Blackface Halloween Costumes

Halloween is noted for sparking creatives into high gear as they look for intricate ways to get into the All Hallow’s Eve spirit. For some, however, their attempt to be creative subtly exposes their inner insensitivity and outright racist behavior. In recent years there have been waves of whites and other non-blacks using the Halloween holiday as an excuse to don blackface and portray negative stereotypes of black culture. Most recently, students at New York State’s Waverly High School wore blackface as they satirized the infamous 2009 Chris Brown-Rihanna domestic abuse incident. Previously, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader (see above photo) was criticized for dressing up as Lil Wayne.

As we prepare for Halloween 2012, here’s hoping that the so-called “harmless” examples of blackface we’ve seen in recent years won’t be repeated. -danielle canada