Tag: Blackface
Black rag dolls meant to be abused get pulled from shelves – comes with instructions to “slam against the wall”
They’re called “Feel Better Dolls.”
In the instructions, buyers are told to take the black rag dolls — which come with red, green, black and yellow hair made of yarn, styled in dreadlocks — and “find a wall to slam” them against.
“Whenever things don’t go well and you want to hit the wall and yell, here’s a little ‘feel better doll,’” the instructions read. “Just grab it firmly by the legs…and as you whack the ‘feel good doll’ do not forget to yell I FEEL GOOD, I FEEL GOOD.”
The toys were being pulled from shelves in New Jersey this week after sparking outrage among residents and state officials.
“This doll is offensive and disturbing on so many levels,” said Assemblywoman Angela McKnight, who represents Bayonne and other areas of Jersey City.
“It is clearly made in an inappropriate representation of a black person and instructs people to ‘slam’ and ‘whack’ her,” the official charged in a statement. “Racism has no place in the world and I will not tolerate it, especially not in this district.”
The dolls were being sold at a One Dollar Zone store in Bayonne and at least two other locations across the Garden State, though it’s unclear where.
Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis blasted them as “insensitive” in a Facebook post this week— saying they “can certainly be considered racist.”
“Aside from the shock of seeing such an insensitive product being sold in our community, I am grateful for the people that saw it and said something immediately,” Davis said. “We will not tolerate any symbol of hate and division within our community! #WeAreBayonne.”
One Dollar Zone President Ricky Shah issued an apology after pulling the dolls Monday. The Paterson-based company was blaming their existence on a simple error of not checking a large shipment of new items — centered around an “I Love NY” theme — that had come into their stores recently.
“This somehow slipped through the cracks,” Shah said in a statement.
The manufacturer of the dolls — the Harvey Hutter Co., based in New York — couldn’t be reached Friday. Shah claimed that it appears to no longer be in business.
The company’s supplier, Global Souvenir Marketing, did not respond to requests for comment.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/07/26/black-rag-dolls-meant-to-be-abused-get-pulled-from-shelves/
Photo Credit: Angela McKnight via AP
Students in blackface in two states prompt walkout
Blackface is causing outrage in Maryland and Illinois, where 1,000 students walked out of class to protest offensive images posted on social media by classmates.
The walkout Tuesday at Homewood-Flossmoor High School outside Chicago took place days after four unidentified male students posted a photo and video of themselves on social media wearing blackface while going through a fast-food drive-through window, WLS-TV reports.
Most students involved in the protest returned to class after a few minutes, but several dozen stayed outside to voice their disapproval of the response by school administrators, the station reports.
“The administration is honestly making it to be not a big thing and it really is,” student Karina Duncan said.
Another student, Kaila Chambliss, said she was pleased by the “big turnout” but wants school officials to respond appropriately to the controversy.
“I’m very happy with the results because this something that systematically is happening in America now and we need to see a change take place,” Chambliss told the station.
District officials, meanwhile, said in a letter to parents that administrators met with the students and their families Sunday, but did not indicate what disciplinary measures — if any — were taken.
“However, we can share that the social media postings that were seen and heard were not representative of the high expectations we have for all students that attend our school,” the statement read. “This type of behavior is contrary to our expectations, is being addressed quickly and appropriately and will not be tolerated.”
Students were allowed to take part in the walkout or stay inside, district officials said in a separate statement Tuesday.
Nearly 600 miles away, politicians in Maryland said they were troubled by two ninth-graders at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda who posted an image of themselves in blackface on social media over the weekend, the Baltimore Sun reports.
“It is unfortunate for us to be in 2019 and these types of incidents are still happening,” Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro told the newspaper. “In light of this, it is imperative that we continue our work to engage in education and outreach to sensitize our residents on the harmful effects of racism on the residents of our communities.”
A Montgomery County police spokesman said an officer at the nationally ranked public school characterized the incident as a “bias-related incident” and the student’s actions were determined not to be criminal.
Byron Johns of the Montgomery County branch of the NAACP said the incident was indeed offensive, but has become “more normalized” amid rising political and racial tensions throughout the country.
“It’s part of the ether now,” Johns told the Baltimore Sun.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/05/01/students-in-blackface-in-two-states-prompt-walkout-unrest/
Photo Credit: LOGAN CYRUS/AFP/Getty Images
Katy Perry’s shoes pulled after ‘blackface’ backlash
Dear fashion people: Please stop trying to make “blackface” happen.
First it was Prada. Then Gucci. Now, pop star Katy Perry (who, yes, is apparently a fashion designer) is in hot water for selling shoes that evoke — intentionally or not — the racist imagery.
The styles in question — a pair of mules and some high-heeled sandals — feature eyes and big red lips, resembling minstrel makeup.
