Post by somersault72 on Nov 2, 2015 13:48:43 GMT -5
I thought EVERYONE knew black face was racist, but I learned just this last week that I would be wrong. A group of women on a local FB group I frequent where having a discussion about this and I cannot believe how many of them didn't think it was racist! This a group of normally intelligent, well read, open minded women that I respect(ed?). These women truly did not see what was offensive about dressing up as Kanye for Halloween and painting your face black. "It's part of the costume!" "How are people going to know it's Kanye if you don't paint the face black?"
I thought EVERYONE knew black face was racist, but I learned just this last week that I would be wrong. A group of women on a local FB group I frequent where having a discussion about this and I cannot believe how many of them didn't think it was racist! This a group of normally intelligent, well read, open minded women that I respect(ed?). These women truly did not see what was offensive about dressing up as Kanye for Halloween and painting your face black. "It's part of the costume!" "How are people going to know it's Kanye if you don't paint the face black?"
You know, somehow when my daughter (black) wanted to be Elsa (white) it never crossed my mind to put white make up on her face. If you arent creative enough to pull off a costume without black face you probably should just pick something else.
I completely agree. I think it's offensive too, of course, but I think you are being kind of holier-than-thou here. Your desire to get your letter into the hands of her bosses is weird. It's possible that this woman doesn't know her costume was offensive. Why would a doctor go to a party with patients and deliberatly offend? You should call her directly, if you have the nerve.
I'm not picking up a 'she's sheltered' card to play on this one.
There is a slim to no chance that you don't know it's racist to do blackface to dress as a specific black person. There is a slim to no chance that you don't know dressing as a culture is wrong.
But the double wrong blackface+dressing as "an Aboriginal" that's a whole other level. There's just no 'oops' There's planning, forethought, and choosing not to care.
I can't even stumble into an 'Aboriginal' costume on Google. I am not getting any shopping links for 'African Aboriginal costume' Spirit Halloween and Party City still let you 'innocently' be an Indian Princess, a Mexican, or a Geisha, like, hey, if it's in a megastore, it can't be wrong. They are not offering an African Aboriginal costume.
Did the OP say "African Aboriginal?" I actually assumed the pediatrician was referring to Australian Aboriginals because that is what I'm most accustomed to when the term is used. www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-aborigines-costume.html
I just googled "aboriginal costume" and that was the first link. I didn't see the OP's photo that she posted so I'm not sure if it was one of those costumes. But clearly the catalog shows you can have pale skin and dress as a stereotype without being full on racist. Even if it's kinda a best practice not to dress as a caricature stereotype of ANY group of people.