If You're Wearing Blackface This Halloween, You're A Racist Jerk

Halloween is coming up this Monday, and already seeing the pics on Facebook and Instagram pic of white peeps wearing blackface 'costumes.

Once again, blackface is not funny, not considered complimentary because of the long history of it being used to demean and dehumanize my community dating back to the early 19th Century.

My people and my culture is not a costume for you to put on for your amusement.

You also know blackface is wrong.  If you choose to ignore this warning for any reason, I don't want to hear any "I didn't know blackface was bad" commentary or other weak excuses trying to justify it because myself and other Black people across the Net have said it and written thousands of words why it's jacked up.

And don't even try to deploy the Wayans Brothers White Chicks movie as a defense.  That's an automatic nonstarter.

Note to white women who wear blackface, If you've decided you're to do so after you have been warned not to and why it's not appropriate, don't be surprised at the backlash you get.  Your white tears will not save you from the backlash that will rain down upon you for your lousy decision.

And heaven help you if Black Twitter gets to those pics you thought were cool or funny.   Those blackface pictures will also follow you around forever.

Just say no to Blackface this Halloween, people. If you do, don't be mad when people consider you a racist jerk for doing so

I Repeat White People: Just Say No To Blackface

'But I'm willing to bet some arrogant vanillacentric privileged fool will ignore this advice and find themselves in a media caca storm for doing exactly what I'm warning them not to do.'--TransGriot September 24, 2015  'For Halloween 2015, Just Say No To Blackface'

Didn't I call it?   Post wasn't even up a week before the first fool got busted for not saying no to blackface in the person of Friedel Kushman, who couldn't say no to blackface, bragged about doing so on Facebook and paid for her lack of Halloween vision with her job.

Now comes news that a UCLA fraternity and sorority that jointly hosted a 'Kanye Western' party couldn't resist the urge to wallow in offensive stereotypes.

Damn White people, just say no to blackface.   Your future career prospects, unless you're applying for internships in the Republican Party or some conservafool think tank, depend on it.

The Sigma Phi Epsilon frat chapter on campus is suspended pending an investigation and Alpha Psi sorority will probably suffer the same fate in addition to having their blackfaced bigotry blasted all over the Southland in local LA media.

Once again White people, just say no to blackface.  It is offensive to my people, there is no justification for it under ANY circumstances, and my people's lives and culture are not a costume for you to put on and mock.

And I'd be willing to bet if you had to permanently live our Black lives 24/7/365, y'all couldn't handle one hour of it.

But alas. I'll probably have more instances of white people running wild with blackface and getting in trouble for it posted on this blog before October 31 gets here.

For Halloween 2015, Just Say No To Blackface

Halloween is five weeks away, and it's time to remind you white peeps early to just say no to blackface.   Doing so is NOT 'cool, hip, or edgy' it's straight up racist.

So spare yourself the easily avoidable drama and find characters and people from your own culture to emulate this October 31. My culture and my people are not costumes for you to put on for your amusement.

But I'm willing to bet some arrogant vanillacentric privileged fool will ignore this advice and find themselves in a media caca storm for doing exactly what I'm warning them not to do.

So word to the wise, just say NO to blackface.

No White People, You STILL Can't Do Blackface Because It's STILL Offensive

"My people and my culture are not costumes for you put on for your or your people's entertainment and amusement.  And when we call your azz out about it, you don't get to tell me as the offended POC party what is and isn't offensive or to 'lighten up' about it."
TransGriot, October 28, 2013

What is it that you white peeps fail to understand, when we Black people tell you it is not appropriate at ANY time for you peeps to do blackface?   Why don't you burn it in your brains to simply don't do it?

Because let's be real, that whiteness and white privilege you walk around with but vehemently try to deny exists won't let you drop the subject.   It also grates at you that those people Roger B Taney said in Dred Scott v Sandford had no rights you were bound to respect, have told y'all repeatedly not to do it because it is offensive to us.

