Political Halloween costumes are all the rage this year. So it’s no wonder that with racial tensions at a fever pitch in America, some people of color have decided to get a little more creative than usual with their get-ups.
Case in point: the White privilege costume, which requires just two items – white makeup and a White privilege sign to let unwitting trick-or-treaters know what they’re looking at. It’s a far cry from the usual Blackface costumes sported by White folks who when called out claim ignorance about the racial connotations.
READ MORE: Tyra Banks Dons Whiteface For ‘So Cool Photo Exhibition
A pair of smiling Black men covered their faces with White makeup and donned “Make America Great Again” hats recently at The University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, as shown on the Facebook page of James Underwood. He appeared with someone named Zakery Davis, and both were reportedly students at the college in St. Paul.
The post had been shared more than 5,500 times with more 1,600 likes as of Monday afternoon.
Of course there was outrage in the comments section, but the duo was far from their first to think of the costume. There were others wearing similar get-ups this year and last, a quick search across social media showed.
While the men in White privilege Halloween costumes ion Minnesota deserve to be mentioned, last year’s offerings seem to have this year’s beat. Who could forget this OG one?
This one was a bit more involved, with multiple signs to identify what the costume really was.
https://twitter.com/Napz4Dayz/status/793251661619814405
Nick Cannon also got in on the act – literally: He said it was for a role. Can’t forget about the seminal Wayans Brothers movie, “White Chicks,” either.
It probably doesn’t need to be said, but Whiteface is just not a racial thing beyond the optics. It pales in comparison to Blackface (see hat e did there?), which has its origin in America’s sordid, racist history, and was used by White people to entertain other White people while attempting to look Black with exaggerated facial features.
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White Privilege Halloween Costumes Come Back With A Vengeance In 2017 was originally published on newsone.com
