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Home > So You Think You Can Blackface?

So You Think You Can Blackface?

Written by:  Jamie Lynne

By Iola Kostrzewski

Every year children and adults alike dress up as fairies, pumpkins, pirates, and ghost. Halloween also known as All Hollows Eve is that one time during the year in which you can be or portray something that you are not. A holiday that dressing up was originally done to trick the spirits that came back from the dead has instead turned into a day you can become your favorite character.

Now most people follow the rules and actually dress up in APPROPRIATE ways here are some examples below:

Screen Shot 2013-10-31 at 10.01.11 PM

A peasant is a very appropriate
Screen Shot 2013-10-31 at 10.01.22 PM
A Pirate is very appropriate

And if it floats your boat you can even be a cupcake

Screen Shot 2013-10-31 at 10.01.29 PM

Credit: Target

I could go on and on but I am pretty sure you get the point. Yet there are a group of people who have somehow missed the common sense rule on costumes. In fact not only have they completely missed the memo, but that have also been downright offensive. Examples Below:

Screen Shot 2013-10-31 at 10.01.43 PM

Screen Shot 2013-10-31 at 10.01.51 PMScreen Shot 2013-10-31 at 10.01.59 PM

Screen Shot 2014-10-28 at 1.16.35 PM

Is your jaw on the ground yet? I am still picking mine up from last week when these pictures surfaced. Yet in case you haven’t figured it out what all of these pictures have in common it’s blackface. This is NOT ok.

It baffles me that all of these kids do not realize the history behind blackface. That they think that it is completely ok to paint themselves black in order to portray another person. Yet at the same time I am not baffled. Why am I expecting kids who have lived a life of privilege to understand that painting oneself black is more than just the paint or makeup its self? That to use black face one is perpetrating racist stereotypes that once were used in minstrel shows? How do I expect these kids to understand that blackface is wrong social, politically, and racially?

I want to scream to these kids “Were you not shown ‘Birth of a Nation’ in school”? Did you not watch white actors paint themselves black and portray black men as a threat? Playing roles that even if a black person was to want to play they were not allowed to. Racist stereotypes were created, that to this day are continuing to be thrown around.

Black face was created to make blacks seem less than human. To show that Black men are uncontrollable animals that want to attack the precious white woman. Blackface made it easier to enforce the Jim Crow laws. I mean how does one after seeing years and years of movies with white characters playing these horrible black people not then want to control the savage beast? So what’s better than enforcing laws that confirm the thought that black people are not humans? What would be wrong with denying rights of someone who is not human…. right? Oh and while I am on Jim Crow have you not seem the character Jim Crow himself?

Yet these kids they truly do not understand, defending their choices on social media forums. I want to just say “well maybe they honestly were not to offend anyone” Yet I can’t. I cannot look away and just think ignorance is bliss when I see pictures like this proudly shown to the world.

For the ones screaming “yet they really are innocent they really did not know.”

I find that hard to believe when one writes “… are Niggas this Halloween” a word that is so deeply rooted in hate. That I shudder even when Blacks themselves claim they are taking the word back and using it amongst themselves. How would my great, great, great, great grandmother feel if she were to hear the generations that are no longer slaves throwing the word around like it means nothing? Yet I will save that conversation for a different day.

I also sit here and wonder who gets and invite to an “African “themed party, and thinks “I am going to dress like a member of the KKK”?

For the geniuses that thought it would be awesome to dress as Trayvon Martin, and George Zimmerman. “How dare you”? Is the only question I can even get to come out of my mouth. How dare you make light of the death of a child. Yes I said child because last I checked being under the age of 18 makes you a child in many households.

Yet what scares me the most are the ones who actually have commented on these pictures saying great job or how funny these costumes are.

Nothing is funny about Blackface. At the end of the day the paint washes off and the one wearing it enters their bubble of privilege. Seeing that in all reality that bubble never really left them, seeing it privilege that masks the eyes of the one wearing it, in order for them to think that what they are doing is completely ok.

As Anna Hojnacki, a awesome commenter about the whole situation said:
“Pro Tips: If you need an explanation pinned to your costume, your costume sucks. If you need to change your skin color to explain your costume, your costume sucks. If you still think blackface is okay, just wear your Klan outfit and say you’re a ghost.”

