Ignorance Is Only Bliss For Some Of Us.

One of the lessons learned from the aftermath of the blackface incident at U of T is that not enough people are aware of what blackface is and of its racist implications. Not only did four students choose to use blackface as a costume, but they were selected as one of the best costumes of the night. To make matters worse, when those involved were informed that their actions had offended people and were inappropriate, they chose to lash out at the BSA as opposed to developing a more constructive dialogue.
Students present at the town hall meeting commented that they had been unaware of what blackface was and were grateful for the opportunity to learn about it. Interestingly, however, the students who dressed up in blackface made it known that they had been aware of what blackface was, and proceeded with that knowledge in the development of their costume. How much more problematic does this make their decision? They seemed to believe that being aware of blackface removed any racist implications it might have.
Blackface was originally a form of theatrical make-up used in the United States, and later around the world, in racist depictions of African Americans. Popular in the 19th century, the blackface actor would don black make-up to darken their skin and would exaggerate stereotypical African American features. Blackface characters were then used to portray further stereotypes of African Americans , such as the “happy go lucky darky”. The stereotypes embedded in the use of blackface served to proliferate racist attitudes and perceptions around the world. The use and exaggeration of stereotypes encouraged an extremely racist and simplistic understanding of African Americans. Eventually, the negative implications of blackface came to be understood and it became associated with racism. Blackface was only phased out by the end of the 20th century, however, as this recent event at U of T shows; we are not completely rid of blackface.