Internet Slams Pantone's Choice Of White As 2026 Colour, Calls It 'Racist' And 'Tone Deaf'

A couple of days ago, Pantone announced Cloud Dancer, a "billowy, balanced white", as the 2026 Colour of the Year. "A lofty white whose aerated presence acts as a whisper of calm in a noisy world," reads the label on the official website.

While this is the first time that a bright white hue has claimed the title, it hasn't sat well with the internet. In the current political atmosphere, social media users are slamming Pantone's choice and calling it 'racist' and 'tone deaf'.

Pantone's Cloud Dancer, 2026 Colour Of The Year, Is 'Racist', Claims The Internet

Katie Rogers Feng Shui, an internet personality and a Feng Shui expert, shared a video burning a Pantone palette. "It's either exploitative (to get us talking), tone-deaf (which is just plain embarrassing), or full out racist," read the caption.

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A post shared by Katie Rogers Feng Shui ~ Wind Horse School of Feng Shui (@katiefengshui)

Gabrielle Santiago Wright, an interior designer, wrote, "For those of you confused... White isn't just a neutral background; it's historically been used to signal normativity, dominance, and exclusion. So when an influential institution like Pantone picks white as symbolic for 'fresh start / calm / reset', they're not just tapping into design minimalism; they're also invoking deep, loaded cultural resonances."

Pantone's Colour of the Year has sparked a debate online, and social media users label Cloud Dancer 'racist'. Photo: Katie Rogers/ Instagram

Alexa Miranda, a journalist, commented, "Racial issues aside, we literally just got rid of white as the dominant colour trend. Colour and warmth are exciting now. Minimalism is out. So, to say that white, especially that early 2000s computer-graphic white, is the colour of the year is nuts. Nobody is checking for white in design these days. It's yesterday's news."

Lily Walters, an interior designer, shared a reel and said that Plum should have been chosen as 2026 Colour of the Year.

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A post shared by Lily Walters (@lilswalty)

Social Media User Favouring Pantone's Cloud Dancer As The Colour Of 2026

Jessica Vill, a digital content creator, wrote in favour of Panton's pick. "The president of Pantone is a black woman named Sky Kelley. Their colour expert is an Asian woman named Elley Cheng. If women of colour picked white, then was it really racially motivated??"

"What's the problem with choosing white? Please stop seeing political agenda where there is only COLOUR. Calm down," commented another user on Katie's viral reel.

What Pantone Said About Picking Cloud Dancer As 2026 Colour?

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said, "At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, Pantone 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is a discrete hue offering a promise of clarity."

"The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences," she added.

In 2025, Mocha Mousse was the colour of the year for its grounding harmony, and in 2024, Peach Fuzz claimed the title for its gentle shade.

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