Note: The person in this picture is Helen Kane, the person the cartoon caricature image was based on, not Esther Jones, referred to in the article. For additional information, see: http://www.littlethings.com/real-betty-boop-baby-esther...
No, the cartoon character Betty Boop is visually depicted as white, but she was heavily inspired by the unique "boop-oop-a-doop" scat-singing style of a Black jazz performer from the Harlem Renaissance, Esther Jones (stage name "Baby Esther"). While early cartoons sometimes showed her with darker skin as a Polynesian or Native American character, the main inspiration was Jones, whose style was copied by singer Helen Kane, leading to a lawsuit and revealing the Black artist's significant, uncredited influence on the iconic character.
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