Some folks are so desperate to justify blackface that they will point to something that isn’t blackface to excuse what is truly offensive. That is the case for the latest stunt being pulled on “The View” co-host Joy Behar.
See Also: Mike Pence Has The Unchristian Nerve To Compare Trump To Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In case you missed it, white folks — and, most recently, white Democrats — have been coming out of the woodwork with blackface. A photo surfaced of Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam from an Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook in 1984, which showed two unidentified men: one in blackface and the other in a Ku Klux Klan costume under a page labeled as Northam’s. Northam admitted on Friday that he was in the photo but did not say if he was the person in blackface or dressed as a member of the KKK, according to the New York Times.
“I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now,” Northam said in a statement. “This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians’ faith in that commitment.”
However, Northam changed his tune just a day later, saying on Saturday, “I believe now and then that I am not either of the people in this photo. This was not me in that picture. That was not Ralph Northam,” he said. “I intend to continue doing the business of Virginia. I could avoid an honest conversation about harmful actions from my past. I cannot in good conscience choose the path that would be easier for me in an effort to duck my responsibility to reconcile.” See the photo below:
In addition, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring admitted to dressing up in blackface in 1980.
Now we have Behar, who has shown a picture of herself decades ago and dressed up an “African” woman for Halloween several times on “The View.” She said she had makeup on that was “a little bit darker than my skin” and she wore her natural hair. See the clip below from 2016:
Well, some people — mainly white people, who don’t seem to know a thing about blackface — are shouting racism.
Black Twitter is not here for it. See below:
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One of these things is not like the other...
— Aaron Winder (@Strawmelade) February 7, 2019
Don't try to act like black people should be just as offended by the left photo, Joy Behar, as we are by the foolishness on the right.
We know the difference between admiration and racist mockery. pic.twitter.com/5jZr83dTLQ
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Folks are reaching if they think that picture of Joy Behar is black face. It IS NOT!!!! If you really want to find something to complain about then complain about the horrible person who's pretending to be our president. #ImpeachTrump #ImpeachTrumpNow.
— 💖ALovelyDay♿️👩🏽🦼💖 (@Mickysplace) February 7, 2019
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Sorry to break it to all of you people thirsty for Joy Behar to be kicked off of The View, but this whole blackface thing is the biggest reach... her skin was barely darker and she had her own hair? Like damn Ariana Grande has darkened her skin more.. 😬
— Shawn (@ShawnAnthony93) February 7, 2019
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Fuck all these conservative white men acting as if they care about black face or black issues so that they can throw digs at Joy Behar WHO CLEARLY looks like herself in that picture. I wish white men would stop telling POC how to police and feel about their issues. Just stfu
— #justiceforJohnnyDepp (@americanaganja) February 7, 2019
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I do not think Joy Behar is being racist at all, I think she is admiring an African American woman, we need to stop getting upset over petty nonsense and see real racism for what it is. Get a grip people.
— Leslie Dickerson (@Bradhurst99) February 7, 2019
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This whole Joy Behar non-controversy proves that Trump supporters are the least educated among us. They really don’t know what Blackface is.
— Selena Victoria™ (@SelenaVictoria) February 7, 2019
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Coming from a Beautiful African woman.... I don’t see any black face in this MF photo with Joy!!! Y’all fucking reaching hard on my girl!!! #Joybehar #Theview pic.twitter.com/7hLmUVUoHZ
— Auntie Barb Minaj ᴺᴹ (@MinajBihhh) February 7, 2019
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Stop, please stop! The photo of Joy Behar is NOT even close to #BlackFace ~ there are tanning lotions that are darker than whatever makeup she is wearing. Gotta be kidding me trying to tell us (black folks) what blackface looks like, smh. https://t.co/9wVC08M8Kh
— Eric A. (@TechSportsLove) February 7, 2019
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What a stretch. This IS NOT the same thing as blackface nor is it the same as the ignorance of @megynkelly’s statement. Please stopping making shit up to continue to divide this country. @JoyVBehar
— Kford (@km8nyc) February 7, 2019
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Please stop posting this trash.
— Biden is Your President! (@mfwooten1) February 7, 2019
This is not blackface.
You know that it's not blackface.
You are really trying to insult our intelligence.
TBH Joy Behar doesn't look black or African in this picture.