TMZ reports that retailers Dillards and Walmart will pull the offending styles, though not the whole line, from their stores after facing social media backlash.
The incident comes just days after luxe label Gucci pulled a turtleneck featuring a mouth cover with wide red lips from its website. In December, Prada incited anger with a range of accessories featuring black characters with oversize lips.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/02/11/katy-perrys-shoes-pulled-after-blackface-backlash/
Florida politician is rejecting calls to resign after a high school photo showing him in blackface
A Florida politician is rejecting calls to resign after a high school photo showing him in blackface surfaced — claiming the image was merely a prank with a black classmate.
State Rep. Anthony Sabatini, a 30-year-old Republican representing House District 32, said the image showing him as a teen with darkened skin while wearing sunglasses, a New York Yankees cap, a do-rag and gold chains has been “decontextualized” since his days at Eustis High School, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
“I’m 16 years old, one of my best friends of the time was black, and we thought at the time — looking back, it was immature — it would be funny to dress as each other,” Sabatini told the newspaper. “He dressed in my clothes — a Ralph Lauren polo shirt, shorts, Converse — and I dressed in his clothing … None of us thought 14 years later any of us would be a public figure and the photo would be decontextualized.”
Sabatini insisted that the controversy surrounding the image, which has resurfaced on social media after being mailed anonymously to media outlets in Lake County prior to his defeat of Democratic Cynthia Brown in November, had “zero” in common with the blackface scandals that prompted Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel to resign and calls for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to do the same over a racist photo in his medical school yearbook from 1984.
Sabatini, who denied the photo was racist, accused the Democratic Party of doing “whatever it takes to influence” elections in the Sunshine State, including “going into high school yearbook pictures of you.”
But Brown on Monday renewed her call for Sabatini to resign over the photo, calling the behavior “mean, cruel and unacceptable for anyone,” particularly an elected official.
“Floridians need to know that our elected leaders will not accept this behavior and will stand consistently in opposing racism,” Brown wrote on Facebook.
Brown said in a separate post that the specifics behind the photo, including how old Sabatini was at the time and his political party today, should not factor into the discussion on whether he should step down.
“Anthony you cannot represent ALL of the people of our district, just as the Florida Secretary of State decided he couldn’t,” Brown wrote. “Do what is right for once, step down and resign.”
The state’s Democratic chair, Terrie Rizzo, echoed Brown’s sentiment, calling for Sabatini to step down in a statement released Tuesday.
“Governor DeSantis did the right thing in accepting Michael Ertel’s resignation — and he and Leader Jose Oliva should do the right thing and ask for the resignation of Rep. Anthony Sabatini,” Rizzo’s statement read. “In calling out racist behavior Florida Democrats and Republicans should stand united.”
A message seeking comment from Sabatini early Wednesday was not immediately returned.
Sabatini’s high school friend, meanwhile, defended the image picturing Sabatini and himself, saying he didn’t understand the controversy surrounding it.
“Every year at high school homecoming week, we had things like ‘80s day and celebrity days,” Brandon Evans told the newspaper. “We said, ‘I’m going to be you and you’re going to be me.’ I don’t know how it got to be seen as racial. That’s all it was.”
Sabatini, a native of New York state whose campaign website billed him as a “true conservative,” defeated Brown by 13 percent in November, one month after the photo initially surfaced.
“When we were 15, 16 sophomore year, it was OK to joke around like that,” Sabatini told the Orlando Sentinel in October. “It’s changed, OK? There is definitely a different standard. I get it.”
Asked if he would be photographed in blackface again, Sabatini said at the time: “Are you joking? Of course not.”
via: https://nypost.com/2019/02/06/florida-pol-rejects-calls-to-resign-over-high-school-blackface-photo/
Photo of ‘View’ host Joy Behar resurfaces amidst blackface scandals
Check out Lovelyti’s video:
Trevor Noah Speaks On Tomi Lahren’s Suspension For Her Controversial Comments On the View
Gucci slammed for sweater that appears to resemble blackface
A black balaclava sweater from Gucci’s 2018 “Fall Winter” collection has caused an uproar on social media — with some calling it “Haute Couture Blackface for millennials.”
The $900 “knit top” features a large mouth cover with big red lips on it.
“Inspired by vintage ski masks, multicolored knitted balaclavas walked the runway, adding a mysterious feel to this collection,” says an item description from last year. “The Fall Winter 2018 runway show space reflected the stark environment of an operating room, emulating the theme of the collection where reconstructing materials and fabrics created a new identity.”
The sweater couldn’t be found on Gucci’s website Wednesday, but its information was still archived online. Social media users were sharing pics of the listing throughout the day.
“Balaclava knit top by Gucci. Happy Black History Month y’all,” tweeted one person.
