Quote:
Originally posted by SiKeS
I may be missing the point completely. It happens a lot. But where I went to high school, where the black population is roughly 35%... Issues like this tend to lose dramatic effect. Black students regularly would call up the whole "racism" thing to get their way, to get others in trouble or just to get attention... And sadly this takes a lot away from my sympathy on issues like this...
---- Also -- While blackface in the old days was used for entertainment while making fun of blacks, many of the shows also included african americans in the acts or side-shows to dance or sing... This led to blacks staring in major roles and then to the black theatre movement. (Movies like cabin in the sky, raisin in the sun, etc)
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I love to hear this argument. Because someone at some point in time EXPLOITED an issue, whether it's racism or sexism or whatever, doesn't mean that when someone else raises the issue that it's not valid. And I'm sick of people, usually white individuals, trying to play the issue out like it's moot because one person in their life took advantage (if they actually did so and it wasn't just their perception) of a situation. I'm sure some of my counterparts in HS thought we were using the "race card" to have a Black history month program by alerting the media and school board of a planned walk out the last week in January. What they would have missed was us TRYING very hard to work with the administration BEHIND the scenes to come to an agreement on something we could both live with.
Black face EVENTUALLY led to more opportunities for Black actors but guess what? They ALSO had to perform in BLACKFACE. In case you were wondering, watch an interview from someone that performed during that time (and they do exist) and they will tell you that it was one of the most demeaning ways of making an existence. To have their NATURALLY Black faces painted over and their physical features exagerrated to entertain people who couldn't care less about them at the end of the day. An accurate understanding of how detrimental that was to the Black community would NEVER allow someone to even think it might be okay.
And no matter what the theme of the party was it does not require you to demean anyone else to get your point across. Not to mention that over the last four years at least five incidents like this have made national news and in NONE of those situations was anyone like oh it was just a joke let the boys slide so what would possess someone to think we'll give it the old college try and hope no one gets offended THIS time?