Is blacking up for Halloween Racist?

Did a fancy dress before where you were assigned people, so a couple had to turn up as Barrack and Michelle Obama.
What would you expect them to do?

It depends really - it's not racist to go as African American. However it is racist to go as African African!

How is it Racist? To portray a black person you need to be.... black.

Play it safe and go as a black guy dressed as a white guy dressing as Mr. T

Clare Bear wrote: »

Saw this on someone's Facebook last week.

http://3432-philly.voxcdn.com/files/2011/10/not-a-costume-its-a-culture.jpg


But Mr T is always the best costume every year

retarded campaign

I find it to be extremely racist since people rely on stereotypes in order to make their characters. It is just buffoonery and it is insulting to me as I don't have the option of washing away my brown skin at the end of the night yet you think it is funny to laugh at the darkness of my skin, the coarseness of my hair, the color of my lips?

In the States, there were was a period of time when Minstrel Shows were incredibly popular. A minstrel show featured White actors who would paint their skin black, color their lips red or white, and then shuffle onto stage with the purpose of mocking Black people. They would portray Blacks as being lazy, incredibly joyful individuals, who would rather rape, sing, or dance than to make an honest living or support their families. At the same time these minstrel shows were popular, the Klan was terrorizing Black communities, Blacks could not exercise their right to vote, and they could not even enter these theaters where these Minstrel Shows were being shown.

It is about White privilege. It is about appropriating a historically oppressed community for the purpose of mockery and entertainment. It says that my culture and our legacy is up for sale and can be easily manipulated for the needs of an audience.

I had a similiar conversation with friends. This eventually came to me wondering how Irish people feel about Americans dressing up as drunken Irish people for Halloween. I asked a few Irish people how they would feel and they said it would be a great laugh. Of course, some of you may see differently, and I'd like to know, but it appears to just be a cultural difference.

Killer Wench wrote: »

I find it to be extremely racist since people rely on stereotypes in order to make their characters. It is just buffoonery and it is insulting to me as I don't have the option of washing away my brown skin at the end of the night yet you think it is funny to laugh at the darkness of my skin, the coarseness of my hair, the color of my lips?

In the States, there were was a period of time when Minstrel Shows were incredibly popular. A minstrel show featured White actors who would paint their skin black, color their lips red or white, and then shuffle onto stage with the purpose of mocking Black people. They would portray Blacks as being lazy, incredibly joyful individuals, who would rather rape, sing, or dance than to make an honest living or support their families. At the same time these minstrel shows were popular, the Klan was terrorizing Black communities, Blacks could not exercise their right to vote, and they could not even enter these theaters where these Minstrel Shows were being shown.

I think you're being a little bit extreme. In the examples you state there was an attempt by unenlightened people to use stereotypes to blatantly offend a particular race. People dressing as black characters for Halloween is not done out of malice or in order to resurrect a period of oppression. Nobody is dressing as a lazy/raping/singing/dancing black.

It is about White privilege. It is about appropriating a historically oppressed community for the purpose of mockery and entertainment. It says that my culture and our legacy is up for sale and can be easily manipulated for the needs of an audience.

Who are you to second guess peoples motives? If I choose to dress as Snoop Dog because he's my favourite artist who are you to say I'm doing it to mock the black race for the purposes of entertainment?

The only person here empowering stereotype from my point of view my friend is you!