Captain Melanie Thornburg of Gaston County Sheriff’s Office thought it would be a good idea to wear blackface for Halloween.
According to the Gaston Gazette, Thornburg dressed up as Bob Marley and thought that a dread loc wig and a marijuana shirt wasn’t enough to pull off the outfit. Instead, she decided to wear blackface paint so that partygoers would know that she was attempting to portray a Black person. Of course, a picture of her wearing the outfit and blackface found its way on social media and went viral.
Thornburg was forced to apologize after the picture began to surface online. She said that she didn’t do it out of disrespect and didn’t know the history of blackface.
Unfortunately, Halloween has served as an excuse for people with racist ideas to use blackface. Even if Thornburg was truthful about being unaware of the history of blackface, it must be noted that Bob Marley’s skin was not tar black. If she was truly attempting to represent Marley’s skin tone, she would have used a lighter shade of makeup.
Some are calling for Thornburg to be fired or severely reprimanded for her decision.