Also in case you need further assistance in figuring out whether changing your skin color is ok:
http://shouldidressinblackfacethishalloween.com/

 

meme2About Iola: “I am a wife to my awesome but crazy husband Chad. Mommy to my two wonderful boys Cadden and Lyam. A cloth diaper addict.I am a Babywearing Educator, Lactation educator in training and aspiring midwife, A political junkie. A birthing rights advocate. Crazy babywearer. AP mama. I think I am an awesome friend sometimes. I am a mother who looses her way at times and at the end of the day I sit down with a glass of wine and wonder what the B**p am I doing?!“

Oct 30, 2013Jamie Lynne
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Comments: 14
  1. Stephanie
    October 30, 2013 at 11:16 am

    Thank you for writing this. This shows the desperate need for more education in black history, besides one month. We should all know why blackface isn’t okay and what it means when someone does it.

    ReplyCancel
  2. tara
    October 30, 2013 at 12:15 pm

    This is appalling. I was also offended by the fact that the girls in the top picture in blackface used the n word. But I guess if they think blackface is okay, of course they think using the n word is okay. #disgusted

    ReplyCancel
  3. rene
    October 30, 2013 at 12:26 pm

    Thank you for writing this. But the people who dressed in these “costumes” knew exactly what they were doing. They weren’t even trying to hide their racism. And frankly, I’m glad they didn’t. I prefer to know upfront that a person is racist. And nothing any of these people can say or do will convince me they aren’t. I don’t care how many black friends they later claim to have… its just sad that there’s still so much hatred in this world.

    ReplyCancel
  4. Amanda
    October 30, 2013 at 1:12 pm

    Excellent well-written response. Thank you.

    ReplyCancel
  5. Melvina
    October 30, 2013 at 2:22 pm

    Ok, what I see and read here is appalling… Other then What I knew about movies and plays, (the paint of the face) I had never heard of black facing… Here is my question, is it offensive and hurtful if my white son wants to MLKjr is it wrong and offensive to paint his skin to be historically accurate? I ask be MLKjr is his hero, and while we are doing movie themes this year as a family, he has stated he wants to go as him next year…

    ReplyCancel
  6. Megan Justine
    October 30, 2013 at 2:37 pm

    And because there are people like this out in the world, I have a fear of letting my son go out into it. Why don’t these people educate there children!

    ReplyCancel
  7. Kathleen
    October 30, 2013 at 3:28 pm

    As an Australian I have to respond to comments about those who painted their skin for that last photo. In Australia ‘blackface’ isn’t a thing. It’s not racist, it’s not hateful, it’s painted skin. We have multicultural days in primary school when kids dress for different countries of the world to celebrate diversity, and it happens then. No racism, just celebration. I remember an ‘A’ themed dress up party I went to and 2 guys both named Andrew went as each other. One is Indian (as in, born in India) and the other Caucasian. They wore each others clothes and painted their skin. Sure, they were absolutely lampooning each other – but there was nothing racial about it.
    We live in an age where much of what we do is documented online and can be viewed on the other side of the world. In this instance, a young girl wanted to celebrate a continent that she longed to visit. One idiot dressed as a member of the KKK, and everyone else dressed up to in some way celebrate one of those countries. She went as Cleopatra. She put the photos online and the next thing she knows she’s getting death threats and being called a hateful racist on public blogs from the other side of the planet. I actually work with a friend of hers and the poor girl is utterly devastated. From an Australian cultural viewpoint the only thing she ‘did wrong’ was not kick out the insensitive douche who turned up in KKK garb.

    Let me be clear, I’m not saying that racism doesn’t occur in Australia. Nor am I saying that blackface is ok. What I am trying to say is that in Australia painting your skin isn’t blackface. Being connected by the internet and colonised by the british does not make our countries or cultures identical, and to point fingers at people in a country on the other side of the world and deem them full of hate because of a costume that means something completely different in their culture is unfair. I doubt that any American child has had much of an education in Australian cultural nuances, and we certainly don’t go into detail about what might be offensive in any given country in our curriculum. Inadvertent offence is quite possible now that social media broadcasts our lives worldwide. Not being aware of American cultural trigger points while dressing for an African themed birthday party in Australia does not make anyone a racist.

    ReplyCancel
    • Genevieve
      October 30, 2013 at 4:51 pm

      I was just about to say the same thing: here in Belgium, I’m not saying there’s no racism – hell no! – but it is entirely possible to paint your skin a different colour (my Morroccan friend did today in fact) and it is purely representative and in no way indicates any negative feelings about another race.