And you wanna do blackface despite what we said.

Why I'm writing another post about this is in response to Mary Cheney asking the question why whites couldn't do blackface if men could still do drag.

The answer is still the same.  Because we told you it is offensive to us, and blackface has 185 years of racist history attached to it.

Blackface was specifically designed to demean, denigrate, disrespect and oppress African-Americans for over a   century  Those  acts centered around the caricature of African-American people as lazy, overly-cheerful, uneducated and musical in addition to dehumanizing Black people and spreading stereotypes that still persist today.

Blackface also spawned products like Ni***rhair Cigarettes, and restaurant chains like the Coon Chicken Inn restaurants that used those stereotypes in their advertising in Jim Crow era America.

Drag shows for the most part are entertainment and do not even come close to meeting that dehumanizing standard.

And since you white peeps have had the societal power and were gleefully using it to oppress peeps who didn't look like you (and still are), it will NEVER acceptable for any white person inside or outside the TBLG community to wear blackface.   Not that some of you fools in LGBT world haven't tried it.

So Mary Cheney, to answer your question, white people can't do blackface because it is still and will always be offensive.   Being part of the LGBT community doesn't give you a pass either on this issue.

White People, Blackface Is NOT Appropriate For Halloween Or ANY Day

'North American Black people have a zero tolerance policy toward any manifestation of white people in blackface, whether it is maliciously racist or not.

We don't care if you are a drag performer, a model doing a high fashion photo shoot, somebody doing so as a badly thought out Halloween costume or drunken white college kids perpetuating negative stereotypes of African descended people in the name of fun and frivolity. You need to get it through your vanillacentric privileged minds blackface is offensive to African descended people and there is no justification in our chococentric minds for doing so.'
--TransGriot July 7, 2013  I Repeat: White People Doing Blackface Drag Is Not Acceptable, Period!


With Halloween fast approaching, we have had increased sightings of vanillacentric privileged people in blackface and when they get justifiably called out on it, have other clueless white peeps trying to come to their defense about it.


Blackface was used to demean and dehumanize African-Americans for almost 2 centuries, and non-white folks are beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of having this discussion about blackface and why we have a zero tolerance policy toward it. 

Julianne Hough is only the latest white person to find out the hard way just how much we hate blackface. Or was she not paying attention when we called out everybody from Ted Danson to college students majoring in disrespect for doing so?     

Yes Julianne, we get it you love the show Orange Is The New Black.  But you had plenty of other characters you could dress up as like Pennsyltucky, Piper and Red for example.  Why Crazy Eyes?

"I am a huge fan of the show Orange is the New black, actress Uzo Aduba, and the character she has created,” she wrote. “It certainly was never my intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in any way. I realize my costume hurt and offended people and I truly apologize."

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/10/26/4579558/julianne-hough-apologizes-for.html#storylink=cpy

But this wasn't the lone instance of well known white people donning black face.   Check out what designers Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Paula Cademartori and others did at a fashion industry Halloween party in Milan with a 'Disco Africa' theme.   

Any wonder why the catwalks at the fall and spring fashion shows are always overwhelmingly walked by white models? 

Bottom line, say no to blackface, because your azz will be called out about it. 

Read the next line and commit it to memory for Halloween and beyond. 

My people and my culture are not costumes for you put on for your or your people's entertainment and amusement.  And when we call your azz out about it, you don't get to tell me as the offended POC party what is and isn't offensive or to 'lighten up' about it.


Blackface is not appropriate for Halloween or ANY day.

 

I Repeat: White People Doing Blackface Drag Is Not Acceptable, Period!

And for once, it isn't the odious Chuck Knipp and his Shirley Q. Liquor 'act' I'm slamming for trying to do it. 

This latest episode of white person who didn't get the memo that white people doing blackface drag is never appropriate is Toronto drag queen Daytona Bitch.

