Blackface was no big deal in the past
When will Democrats learn? The “sin” for which they are persecuting the Virginia governor and others is only in their minds. It is like the recent column by Leonard Pitts, “It’s time to reconsider high cost of not knowing history” (Opinion, Feb. 10). This is a fairly recent phenomenon, to be ashamed of one’s black skin, to take offense at any reference to one’s blackness. When the referenced photo was printed, blacks did not hate their race as they do now. In the 1960s and 1970s, poking fun at other people, including other races, was very common. I say to these people, grow up! You are the reason these issues become issues at all. They were not worth the time and attention in the more normal past.
GARLAND HOBBS, POWDER SPRINGS
A 2014 VOX.com article, “Don’t get what’s wrong with blackface? Here’s why it’s so offensive,” is a lesson for the racially privileged. It includes excerpts from a 2012 Huffington Post essay: “Blackface is part of a history of dehumanization, of denied citizenship, and of efforts to excuse and justify state violence. From lynchings to mass incarceration, whites have utilized blackface (and the resulting dehumanization) as part of its moral and legal justification for violence.” Moreover, connecting blackface to privilege, writer David Leonard said, “The ability to be ignorant, to be unaware of the history and consequences of racial bigotry, to simply do as one pleases, is a quintessential element of privilege. The ability to disparage, to demonize, to ridicule, and to engage in racially hurtful practices from the comfort of one’s segregated neighborhoods and racially homogeneous schools reflects both privilege and power.”
Therefore, it appears blackface is the outward expression of inward hate.
KEVIN PALMER, EVANS
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