Chenelle's Voice
Black Face Has No Place On Halloween or Anywhere For That Matter
Blackface has no place on Halloween, or anywhere for that matter.
Black face has no place in society.
The holiday of Halloween can be an exciting time, especially for kids to dress up in fun costumes and receive candy.
It’s also for individials to express another personality.
Unfortunately, this holiday has brewed some ignorant displays as well.
William Filene (L) dressed as Trayvon Martin, Caitlin Cimeno (center) and Greg Cimeno as George Zimmerman. (Photo courtesy of Instagram)
The recent picture of two young men from Florida, one dressed as Trayvon Martin and one as George Zimmerman has caused outrage.
In another incident, Dancing With The Stars celebrity Julianne Hough just apologized for her outfit.
What is going on?
It has no place on Halloween, or anywhere for that matter.
I repeat, you do not have to dress in that face to represent a Black person.
It is in no way traditional or customary, and has no place in our society.
Wearing a Black face is just as a bad as putting a white hoodie on pretending you’re from the Klan.
The history on Black face
Black face is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows during the Jim Crow era in which performers created a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The characters of Black face minstrelsy have played a significant role in displaying racist images, attitudes and perceptions about people of color worldwide.
During this time, White America’s perceptions of Black entertainers were shaped by minstrels mocking Blacks.
For over one hundred years the belief that Blacks were racially and socially inferior was stimulated by legions of both white and black performers.
It has a deep-rooted history that incites painful memories of discrimationary acts that Blacks had to face. It’s not funny, and the phrase “it’s harmless and innocent fun” or “it’s just make up” will simply not cut it.
The truth of the matter is, no one should be dressing in Black face, red face, white face, or yellow face.
When you think of your costume for Halloween, let’s think with a conscience.