consortium in an effort to update the standard."</div></div><div>What Does Apple Think About The Lack Of Diversity In Emojis? We Have Their Response.When you browse through the emojis on your phone, there are very few non-Caucasian ones to choose from. I mean, they have a water buffalo but no representation of people of color? That's why, as an emoji addict, I'm glad that Miley Cyrus and "Baby Daddy" star (and lil bro to Tia and Tamera Mowry), Tahj Mowry, have brought up the lack of diversity in the 400-plus emojis.</div><div>No roll-out date or definitive plans for a more diverse emoji set were provided in the email, but many around the web today are pleased with Apple's admission that there should be more diversity on its keyboard.</div><div>Apple rep: "There needs to be more diversity in the emoji character set..." http://t.co/9HGcs6TFpc http://t.co/40G1dVCNM6Fast Company</div><div>WE GETTING THAT BLACK EMOJI, PRAISE BOOSIE RT @FastCompany Apple rep: "There needs to be more diversity in the emoji character setDesus</div><div>Emoji warrior @MileyCyrus is the reason we're getting emoji diversity. We are living in incredible times http://t.co/BIVyOpTw34Aminatou Sow</div><div>Adding credence to the significance of emoji in contemporary culture, a similar (albeit less game-changing) campaign is also making headlines this week.<div><br></div><div>According to the Wall Street Journal, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304834704579403312163025276?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304834704579403312163025276.html&fpid=2,7,121,122,201,401,641,1009" class="">hot dog fans are now vying</a> to have their favourite food added to the emoji keyboard.</div><div><br></div><div>Calling Apple's lack of hot dogs on the emoji "a slight against the hot-dog community," campaign leader Laura Ustick has written a petition addressed to President Barack Obama and Shigetaka Kurita, the Japanese creator of early emojis asking for a hot dog symbol on the keyboard. </div><div><br></div><div>She has also created a #HotDogEmoji hashtag, which she promotes through her hot dog shop's Twitter account.</div></div><div>We knew we could count on Wooderson to support the cause #HotDogEmoji http://t.co/3ehSH2pDlo http://t.co/EUDPXwANcUSuperdawg Chicago</div><div>In other emoji-related news, you <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/03/25/emoji-slippers/" class="">can now purchase</a> $340 "smiling poo" emoji shoes. You're welcome. </div><div>Mshcdn</div><div><b>Do you use emoji to communicate? Share your thoughts about Apple's comments and diversity on the emoji keyboard below.</b></div>
March (102)
February (69)