He has his draws in a knot because he was fired from a gig during the recent Toronto Pride for performing in blackface.

He was allegedly imitating Miss Cleo from the Psychic Hotline commercials of the late 90's-early 2K's at the Crews & Tango  nightclub in Toronto.

The June 24 performance generated a lot of angrily contentious discussion on Twitter with the clueless Daytona Bitch trying to defend along with his fans the jacked up performance. 

"I asked a couple people if it was offensive because it’s not blackface in my eyes,” Daytona Bitch says. “I went to theater school. I know what blackface is. It was not a minstrel show. I was doing a character.

Whitesplaining segment over, time for Moni to school your azz right now on the subject.

Sure it's not offensive or blackface in your eyes because you're wallowing in vanillacentric privilege.  And if you claim to know what blackface is, why did you go ahead with that performance anyway?

Obviously none of those people you asked in that club were Black Canadians, because they would have told your vanillacentric privileged behind what I'm about to say in this post right now.

Blackface has been used to denigrate, demean and dehumanize Black people across the African Diaspora for over 180 years.  It's why African descended people in North America have highly negative views toward it that haven't and won't change even in the second decade of the 21st century.   

It's also why North American Black people have a zero tolerance policy toward any manifestation of white people in blackface, whether it is maliciously racist or not. 

We don't care if you are a drag performer, a model doing a high fashion photo shoot, somebody doing so as a badly thought out Halloween costume or drunken white college kids perpetuating negative stereotypes of African descended people in the name of fun and frivolity.   You need to get it through your vanillacentric privileged minds blackface is offensive to African descended people and there is no justification in our chococentic minds for doing so. 

And you knew it too, which is why you and your fans are trying to whitesplain this away. BTW Daytona, since you got paid for that performace, it does qualify as blackface since you made money off the dehumanization of my people.  

You don't get to tell my POC community as a member of the ethnic group that exercises power in this society (deleteriously at times to my community) what is or isn't offensive.  We have repeatedly told you Blackface is one of those things that IS offensive to us on both sides of the 49th parallel, so hear us loud and clear when we say that. 

And don't even try to bring up the Wayans Brothers White Chicks movie, Tyler Perry as Madea, Martin Lawrence as 'Big Momma', Eddie Murphy in Norbit, Whoopi Goldberg, or RuPaul's sellout azz into this conversation in order to defend blackface.

Don't bother parting your lips to say that tired, 'we need to lighten up about it' line or try to claim 'it's a costume' either. 

My people and my culture are not costumes you put on for your or your people's entertainment.

I repeat, white people doing blackface, whether it is malicious or not is NEVER acceptable so don't do it unless you like being called out about it.

Class dismissed.

The Problem With Numéro's African Queen

Past time to share another one of Renee's Womanist Musings articles with you 
 
Yes we have yet another magazine tying to justify its inclusion of Blackface.

 

The above image is of the ever so White, blond-haired, blue-eyed model Ondria Hardin. The image appeared in Numéro magazine n°141 of March 2013 and was photographed by Sebastian Kim.  I don't know how any editor could possibly look at the image and declare it fit to print, given the continual outrage which occurs each time any magazine has chosen to engage in Blackface.  This isn't a case of artistic license but the absolute perpetuation of White supremacy.  

Numéro has since issued the following apology:

Some people have declared that they have been offended by the publication in Numéro magazine n°141 of March 2013, of an editorial realized by the photographer Sebastian Kim called “African Queen”, featuring the American model Ondria Hardin posing as an “African queen”, her skin painted in black.

The artistic statement of the photographer Sebastian Kim, author of this editorial, is in line with his previous photographic creations, which insist on the melting pot and the mix of cultures, the exact opposite of any skin color based discrimination. Numéro has always supported the artistic freedom of the talented photographers who work with the magazine to illustrate its pages, and has not took part in the creation process of this editorial.

