Keke Palmer opens up about being 'the Black girl' on Nickelodeon and unequal treatment

Keke Palmer reflects on being labeled as "the Black girl" on Nickelodeon, contrasting her experience with Disney stars

Actress and Emmy winner Keke Palmer is reflecting on her early acting days and the challenges of being a young Black star on Nickelodeon. 

In an interview with The Cut, the True Jackson, VP actress shared how her experiences differed from her peers like Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus.

“I wasn’t necessarily in the same conversations as Victoria Justice, Selena Gomez, or Miley Cyrus at that time,” Palmer, 31, revealed. “It was very much, ‘That’s the Black show’ or ‘That’s Keke Palmer, the Black girl on the network.’” Despite the success of True Jackson, VP, Palmer noted that she often faced limitations and wasn’t regarded in the same way as her white counterparts.

Palmer compared her experience to being the only Black student at her private school in Illinois. “There is a loss of innocence that comes with the awareness that you’re treated differently,” she said, though she emphasized she no longer compares herself to others, especially not to white performers.

Palmer also contrasted her time on Nickelodeon with her brief work with Disney Channel, including the 2007 movie Jump In! “Disney is incredible at creating a magical experience. It’s a universe they build through marketing and storytelling,” she explained on The Toast podcast in November 2024. “Nickelodeon, on the other hand, was more straightforward—‘Come in and get this check.’”

Following her early TV success, Palmer has thrived in both film and television, recently starring in Scream Queens and preparing for her role in the comedy One of Them Days.