About a week ago, an Alabama elementary school teacher was tagged in a photo on social media while dressed in blackface as Kanye West for Halloween. His wife, who was standing beside him in the photo dressed as Kim Kardashian, posted the photo on Facebook with the caption, “Haha some people thought Heath [her husband] was really a black man.”
For historical context, during the nineteenth and early twentieth century, blackface was a common theatrical makeup technique used by performers to represent black people. In what was known as minstrel shows, white actors and actresses would play the roles of traditional stereotypes of blacks during times of enslavement and all the way up to the Civil Rights Movement. Although once known as an appreciated form of art and entertainment, it’s obvious why these techniques are inappropriate and no longer used in theater.
But aside from all the racism and history of oppression tied with blackface, Heath, our schoolteacher friend, apologizes for his “error in judgment,” because he just wanted to be Kanye for Halloween. His wife even commented, “I didn’t know dressing up as a celebrity couple would cause so much controversy. There was no malicious intent in this costume. It’s for HALLOWEEN, the one time of year it is okay.”
No, it is absolutely not OK. While this man, and many others I’m sure, pretend to be black for a night at a themed party, people like Kanye West himself and every other black person in America carry these racial stigmas around with them every day of their lives. Every day, black Americans are subject to social and economic stereotypes that they have to accept simply because they were born a certain race. I’m sure our school teacher wasn’t thinking about the men lynched in the early twentieth century simply for being black, or the people today who don’t get called back for apartment leases simply because their name on the application is Tyrese or Latasha. He certainly wasn’t thinking about the ancestors of every black American who were once labeled barbaric apes and considered less than human. It does not matter whether your intentions are truly driven by a hatred of a race or whether these things simply “didn’t cross your mind,” ignorance is not bliss. Each one of these horrific times in history and countless more are not just part of black culture—they contribute to the daily lifestyle of black Americans. So while this man gets a laugh out of being black for a night, he is completely unaware of what it actually means to be black. Race is more than just skin color. It has strong ties with culture and history that cannot simply be forgotten or ignored.
The same goes for all cultures and ethnicities. Did the people dressed as Native Americans for Halloween or the girl wearing a headdress at Coachella know that the headdress is a sign of respect for a well-deserving leader in Native American culture? Did they know that not just anyone, even of Native American origin, is allowed to wear it? Did they know about their ancestors, who struggled with disease and inhumane treatment upon the arrival of Europeans to the Americas? Being an “Indian” for a night allows you to dress the part and steal cultural traditions of clothing and make them into a costume or fashion statement without any of the strings attached. Forget the suffering and discrimination that Native Americans struggle with everyday, because it’s just Halloween and it’s just a costume, right? Wrong.
“Cultural appropriation: the act of taking over creative or artistic forms, themes or practices by one cultural group from another; generally used to describe Western appropriations of non-Western or non-white forms, and carries connotations of exploitation and dominance.”
Although this Oxford Reference definition seems a little harsh at first in the context of Halloween costumes, it actually has a very important message for all people of all cultures. It doesn’t matter what your intentions are, and it doesn’t matter if you’re racist or not. Dressing up as someone of another race, ethnicity or culture is never appropriate. For you to approach someone’s way of life and make it into a joke, a fun costume or a unique “hipster” style, is disrespectful.
So this Halloween, think about how your costume might be offensive, racist or an appropriation of someone else’s culture. Think about how dressing as a “gypsy” (actually a derogatory term) perpetuates the idea that Romani women are sneaky, conniving sex workers and that in nineteenth century Romani, people were persecuted throughout Europe. Before you put on that sombrero and poncho, think about how Hispanic people face constant questioning regarding their citizenship and are scapegoated for taking jobs away from Americans when unemployment is up.
Culture is not as simple as the way people dress or what kind of art forms their ancestors created. Culture is sacred and should never, ever, be reduced to a form of dress-up.