Why Blackface Isn't Ok To Wear On Halloween (Or Ever)

Four common questions, answered.

There’s a (disappointingly long) list of public figures who have been at the center of blackface controversies over the years. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was recently under fire after revelations that he appeared in blackface and brownface in the early 2000s (yes, that’s this century).

Politicians in the US have faced similar controversy too. Early in 2019, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who apologized for -- and then, in a weird twist, denied -- posing in a 1984 medical yearbook photo wearing blackface, next to a man wearing KKK robes. Northam later admitted to wearing blackface at a different time, when he dressed up as Michael Jackson.

Blackface isn’t just a problem among lawmakers -- or one that seems to be going away. In October 2018, former NBC host Megyn Kelly defended wearing blackface as a Halloween costume (and later apologized for her comments), and a few months later, an elementary school principal in Pennsylvania was disciplined for wearing blackface during a staffing event.

You may be wondering, “Why do some people think blackface is ok?” or, “Why is blackface such a big deal?” or even, “But what is blackface?” We’ve got you covered.

First, a definition and a super brief history lesson: “Blackface” is the use of theatrical makeup to represent a Black person, often used by non-Black people. White actors began wearing blackface in the 1800s to act out racist stereotypes and dehumanize Black Americans.

tl;dr: Racism is still a problem today. So is wearing blackface, which insults Black Americans, reinforces stereotypes, and honors a history of racism.

As a reminder that wearing blackface isn’t — and never was — OK, DoSomething.org created a campaign called Just Don’t Wear Blackface. The call to action is simple: Take a selfie not wearing blackface to remind Halloweeners not to incorporate the racist practice in their costumes.

DoSomething and our members received a lot of positive feedback and support on the campaign. We also received lots of comments and questions on Facebook, so we answered them below.

Question: What does blackface have to do with racism?

Wearing blackface is hurtful because it was — and is — used to create a caricature of Black Americans, exaggerating the Black form and reinforcing racist perceptions. Historically it has been used to perpetuate the fallacy that Black people are inferior to white people. Starting in the 1800s, white American actors performing in minstrel shows would rub their faces with shoe polish or greasepaint to impersonate and act out racist stereotypes of Black people.

These minstrel shows were widely popularized and enjoyed by white audiences who wanted to dehumanize Black people so they could continue to view and treat Black people as less than human.

Question: Why isn’t blackface OK if I’m just portraying a character?

It is impossible to separate blackface from its history of oppression, because the practice was created to be oppressive and dehumanizing.

Those who decide to wear blackface are maintaining a racist legacy of marginalizing and dehumanizing Black Americans. It’s a practice nothing short of ignorant and degrading, and participating in it directly supports and prolongs its racist legacy.

Telling a historically marginalized group not to be offended by your actions is an act of privilege and dominance. Black people do not have the privilege or the ability to forget their painful history, but white folks, as members of the majority in this country, claim the privilege to ignore this complicated history out of convenience. As Vox reporter Jenée Desmond-Harris, puts it in her article about blackface:

“Embracing the chance to mock, dehumanize, and to dismiss the feelings and demands of others, all while re-imagining history so that only things you deem wrong are wrong, is a pretty great way to perpetuate a racist society that treats black people like crap.”

It’s pretty simple. Don’t throw out basic human decency and uphold a racist practice for a cheap laugh. With that said, the whole point of Halloween is to have fun, eat way too much candy, and portray a character that interests you. If you want to dress up as an icon of a different race, there are plenty of non-derogatory, creative racebent costumes to do so that don’t involve painting your skin. And if you really can’t resist the urge to darken your skin, go as Papa Smurf or The Hulk. Just don’t wear blackface.

Question: If blackface isn’t OK, then why is whiteface OK (like in the movie White Chicks)?

First off, the movie White Chicks is so not okay. Beyond its 15% Rotten Tomatoes score, the movie is homophobic and sexist, and the whiteface makeup worn by the Wayans brothers, and any people of color for the matter, is offensive. But does wearing whiteface have the same meaning and historical legacy as blackface? It doesn’t.

Blackface is connected to a history that involved dehumanizing and disenfranchising Black people. Not only does blackface depict violent and offensive racial stereotypes, it’s an act committed by a group that both has and continues to wield disproportionate power and privilege — making it an act of dominance and superiority. That means something when you think about the systemic disenfranchisement faced by people of color.

Whiteface, much like erroneous ideas of “reverse racism,” exists in an entirely different power dynamic. From what we know in history, white people in America have never been persecuted for the color of their skin, nor have institutions been made and maintained to oppress and disenfranchise white Americans. There is a very real power dynamic in which blackface operates. It has existed for centuries to oppressing people of color.

Question: If blackface started centuries ago, can't you just get over it?

Racism still exists today, and the continuing use of blackface remains problematic, ignorant, and racist. We can’t ignore institutional racism when we examine why, for example, affluent Black and Hispanic demographics still live in poorer neighborhoods than whites with working class incomes or why Black Americans are five times more likely to be incarcerated than white Americans.

So in conclusion, the executive summary, the top-line takeaway, the main thing to remember is: Just don’t wear blackface. Please, just don’t.