this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2024
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B.C. councillor blames 'leftist extremists' after blackface photo surfaces online (bc.ctvnews.ca)
submitted 4 months ago by girlfreddy to c/canada
58 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.

Colwood Coun. Ian Ward on Monday addressed the photo in a statement on his X account after the picture, which was originally published on a personal family blog, surfaced on social media in recent days.

Ward acknowledged he posed for the photo wearing a Washington Bullets basketball jersey, a gold chain and a wig, with his teeth coloured gold and his hands and face painted black.

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[–] karlhungus 30 points 4 months ago (6 children)

I don't know who this guy is, but his response seems ultra shitty.

Wondering if everyone else thinks this would have been a reasonable response: "it was a different time, black face wasn't seen as raciest in the circles i kept, i apologize for any offence i caused, it won't happen again"

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I grew up in Texas and was taught that shit like that wasn't even remotely acceptable well before 2007.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Grew up in Virginia in the 90s and early 00s, and black face was definitely something people knew was racist.

However, my foster brother's elementary school hosted a costume party for thanksgiving one year, where you had to dress as either a pilgrim or an Indian. :/

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, Indians and pilgrams were more acceptable; and, tbh, I still think it could possibly be considered acceptable if handled correctly, however neither kids nor their parents would likely put the effort in to do it right, so maybe it's for the better that "pilgrams and Indians" is dying out (I could also just be starting to get old and out-of-touch though, but I'm not that old; I'm trying to stay up-to-date I swear ;~;).

However, I also remember that painting your face to change your skin color for the purpose of imitating another race, regardless of your original color, was considered wrong (at least it was in my family) because it was a form of discrimination (this actually caused me a lot of confusion when I became aware of the idea that not all discrimination is equal, and that some discrimination is considered culturally acceptable if it's "punching up" or meant to even the playing field between races, cultures, sexes, etc).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

I don't remember it too well, but I highly doubt it was handled well at all. On another occasion, I went as an Indian for Halloween one year*, but my parents were working that day, so I went to Awanas (a sort of church thing if you're not familiar) for a few hours before trick or treating. Turns out, Awanas doesn't allow costumes, but let me stay. As the only kid in costume. While the rest of them were super smug about not being in costume, and the main church dude spent the whole time talking about how Halloween is evil. No one even mentioned the racist ass costume I was in.

*Yes. With dark make up. I was 9. That was also the last year I ever dressed up for Halloween. My dad still doesn't fully get why that wasn't an okay costume. My mom didn't understand at the time, but does now.

I was also a hobo one year. Maybe we should start vetting kids Halloween costumes. Or at least mine.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

TBH I went to school in Mansfield and they were still doing "Slave For A Day" until the mid 90s until someone pointed out it was mostly Black freshman being picked.

It was supposed to be a "fun" way to raise funds for whatever school program, and also for freshman to see a senior classroom. When your school district has a history of being one of the last districts to be forced to desegregate, though...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

If you did blackface after the release of Bamboozled, no pass.

[–] karlhungus 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

assume your talking about https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215545/, never saw it

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

That’s the one. It goes into great detail about how blackface was used during vaudeville, and is quite gut wrenching.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

It was a different time... 2007 🀣

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

That response is certainly better. The type of person to wear blackface is also the type of person who wouldn't apologize, though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

His response could've only been worse/better if he had said "sorry, I learned from my prime minister".

Though at least JT acknowledged it was wrong lol

[–] m0darn 1 points 4 months ago

I think just about anything would be better than what he said.

I wouldn't say that it was a different time, or anything about the circles I kept.

I'd go with:

Clearly, I was ignorant of the harm my costume could cause. In the seventeen years since that photo, I've learned a lot about Canada's history of racism and how harmful stereotypes further marginalized racialized Canadians. If I had better understood the iniquity that racialized Canadians faced, and continue to face, I never would have engaged in what I now recognize and denounce as a gross and harmful caricature.

My detractors imply that people can't change. They're wrong. People can change, and our town can change. I work hard to make this a thriving, welcoming community and I know that we shouldn't let anyone distract us from the important work we have to do.