Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing questions today after an image of him in brownface from a 2001 yearbook surfaced . The image shows him with friends at an ‘Arabian Nights’ themed gala dressed up as Disney character Aladdin – wearing brown makeup on his face and hands, and a turban on his head.
Trudeau was a teacher at West Point Grey Academy at the time, and the event was held at the private school in 2001, when he was 29.
Time Magazine published the image in an article on September 18, and there has been outcry online since.
‘At the time Justin Trudeau was doing his racist pantomime, I was a brown kid with a turban just outside Vancouver facing fairly regular bullying. I can't imagine how demeaned I would have felt if one of my teachers had done that,’ wrote Canadian journalist Arshy Mann.
Trudeau has since apologised for the incident, telling journalists, ‘I take responsibility for my decision to do that. I shouldn't have done it.'
‘I should have known better. It was something that I didn't think was racist at the time, but now I recognise it was something racist to do and I am deeply sorry.’
What is blackface?
Blackface is the act of painting your face in a darker tone to resemble a black person. While the practice dates back to the racist minstrel shows of the 19th century, where black people were mocked as a general group, people these days are usually trying to resemble a specific character or celebrity.
What is brownface?
Brownface is different from blackface in that the person is trying to resemble someone who may be Latin American, Middle Eastern, Polynesian, Native American or Indian among other ethnicities.
Why is it so offensive?
Blackface is a practice rooted in history. It’s about so much more than just painting your face a darker colour.
In the mid-19th century in the US and Europe, white actors would darken their skin in performances called minstrel shows, which were racist comedy acts designed to mock black people.
Using exaggerated makeup, accents and movements, white actors would mock black people in deeply offensive shows which were seen as an acceptable form of entertainment among white people. Black people were portrayed as stupid and less than human. At the time black people weren’t allowed on stage because of the colour of their skin.
It’s surprising therefore, that in the context of this well-known history, people still find it acceptable to ‘black up’ and perform blackface and brownface at parties, on stage and at festivals such as the annual Dutch Saint Nicholas parade.
This is a practice that has always been offensive – from the moment it began until now – but in the age of the internet, people are now being called out when they miss the mark in terms of racially insensitive behaviour, and are hopefully starting to learn from it.
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