For its part, Numéro Magazine, which has the utmost respect for this photographer’s creative work, firmly excludes that the latest may have had, at any moment, the intention to hurt readers’ sensitivity, whatever their origin.

Numéro Magazine considers that it has regularly demonstrated its deep attachment to the promotion of different skin-colored models. For instance, the next issue of Numéro for Man on sale on 15th march has the black model Fernando Cabral on the cover page, and the current Russian edition’s cover of our magazine features the black model Naomi Campbell on its cover. This demonstrates the completely inappropriate nature of the accusations made against our magazine, deeply committed to the respect for differences, tolerance and more generally to non-discrimination.

Considering the turmoil caused by this publication, the Management of Numéro Magazine would like to apologize to anyone who may have been offended by this editorial. 

Right, so it's not racist to put a person in Blackface no matter what Black people have to say about it, as long as your intention is to show diversity.  Of course, it's absolutely not diverse to show real people of colour, when you can use White people to stand in for them.  Everyone should be able to agree that a racist image is just as good as real representation, after all, they have the future of White supremacy to think about.

It's also shocking that anyone could potentially declare Numéro magazine racist, simply because of one model covered in dark makeup. What's a little Blackface between friends, when you have people like Naomi Campbell on next month's cover?  Just count the Black people. Count them I say. This proves that Numéro isn't at all racist.  Someone should have told Numéro that if we have to be instructed to count Black people that this in itself, is an indicator that there is most definitely a race problem. Racial integration should be seamless, in that people of colour should be easily visible alongside their White counterparts, rather than a few standouts to avoid being labelled racist. Furthermore, using the people of colour associated with the magazine to reject being labelled a racist, is exactly the same deflection of "hey, I have Black friends," and is not only ridiculously unbelievable but racist as well.

At this point, I have become so accustomed and in fact jaded about shitty apologies that this didn't even cause me to bat a single eyelash.  Quite simply, when you engage in something this obviously racist, there is no apology that could possibly make up for it.  The damage has already been done. In the game of bad apologies, Numéro's was pretty horrendous but I have to say that Sebastian Kim was at the very least, equally as bad.

I would like to apologize for any misunderstanding around my recent photos for Numero France. It was never my intention (nor Numero’s) to portray a black woman in this story. Our idea and concept for this fashion shoot was based on 60's characters of Talitha Getty, Verushka and Marissa Berenson with middle eastern and Moroccan fashion inspiration. We at no point attempted to portray an African women by painting her skin black. We wanted a tanned and golden skin to be showcased as part of the beauty aesthetic of this shoot.

It saddens me that people would interpret this as a mockery of race. I believe that the very unfortunate title “African Queen” (which I was not aware of prior to publication) did a lot to further people’s misconceptions about these images. It was certainly never my intention to mock or offend anyone and I wholeheartedly apologize to anyone who was offended.

All right, I'm a good sport and can say that if the photographer was not responsible for the title that does make him possibly a little less of a douchbag than Numéro; however, he still thought it was a good idea to paint a young White woman with dark makeup, in order to have appear as a race to which she doesn't belong.  Does he actually expect a cookie and a round of applause for that?  Even if we remove the label of 'African Queen', the image in and of itself is still patently racist because no White person can ever represent a person of colour in this fashion.  If he wanted a Middle Eastern look, the way to go about it was to use a Middle Eastern person. That seems logical to me.

Ultimately, the intention of the magazine or the photographer is meaningless. Intent is not some magical elixir against harm.  This is especially true when it comes to something as blatant as this. It is not reasonable to suggest that both Numéro and Sebastian Kim had no idea of the furor these images would cause when they were released to the public.  People of colour have repeatedly spoken out about such engagement whenever and wherever it has appeared.  It is far more likely that they hoped to be perceived as edgey, the new hipster code for ironically racist.  Apologizing after the fact, "if people were offended," is not ownership of said offense and does not negate the harm done.  So in short, fashion magazine editors and photographers, just stop doing racist offensive shit because at this point, not only does the public not believe your intent was benign, your apologies suck ass as well.

