Halloween and Racism
October 27, 2011 - 10:03am
An Ohio student group's campaign has started a firestorm of debate in Canada and abroad over whether wearing Arab, Spanish and other ethnically inspired garb is proliferating stereotypes and feeding racism.
The campaign, by Ohio University's Students Teaching About Racism in Society (STARS), features posters headlined "We're a culture, not a costume." Underneath the line, "This is not who I am, and this is not okay" are students of various ethnic backgrounds holding up photos of people wearing blackface, or dressed up as natives, Geisha girls or people depicting "terrorists," for example.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes...
I've seen this on facebook and elsewhere. It's a great campaign. Of course, the word "culture" might need explanation considering the number of people who hold a very narrow definition of it.
Now if we can also kick the "Sexy _____" costume trend too, we might, as a society, be getting somewhere.
Yes, those posters are great! I've seen them all over facebook too, and I love them. They should become standard issue at the entrance to each and every bargain costume store.
Scrolling through Facebook last night, I was rather shocked to see several photos of white guys in blackface pop up. Then I clicked on the Toronto Star's website this morning and there was an article on an NHL player who dressed up as Jay-Z, complete with blackface.
Curious what people think of this. Is it different to dress as a "specific" black person versus a "generic" black person? E.g. Is it wrong for your costume to be "a black guy" but okay to dress as "Jay-Z"? Is it wrong to dress up as "a Jew" but okay to dress as "Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof"?
I'd say, if you really want to go as Jay-Z, dress like him but don't do anything to your skin. After all, he didn't when he left the house. It just shows that you're fixated on his blackness rather than who he is.
I'd go with Chris Rock's rule. If you're better off than someone else, or part of a group that's traditionally been better off (say, by stealing other peoples land and stuff and labour) dont make fun of the person with less.
Therefore, my black coworker dressing up as goldilocks, cool. Me in blackface, uhh, no.