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From the days of Bert Williams, Al Jolson to the ones doing it today, I NEVER liked it….Blacks had to do that in the 1900s or they couldn’t work…Jolson did and made a million dollars and many of the white critics defend him for that…..I just feel that it IS racist whoever does it!

Minstrel show is minstrel show. stop rationalizing the insanity.

the blackface isnt necasarry…..

cuz for enough money alot of us will coon,shuk & jive, and act ig’nant as hell……. s**t alot of us will do it for FREE just for 15 minutes of fame…….

its partly the medias fault, but MOSTLY OUR OWN fault cuz aint nobody puttin a gun to our heads and making us act like that…..

watch this movie…. BAMBOOZLED – Spike Lee, Jada Pinket, Damons Wayans, Mos Def

http://www.youtube.com/user/soularflarez#g/c/1D443FEE12872DEA

Interesting issue. But you need to get your terms straight. Harry Connick, Jr., was reacting — justifiably critically — to a blackface skit. The Fox comedy skit in which he participated wasn’t blackface. Nor did Robert Downey, Jr., don blackface to play the role of a white actor playing a black G.I. in Vietnam, in “Tropic Thunder.” (He was — charactistically — brilliant, by the way, and portions of the film are hilarious.)

Blackface is not the same as black makeup; it is a particular style of caricature that is racist and demeaning.

All black face is not blackface.

I hate Wikipedia, but it has its uses. The link below is to an archived version of an article that I am approximately 98 percent responsible for writing. It’s the iteration that garnered it featured article status — before other editors starting screwing with it/perverting it and it was subsequently de-featured (if that’s a word). You may want to read it to understand more completely exactly what blackface is, its historical beginnings and its importance/significance culturally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blackface&oldid=110810653

One other thing. Blackface has never been “outlawed” in the U.S. I’m sure you realize that, but that’s not what you wrote. It’s a cultural taboo — but one that is often violated, and with impunity.

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touche, deeceevoice3. great points, and duly noted. i might post a follow-up defining terms..

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[...] JUST CURIOUS: Is Blackface Always Racist? [...]

I think you only have to ask one question to examine whether blackface in general is RACIST….”Do they ever don black makeup to depict someone beautiful or to show respect?? I haven’t seen any black “princesses” for Halloween or a Bill Cosby. No. Its ALWAYS used to depict a stereotype or to poke fun at some segment of our culture and discredit it. I don’t think we’ve can afford yet as a people to allow behavior like this to go under the radar and dismiss it as another incident where “white people are just having fun”. We do that far too often for fear of being labeled the “oversensitive black guy or girl” which is a label concocted by whites to discredit our valid claims of racism…its similar to their invention of the all powerful “RACE CARD”. These terms and concepts were created by racists who want to practice racism freely and openly with no repercussions. If they could have it their way they would call us N I G G E R to our face and we would all just laugh like its nothing…now THAT’S the perfect black guy..right?? ugh!

[...] JUST CURIOUS: Is Blackface Always Racist? [...]

Yes, it is racist and will always be racist. To even ask the question whether or not white who dress in Black face in 2009 should be viewed as racist is racist. Let’s dig up all the African that were lynched, enslaved and oppressed and ask them if they think whites dressing in black face is racist. I have noticed over the last several years that whites are now accustomed and even some African’s at called African’s racist. Calling an African a racist is racism. No African can be a racist, when we didn’t set this society up with White Supremacy (Racism). I can’t believe how most African’s are falling for the game of White Supremancey (Racism). For example, I had to check a Cuban associate in front of other African associates and inform her that her views were racist, in saying that African’s are racist.

White people who tell me and other to get over should go tell Jews to get over it, matter of fact, why don’t white people dress up like Jewish prisoners? Why don’t whites make fun of the victims of Heroshima or Vietnam? The reason is that there would be such a public outcry of RACISM, yet white people and even some ignorant African’s feel that it is okay to dress in black face. Why don’t they just say let’s bring slavery back for crying out loud.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!

Well stated “365AfrikPowa” and “itsmeChrissy901″ and others. A white guy once asked me why it was that blacks can say n****r/nigga and he could not. Let me just say that most blacks don’t even like when other blacks do it and I am no different. But, my first question to him was, “Why would you want to?” Just the fact that white people are so rabid about WANTING to use the word n****r or nigga or whatever tells me that they probably use it all the time anyway but are wondering why they can’t use it publicly. My second comment to him was, go up to Harlem, NY or Compton, CA and stand in the middle of the street and yell “N****R!” if you want to do it so bad. If you are bold enough and able to walk out of there still living, then you will know that it is acceptable for you to use that word. But if you are afraid to do that, this tells me that you know it is unacceptable and that you know it is off limits to you. The problem with some whites is that they like to offend black people in front of all white crowds or crowds where they feel like they are protected (cowards). If you feel that it is so right or acceptable, use the word n****r and dress up in black face in front of an all black crowd of people. If you truly believe that it is acceptable, you will have no problem doing this. But if you would never do this out of fear that you will be physically harmed, you are just another chicken-s**t white boy that wants to publicly display your racism when blacks aren’t around to check you.

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I appreciated deeceevoice3′s comments, sounds like it’s well thought out.

@Truth0Hurts
I don’t know the guy that asked the question, but I could imagine a context in which he might have asked it (mind you – thoughtless anyway), if you listen to any number of different artists from the tasteless like Lil Wayne to the tasteful like Talib Kweli, the term is often used as a term of endearment to friends that are close like brothers. So it’s possible that he was trying to figure out how to share a friendship in a similar manner. Just a thought.

It’s racist. Period. Case closed.

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