Leave It To Whoopi Goldberg To Defend Blackface

Guest Post from Renee of Womanist Musings, who is all that and four bags of ketchup flavored chips.

Watching The View this morning, I was given yet one more reason to wish that Goldberg came with a mute button.  You know it's a bad day, when you find yourself saying thank heaven for Sherri Sheppard.

It all began when Whoopi Goldberg brought up the incident in which 6 Southern Miss Sorority girls were suspended for wearing Blackface to dress as the Huxtable family, from the 80's sitcom The Cosby show for Halloween.

"Though it is clear that these women had no ill intent, it was also clear that they had little cultural awareness or competency, and did not understand the historical implication of costuming in blackface," Dean of Students Eddie Holloway said in a news release.

What "probation" means exactly is unclear. Phi Mu Fraternity National President Kris Bridges said Phi Mu does not make public specific disciplinary actions taken against individuals.

Bridges said in a news release that she is "deeply disappointed" in the actions of the girls but added she does not believe they had any "malicious intent."

"That is why some of the sanctions the members will face will include opportunities for education on this topic," she said.

Chapter sanctions include diversity and cultural competency educational requirements, including the sponsorship of a campuswide program with a nationally known speaker on diversity appreciation. (source)

I think to most people, dressing up in Blackface is understood as an instant no no, but there are others who always seem to find a reason to defend it and they are not always White, as the following transcript from this mornings segment of the view will show.

Whoopi: I think it's bull. They weren't out there with big red lips and walking around like they used to do in the old days. That's now what they were doing. They were doing a show, that was actually on tv, that had an entire Black family.  Now, when I did the queen of England at the Oscar[s], isn't that the same thing?
Behar: What do you mean, like Blackface?
Whoopi: I was in Whiteface. But the idea that these girls dressed as The Huxtables, feels very different than someone doing, say
Behar: something with the big lips
Walters: Also minstrel shows were banned because they were all so hokey and it was all portraying
Whoopi: Right but that's not what these girls were doing
Walters: But if you're doing Othello and your doing it on stage, and your a White actor, nobody thinks a thing, of if it's halloween and you want to look like - I don't know
Whoopi:  Me
Walters: You know, I think this is when the politically correct goes, this is incorrect.

Okay, so if your intent is not to demean, that supposedly removes all of the history and racism that is encoded with Blackface? Ummm, in a word, NO.  It is not right for a White person to play Othello and it is only recently that Black actors have been given a chance to play this role.  This of course because of discrimination, and so the idea that we willingly accept a White actor in this role ignores the man ways Blacks have been silenced every time we have complained about this.

Sheppard: I got a different about it, I think that - not upset at this girls that they didn't know the cultural references.
Whoopi: which cultural references?
Sheppard: of Blackface, when it was originally done what it meant.
Behar: Do you know what it meant?
Sheppard: When they would do the Blackface and you can correct me if I'm wrong Whoopi, you studied this.  As I understand it, when Blackface was done, it was because Black performers could not perform as themselves and they had to wear cork makeup on their face, so it was saying to them, you're not good enough as you are to perform, because White audiences would not accept Black people performing in the venue
Whoopi: Right
Sheppard: Unless they were in Blackface and Blackface has been taken throughout those years. It takes the most horrible stereotypes of Black people and the cruelest stereotypes and it puts it out there.
Whoopi: Let's be clear that's not what these girls were doing.
Sheppard: that's what I'm saying. If you know the history that Blackface is coming from
Behar: The dean of students - let me read this to you, his name is Eddie Holloway from the university of southern Mississippi. "It was clear that these women had no ill intent, it was also clear that they had no cultural awareness of competency and did not understand the historical implications of costuming." This is at a university. Maybe they should teach them.

