Let us cut to the chase. For several years the use of black face, a shameful portrayal of African-American features by non-black races, has plagued and terrorize the campuses of several colleges that are PWI. There are some people that finds this use of black face as harmless fun or as a joke that should not be taken seriously. After going through tireless stories of blackface parties, not individuals alone, but full-blown parties inaccurately portraying African-American features, I have to decided to make a quick list as to why black face will not and is not something to joke around. I will put them in the most elementary of terms, since this issue has constantly been repeated throughout history. Therefore, I think some simplifying would be in order.
1. It is not cute.
As you could see the picture of this young lady who decided to participate in this wretched trend, donning the blackface can make one look rather unflattering. On top of this it shows that she has no regard whatsoever so how she is appearing to several people or she has any regard of people in general. Bottom line I do not advise using black face because as the old saying goes "beauty is skin deep, but ugly is straight to the bone." It will make you and institution that you're in look bad.
2. It is not funny.
Remember the ones from North Dakota https://thinkprogress.org/north-dakota-blackface-1... that thought it was OK to get a group together Don the blackface posting on Snapchat with the caption being "Black Lives Matter?" Then, they have the audacity to mock a movement that involves standing for the oppressed race that has dealt with more police brutality murders than any race in the entire country now. How would your mother say this? "That's not nice." The fact that they willingly take it this far to mock something that means a lot to the black community is beyond disgusting. The real joke is on these girls that were reprimanded over what people would call a "harmless little joke."
3. It can happen in your own backyard.
Growing up in south Arkansas, I was very aware that my region has a deep-rooted history of slavery and internalized racism. Over the years I have come to find out that the world's issues can happen even in our own backyard. Take UCA for instance. http://www.thv11.com/news/local/uca-student-wearin... A student was caught on camera impersonating Bill Cosby via black face.
As a black female, this issue is becoming numbingly unsurprising these days. However, to have people continuously doing this act and even doing this act in places that are nearby me has pushed me to the point of being fed up. I even have a personal story of one student here performing blackface as a Halloween costume. If I had a picture of the "Author balling his fist" meme, that would be the picture I would use to describe a reaction to watching the student donning blackface those years ago. To keep things very simple, blackface is not cute nor will it ever be. Black face is downright disrespectful and dehumanizing. Also, no school is exempt or safe from an oncoming blackface attack. It will damage the reputation of the school itself and of you the student. Keep those little things in mind before you decide to put on that dark makeup and you are not black.