      ReplyCancel
    • Lia Miller
      October 30, 2013 at 5:37 pm

      Considering the way that Aborigines were treated in Australian history, I find myself suspicious about this being a less than hurtful practice. It’s not just that it’s been used in the past to hurt people.

      Skin is a part of you. I am a morena latina, which means that if I DON’T go out in the sun I’m dimly olive, and if I get so much as a sun ray, my skin goes cinnamon dark. I have relatives who paint themselves with skin whiteners, such is their desire to look more prosperous and societally beautiful. Have you ever felt like your skin was the ‘wrong color’? Have you ever felt the need to scrub at it to try to make it ‘right,’ or to hide from the sun so you’ll be more accepted in society?

      Not so you’ll be “pretty,” so you’ll not be seen as low class, as terrible, as poor, as worthless. So cops won’t target you, and the internalized message of, “Don’t run, try to look casual, they WILL chase and they WILL hurt you” might be easier to follow.

      It’s not just in America that darker skinned people have complicated experiences, and we cannot wash it off at the end of the night.

      Race is not a costume.

      ReplyCancel
    • SS
      November 17, 2013 at 1:39 am

      Here in Australia it is beyond an education issue, people are trully trying to hurt you emotionally, I experience racism alot so I feel I can make a definitive decision about their intentions, we Australians are not as dumb as we make out so im confident their is an intention to injure , we cant even discuss our past without whinging from the masses, I dont know how most aussie consider this place home with all their hate filled ignorance, if someone lies and claims aussies are ignorant of blackface remind them of hey hey harry, they all knew especially that so called dumb girl, Kathleen is the type whos ruining this nation with her lies, justifing that crap makes me think your racist or maybe you dont even know your racist

      ReplyCancel
  8. Meagan
    October 30, 2013 at 7:29 pm

    Er… As Rene says, it’s pretty clear these costumes are SUPPOSED to be offensive.

    If they knew the history of blackface, they would cheer for it. You can’t tell these people that it’s “not ok” they find that funny too. People like this would peek out their window at a lynch mob, and not likely risk joining it, but they would think, “good.” They believe everything you think they are accidentally representing.

    ReplyCancel
  9. Liz
    November 1, 2013 at 5:42 pm

    the choice of their costumes are atrocious, but lets not give those on welfare more of a crutch and more of a reason to bring out the race card. I’m sure if a black man colored himself white and a red neck no one would say a thing. DOUBLE STANDARD! Reverse racism is a much bigger problem than racism, and needs to be addressed more than racism.

    ReplyCancel
  10. LB
    November 4, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    I love this article. Although I disagree with some points I agree with the main issue. I don’t think it’s wrong to paint ur face black, white, orange, purple etc. If you do it with good intentions. Being in a school play we had people who where black playing a white person and white people playing black people. It was not the teacher who painted there face but it was a historic play and the students did not want to confuse people so they painted there face. It’s sad that the play was cancelled because of that fact. The principle did not want people to attack the kids. Yet the children (15yrs ish) did not think racists thoughts. It was not a white persons or a black persons idea it was a group idea. If you play an Indian (native American) do you not wear a wig and clothes like there’s. Some might even get a dark tan. If you play a chimny sweeter do you not dirty ur face…i just think there is a time and place and the ones above where to make fun and were racists. But I have seen children who had no race related intention be kicked out of school because a teacher said dress as ur favourite actor or historical figure and a white person dressed up as a mlk jr and a black person went as Lincon. There is a time and a place for everything. This is one the people above failed to address. It was not the time nor the place to do what they did.

    ReplyCancel
  11. Brandy
    November 5, 2013 at 5:09 am

    Since i am white, i will assume i am missing something, but here are my thoughts. Would any of these costumes be appropriate if the black person were portrayed by a black kid? No. They would still be terrible. The blackface by itself i fail to see as offensive. Assuming it were being portrayed in a positive way, say a white preteen who admires Harriet Tubman, or a white boy who stands behind the legacy of Martain Luther King Jr. If they were to dress up as them and painted their face a brown to complete their costume, would this not be a positive thing? That this “priveledged” kid is choose a black man or woman as their hero? Is that not a sign of progress? Would it not send the wrong message to tell them “sorry, it is okay to like them, but shameful to look like them,” I am not asking these questions rhetorically. I am truly trying to better understand why painting your face, assuming it is in a positive way, is a bad thing.

    ReplyCancel

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