This was a great explanation as to why Blackface is wrong.  I absolutely reject the idea that it is a matter of cultural ignorance though. Whiteness has the choice to educate itself about Blacks or live in ignorance, and ultimately many are so wrapped up in their privielge that they don't bother to learn, however the ongoing debate about Blackface is far from obscure.  Blacks are constantly speaking out about how offensive Blackface is and every Halloween their is a round of discussion when invariably some White people thinks that Blackface constitute a costume.

Whoopi: Don't you see that the fact that they dug the Huxtables enough to want to dress like them, says that they have cultural awareness. I'm sorry, but the Huxtables were Black, they were the first whole Black family we ever saw on tv, who actually had jobs on both sides.
Sheppard: If you take the Huxtables, you know Dr. Huxtable, he had this family - they were an affluent, educated Black family.
Walters: Do you think these girls should not have done it? Is that your point?
Sheppard: I think that they were not aware that this is something that causes a lot of emotion in people. You're reducing to me, the Huxtables to this kind of buffonish character
Whoopi: Now hold up, there's a difference between what the Huxtables looks like, and what actual buffonery looks like. Now there's a huge actual difference. Basically what you are saying Sheri, is that no one can put on makeup to darken their skin. Now I know you were darker when you were younger. [addressing Behar]

There is absolutely no reason for a White person to dress up like a Black person. Even if their intent is not mockery or outright racism, you cannot divorce the historical meaning of this action.  It is not a true limitations to White people to avoid Blackface.  The world already caters to them and so the fact that they have to avoid Black characters does not constitute any form of oppression.

Behar: When I went to a party one time, I really went as an African woman. I was wearing what I thought was kind of a deshike kind of thing, the hair came curly and I wore tinted make up on my skin, so I looked a little darker. Now, I thought that was kind of an homage basically to a beautiful - a looked good - to a pretty African woman. I wasn't making fun of anything, I was basically saying look at how good this can look on me, I like that.
Sheppard: And you made a point [addressing Whoopi]  you know how you dressed as the queen of England, you know White face  and I would say to that, White face was never historically meant to oppress White people.
Whoopi: Listen, Black people were infuriated with me that I would do that.
Sheppard: Why?
Whoopi: I don't know. Here's the thing, that means that none of us can ever be anyone historical, we can never be any characters that we see, who are not absolutely Black. I think that it's too limiting.
Walters: and you cannot have a White actor playing Othello.
Whoopi: Yeah, we're going to keep talking about this.

This is the point at which I wish that Goldberg would stop talking about it. Considering that she had a role to play in Ted Danson's Blackface incident, I am hardly surprised that this is the position that she chose to take. Whoopi is the White man's best friend, when it comes to excusing or otherwise justifying racism.  Her position is clearly an example of internalized racism, and I fear that it will be used to justify Blackface in the future.

Her actions are dangerous because they serve to support White supremacy.  What sell-outs like Whoopi fail to acknowledge, is that Whiteness rules with the aid of Blacks exactly like her. Whiteness is highly invested in ensuring that its privilege remains beyond question socially. It further emboldens the ignorance and arrogance that goes into not acknowledging or learning about the historical wrongs committed by Whiteness against Blacks. Essentially, Whoopi's comments make it seem as though Blacks are just ruining simple fun and complaining about nothing.  It's similar to those who charge that historically marginalized people are on a constant mission to look for something to be offended about.

I truly wish that I could ignore every single word that Whoopi says, because she has shown such an extreme amount of ignorance over the years about various subjects.  I cannot afford to sweep her under the rug and forget about her specifically because she is a public figure.  Blacks are not seen as individuals socially, and so even though Sheppard did publicly agree with Goldberg, what will be remembered is what Whoopi had to say, because it was in the service of White supremacy.  Just as many White people turn to people like Obama and Oprah Winfrey to point out how good Blacks have it today, they will turn to Whoopi to defend Blackface.