Social media posts show blackface costume, racial slurs used at Halloween party

[super animator]

I'm sure there are more who think it than actually say it.

Can it be said the same about you when it comes to making white racism remarks? Not that you will read this post.

 

[SummerMadness]

The Black Panther is a fictional character, too. The comparison is appropriate.

A fictional being and a fictional character are not the same, try again.

He didn't call anything. I'm not apologizing for the behavior in the OP, i'm calling out nonsense about the motivations of kids.

Non-racist motivation does not make racism disappear, one can be ignorant or race-blind and still have an outcome that is racist. That's one reason why, for example, computer algorithms aren't a panacea for removing racial bias as training sets may include data affected by racial bias, thus perpetuating racism in what is considered a "neutral" party. A child that takes something that is not his is still stealing. That does not mean they are as morally reprehensible as a person motivated to take someone else's belongings, but that does not mean they did not steal. Blackface and treating skin color as a costume is rooted racism.

 

[whatbogsends]

A fictional being and a fictional character are not the same, try again.

Trying again, is you trying to change what I said to be about a racist outcome rather than a racist motivation.

Non-racist motivation does not make racism disappear, one can be ignorant or race-blind and still have an outcome that is racist.

One can even be an advocate against racism and have an outcome that is racist. ​

That's one reason why, for example, computer algorithms aren't a panacea for removing racial bias as training sets may include data affected by racial bias, thus perpetuating racism in what is considered a "neutral" party.

Again, when you start with the assumption that any and all disparity regarding outcomes is rooted in racism, you will find racism every place you look.

A child that takes something that is not his is still stealing. That does not mean they are as morally reprehensible as a person motivated to take someone else's belongings, but that does not mean they did not steal. Blackface and treating skin color as a costume is rooted racism.

Blackface may be rooted in racism, but children imitating what they see - be it hair style, hair color, attire, or skin color isn't necessarily so. It certainly may be perceived that way, but it doesn't mean that the motivation for wanting to imitate what they see is racist.

Do you have children?

 

[SummerMadness]

Trying again, is you trying to change what I said to be about a racist outcome rather than a racist motivation.

No one is changing what you said, motivation is immaterial to treating skin color of people as a costume. It's racist, even if it's not the intention of the darkener. When black and brown children start whitening their skin to portray fictional people, get back to me.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Rickey Martin did not get the memo.

(Or is it just blackface?)

 

[SummerMadness]

Rickey Martin did not get the memo.

(Or is it just blackface?)

I think something like wearing a Native American headdress as a costume is more on the topic of cultural appropriation. But if Ricky Martin was painting his skin red, well...

EDIT: I found this article, which is funny yet informative. It is far more encompassing in discussing the appropriateness of a Halloween costume.

How To Choose a Halloween Costume That Isn't Racist

As Halloween approaches, America's most valuable natural resources—celebrities—are in trouble. Each year, more and more fall prey to poor costume judgment, blackening their reputations as thoroughly as their skin. In 2013, a blonde actress named Julianne Hough darkened her face to portray a black character from Orange Is the New Black. In 2014, Scott Disick's costume was simply "a sheik." In 2015, Nicky Hilton attended a tequila party dressed as a Native American woman who owned gladiator sandals. This year is sure to bring fresh horrors. But unlike celebrities, whose lustrous beauty and hypnotic charisma shield them from the consequences of their worst ideas, we (as in: regular people) are each just one misbegotten costume away from unemployment. It doesn't have to be this way. With these rules as a guide, anyone can avoid offending the world on Halloween.

 

[BigDaddy4]

Was this racist? Or is it only racist if I wanted to dress up as this character, including the blackface?