Year after year, thousands of unsuspecting or suspecting young adults find themselves as the topic of discussion for the wrong reasons at Halloween parties across the world. In the year of 2015, there is still an unfathomable number of people who don’t know whether an outfit is a culture or a costume. In an attempt to prevent those of you who desperately do not know whether a costume is offensive or discriminatory, here are seven examples of costumes you should avoid like the plague on the final day of October.
1. Rachel Dolezal
Don’t do it! Just don’t do it. No matter how “funny” you think this costume may be or how black you may feel on the inside, please do not dress up as Howard alum Rachel Dolezal for Halloween. Ms. Dolezal has become a symbol of cultural appropriation and ignorance in 2015 and unless you want to be synonymous with ignorance in 2015, leave the Dolezal costume in the closet.
2. A Victim of Police Brutality
Trayvon Martin, Walter Scott or any other victim of police brutality is not in a Halloween costume. If you’re reading this and wondering, “Why would you even have to put this on this list?,” then just know that this is on the list because someone has done it before. No one’s tragic death is something to be made into a costume for a holiday.
3. Anything Involving Blackface
No, just no. I’m not even going to explain this one. You should already know why this is a problem.
4. A Native American
As the title states, this is a culture not a costume. The stereotypical Native American or Indian costume is not appropriate because it’s a culture that has a long history of being forgotten, overlooked, misrepresented and appropriated. Dressing up as a stereotypical Native American is wrong in the same way that dressing up as a stereotypical black person or stereotypical Latino is wrong.
5. “A Basic White Girl”
Dressing up as in Uggs, leggings, holding a Starbucks cup and calling yourself basic is funny to some, but offensive to more. The bottom line is that whenever you attempt to generalize an entire community by the way they dress and act in an attempt to mock them, it usually doesn’t turn out well. People who wear Uggs, leggings and drink Starbucks coffee aren’t basic, they’re just being themselves. Don’t call them basic. Don’t try to be funny. Leave the jokes to the professionals, they’re called comedians.
6. Bill Cosby or Jared Fogle
At American University, we eat enough Subway to be actual spokespeople for Subway, so there’s no need to dress up as a sex offender. Why would you want to dress up as a sex offender? Actually, I don’t want to know the answer to that.
7. Caitlyn Jenner
I would try to explain this, but I have to be honest, until someone pointed this out to me, I didn’t even know people were thinking about dressing up as Caitlyn Jenner for Halloween. I’ll leave it up to the good folks at Change.org to explain this one: "To make a costume out of a marginalized identity reduces that person and community to a stereotype for privileged people to abuse. In this case, if you follow through with production of a Caitlyn Jenner costume, cisgender people will purchase it to make fun of her and our community."
8. A Victim or Perpetrator of Domestic, Sexual or Mental Abuse
Whether the victim is a male or a female, abuse is not an attire or costume. It's not something you can put on or wear. It's not something you get to put on or wear for a day. Janay Rice, a Rihanna costume with a black eye, etc. are all bad ideas.
9. Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom's recent hospitalization is a touchy subject because addiction is something the majority of this country and the world frankly, has dealt with. Yes, Odom has made some poor decisions in his life. Yes, Odom has to take some responsibility for his actions, but addiction is a disease, the same way any other disease. You wouldn't dress up as a person who had any other illness, so don't do it with addiction.
10. Bill Cosby
I love The Cosby Show, A Different World and Fat Albert, However, there is a big difference between Dr. Huxtable and Mr. Cosby. Dr. Huxtable was a doctor. Bill Cosby preyed on young women. Don't dress up as a rapist. It's a bad idea.
11. A Gang Member
In 2015, I can't believe I have to say this, but it happens every year. Don't dress up as a Crip, Blood, etc. It's not only offensive because it portrays a lifestyle that has caused many pain and suffering, but also it can get you in a bad situation if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