“Ah yes, black face but make it fashion,” another said.
User @stegotaurus wrote: “THIIIIIIIS is blackface guys. THIS. huge overdramatic red lips and a literal BLACK face. This is DISGUSTING. I don’t wanna see any of you with Gucci belts and slides after this.”
The backlash caused Gucci to release a statement late Wednesday night, saying it “deeply apologizes for the offense caused” by the sweater.
“We can confirm that the item has been immediately removed from our online store and all physical stores,” the company added. “We consider diversity to be a fundamental value to be fully upheld, respected, and at the forefront of every decision we make. We are fully committed to increasing diversity throughout our organization and turning this incident into a powerful learning moment for the Gucci team and beyond.”
via: https://nypost.com/2019/02/07/gucci-slammed-for-sweater-that-appears-to-resemble-blackface/
Nurse fired for blackface Beyoncé costume
A nurse at a Missouri hospital lost her job after using blackface to dress as Beyoncé for Halloween.
Shelbi Heenan posted a photo of her in the racist costume to her Facebook account on Monday alongside her boyfriend, also in blackface, dressed as Jay-Z, KCTV reported.
The photo quickly circulated online and by lunchtime, St. Luke’s hospital in Lee’s Summit released a statement saying Heenan was no longer an employee.
“While it is against Saint Luke’s policy to comment on specific personnel matters, we can confirm that this individual is no longer a Saint Luke’s employee,” read the statement.
“Saint Luke’s is deeply committed to our culture of diversity and inclusion. It is fundamental to who we are as an organization and we vigorously protect it on behalf of all our patients and employees and expect those who represent us to do the same,” the statement continued.
Heenan’s Facebook account was no longer active on Wednesday, but a photo of her from 2009 reportedly showed her in blackface dressed as a member of Destiny’s Child, Fox4KC reported.
Teachers in the local community used the incident as an opportunity to educate people on the racist history of blackface.
“The fact that this racist behavior persists is simply an indication that our racist history is not past, basically,” Matthew Osborn, associate professor of early American history at UMKC, told Fox4KC.
“African-Americans, in our history have been the most exploited, most marginalized group and yet African culture is inseparable from American popular culture. It’s at the heart of popular culture, music, sports, theater and film. That is something about American society and culture that we haven`t really come to grips with. Why is it that the racial divisions that exist here in Kansas City exist while we all enjoy so much of African-American culture?” he added.
Article via NYPost
Elfen’s Rant Blackface or NOT to Blackface?
Via Twitter Claire Kempe, 17 dressed as Kodack Black for school spirt day
Before I get this letter going let me start by writing to all my Black Brothers and Sisters who may have been attacking Claire Kempe, 17, attends Countryside High School in Clearwater, she came to school dressed as her favorite rapper Kodack Black with NO BLACKFACE but you still found her costume racist? She did EVERYTHING right she had her little styrofoam cup his tats her hair was done in bantu knots. Ya’ll HYPOCRITES really don’t understand racism and what Blackface is cause if you did you would NOT have bullied this young lady. PLEASE GO READ A BOOK ON BLACKFACE OR EVEN YOUTUBE BLACKFACE cause ya’ll definitely ain’t gonna learn this at school.
This is an open letter to ALL white folks who think wearing blackface as part of your costume or cosplay showing your love for our Black and brown skin celebrities,
Halloween is coming near this it is a time to show off our creative skills in the makeup chair now ya’ll love Michinne from the Walking Dead but you don’t need to paint your face dark skin with a realistic prosthetic nose. You don’t have to put on Blackface to look like Crazy eyes all you need to do is get you an orange jump suit and put your blond straight hair into mini buns, I mean Bantu Knots and you’ll be the life of the party!
To the fella’s if you admire our boy Keapernick that’s cool really cool cause you understand WHY this Brother Is taking a knee okay you got a Keapernick number 7 jursey great all you need to do is get you an Afro wig or a football helmet NO BLACKFACE REQUIRED! and you ready to impress da ladies 😉
YOU CAN DO THIS MY LOVELY WHITE PEOPLE! I know ya’ll like Kanye West and his wife Kim I know it’s hard not to admire Kanye with his dark skin beautiful face and nice smile but all you need to do is get some raggedy close throw them into a musty closet with some moths let them bite holes in them and BAM!! YOU GOT YEEZY WEAR!! Then go to the barbershop and get you a low cut fade, some sunglasses and a chain you good!
Any Steven Universe fans reading my blog? GOOD if you love Garnet that’s cool but DON’T try to be so accrete you want to put on blackface if you really think about it Garnet is RED. While Halloween and Cosplaying is fun but PLEASE WHITE PEOPLE DON’T PUT ON BLACKFACE CAUSE YOU MIGHT GET KNOCKED IN THE FACE!