• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

2nd Grader goes to school in black face, part of MLK costume (with pics)

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Guevara

Member
original.jpg
Click to expand...

A Colorado Springs boy was ordered by his Elementary school principal to wash off the black face he put on as part of an Martin Luther King, Jr. costume he was told to wear.

MLK was the historical figure eight-year-old Sean King was assigned as part of a "wax museum day" project. He was to present himself to the class dressed as the civil rights leader.

But before he had a chance to enter the classroom, Sean's principal told him he had to take off the black face, allegedly because a faculty member expressed discomfort.

"As a parent I think it's pretty sad that you've got a principal and a faculty member that are acting the way they are when they should be setting an example for children," said Sean's mother Michelle King-Roca.

A spokeswoman for the school later said others had also complained about the face paint, which she claimed was in violation of the school's dress code.

"They thought it was inappropriate and it will be disrespectful to black people and I say it's not," Sean told NewsChannel 13. "I like black people. It's just a costume and I don't want to insult anybody."

At least one PTA member also felt the situation had been blown out of proportion. "I'm extremely disappointed," said Pam Page. "If my own son, who is blonde, was chosen to do Martin Luther King, Jr., I would have gotten him a black wig and painted his face too."

According to the district, Sean has not been suspended, and is welcome to return to the school, but his parents have yet to decide if he will.

Reached for comment, a King Center rep told KRDO he thought Sean was "a decent kid who wanted to honor Dr. King in some way," but feels kids today "need to know their history a little better," notably with respect to black face and minstrelsy.
Click to expand...

Video at the link: http://gawker.com/5911495/second+grader-removed-from-class-for-putting-on-black-face-to-look-like-mlk

dat mustache.
 
unfortunate (and hilarious) outcome..kinda blown out of proportion

lol, kinda reminds me of of lethal weapon 5 from always sunny in Philadelphia
 
A Colorado Springs boy was ordered by his Elementary school principal to wash off the black face he put on as part of an Martin Luther King, Jr. costume he was told to wear.
Click to expand...

Told to wear by who?
 
LOL the teachers and the principal pissed themselves with fear over the potential black face backlash and covered their own asses.

Reasonable people would understand that this was not intended as a slight against anyone but America etc.
 
People have lost track of what 'blackface' means.

The kids face is painted black, but it's not 'blackface'.




No exagerrated stereotyped features... at all.
 
That is one old looking 2nd grader

Also, that's not blackface

While it was a ridiculous move, I think it is more ridiculous that his parents have not decided if he will return to school after simply being asked to wash it off
 
No harm, no foul. This boy's parents probably don't even know what "blackface" is.

This was more like "black people make-up" than "blackface".
 
"Blackface" has a sordid history and that's part of why it's sort of taboo. Also, we still have whispers of the post-racism philosophy born of the counter-culture era, where you weren't supposed to 'see' race. Dressing up as MLK by changing the color of your skin highlights the separation of the races, or so we might sort of instinctually perceive. It's cool with me though, seems the intentions were good.
 
Conciliator said:
"Blackface" has a sordid history and that's part of why it's sort of taboo. Also, we still have whispers of the post-racism philosophy born of the counter-culture era, where you weren't supposed to 'see' race. Dressing up as MLK by changing the color of your skin highlights the separation of the races, or so we might sort of instinctually perceive. It's cool with me though, seems the intentions were good.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone doesn't know that.


It's just that what he did wasn't actually Blackface.... It does, I guess, highlight that the races have different skin colors, but I really think most people just don't really understand what blackface really was.
 
Haha, how else was he supposed to be MLK Jr?
As long as he didn't paint big red lips on himself and talk like an idiot, it doesn't seem racist.
 
Hilarious. Tell a white kid to dress up as a black man and act shocked when he comes to school in "black face". What did they expect him to do? MLK was more than a suit and tie.
 
That's pretty funny. I don't think the school had a choice but to ask him to wash it off though. Certainly not "offensive," but you just can't do that at a school.
 
Probably could've done MLK without painting himself. An adult should've schooled him to the sensitivities of that, or at least made it very clear that he shouldn't paint himself to do the costume.

The kid is cool. The situation is quasi-unfortunate. Oh well.
 
Reached for comment, a King Center rep told KRDO he thought Sean was "a decent kid who wanted to honor Dr. King in some way," but feels kids today "need to know their history a little better," notably with respect to black face and minstrelsy.
Click to expand...

Yes, need to keep teaching kids about racism.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Tarantino to write and direct 6 part miniseries set in the 1930s in black and white. Stallone to co-direct.
38
778
bitbydeath replied
Man of Tomorror official photo released and set pics
0
143
VulcanRaven replied
Everyone except Sydney Sweeney has a face full of Botox
2
84
1K
Zacfoldor replied
Roblox employee's 'day in the life' video goes viral
2
61
1K
Boss Mog replied
Moscow goes back to pagers and paper maps
News 
36
1K
MrTroubleMaker replied
Top Bottom