Blackface (Brownface) at the Olympics.

For those who didn't catch the Russian ice skaters "Aboriginal" dance routine, we're posting a photo of their brownface costumes, mid-routine.

The duo donned what can only be described as brownface. Their costumes were tinted brown to give them darker skin and tried to paint their faces and bodies with what Russia perceives as traditional Aboriginal warpaint.

Aboriginals in Australia and North America responded with cries of outrage and the Russian duo not only apologized but removed the offensive brownface paint and tinted costumes from their routine.

This brings us back to our issue with the University of Toronto's lack of response to the blackface incident. The students made a poor decision in wearing blackface to a costume party, but the lack of an apology or action by the school is the real issue.

If the Russian skaters can understand, apologize and attempt to rectify the situation as best they can, why can't U of T? Instead of trying to hold a forum explaining the racist history of blackface, in an attempt to educate those who are ignorant to it, they turned their backs. instead of supporting the BSA who was trying to hold a forum, they took credit for it and silenced the BSA.

Well done U of T, you just got a lesson in sympathy by Russian skaters.

Mission Statement

We as a collective are interested in creating a social disturbance around the normalization of racial terror and white hegemony. We have begun our work around the manifestations of blackface, theatrical make-up with a long history of racism. Blackface is also the term we are using to reference a very recent occurrence of racial insensitivity that played out on our campus.

On October 29^th, 2009, five men wore racialized dress to a Halloween costume party thrown by three University of Toronto colleges. Their reported portrayal of the Jamaican bobsled team included covering themselves in brown foundation, with one member wearing white makeup, as well as shirts displaying the slogan “100% Jamaican”. Their costume also appeared on a “best costumes of the night” list distributed by SMCSU (St. Mike’s College Student Union). The University of Toronto Black Student Association (BSA) organized a space (dubbed “Manifestations of Blackface: A Town Hall Meeting”) to discuss the problematic nature of the costume as well as its encouragement by those that threw the party. What followed was a very emotional, and at points hateful, discussion with solidarity remaining out of grasp. No students were reprimanded for their racism and the SMCSU moved their office away from the BSA’s office in an attempt to ostracize the organization for creating an outcry. A “blame the victim” mentality was adopted during the town hall meeting and black students were condemned for causing trouble. The University of Toronto has done nothing to fix the problem and the BSA and other student groups have been banned from discussing the matter further for fear of backlash.

We initially wanted to host an educational forum on campus but were warned there could be severe consequences. Subsequently we have chosen to remain anonymous by starting this blog thus protecting ourselves and our academic careers.

The University of Toronto does not understand that this is merely another example of an ongoing systemic problem. By looking at the seemingly unconscious acceptance of hegemony in a sphere expected to engage in critical thought, we hope to uncover why there is a lack of accountability on the part of the University of Toronto administration.