A teacher wore blackface to school and rapped on Halloween. He's now been suspended

[Cardinal]

^^^
Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!!!

Anyone that unaware of the potential mine field of their actions ought to seek a career making hand made bobbles and fobs in a basement. A school teacher with this degree stupidity makes you wonder what else he has been teaching to these kids? And then beyond that what does it say about the school administrators who failed to see this trainwreck coming?

Most people don't just wake up one morning and suddenly do something this dumb. In most cases there were already signs of being a total bozo.

My job is the equivalent of making handmade bobbles in a basement, and I have the sense not to go out in blackface.

That said, artists make pretty epic social blunders because there’s no HR to pull them into some extremely uncomfortable meetings.

 

[Court Jester]

The teacher might have done the whole thing on purpose. We'll know if he lawyers up and starts giving interviews pretty soon.

So then galactically stupid AND entitled? He's a teacher in a public school, he understands the limits of where he is allowed to make his own social commentary.

Even a royal "court jester" had to have a good idea where the line was.... if he wanted to keep his job AND his head.

My job is the equivalent of making handmade bobbles in a basement, and I have the sense not to go out in blackface.

That said, artists make pretty epic social blunders because there’s no HR to pull them into some extremely uncomfortable meetings.

I would 100% support an artist or a stand up comic who wished to test where the line is for the reason of provoking discussion.... as long as they accept the professional risk when it blows up in their face. But a teacher has already presumably read the "operating manual" for their job description, they are not street performers working for tips.

 

[Nalu]

So then galactically stupid AND entitled? He's a teacher in a public school, he understands the limits of where he is allowed to make his own social commentary.

Even a royal "court jester" had to have a good idea where the line was.... if he wanted to keep his job AND his head.




I would 100% support an artist or a stand up comic who wished to test where the line is for the reason of provoking discussion.... as long as they accept the professional risk when it blows up in their face. But a teacher has already presumably read the "operating manual" for their job description, they are not street performers working for tips.

I don't have any idea. I just find it very unlikely that a public school teacher in the US in 2019 thought for even a fraction of a second that he was going to get away with blackface. Maybe he really is that stupid. Maybe he has short term memory loss and can't recall the news of the past several years. Maybe he slammed a fifth of Jack Daniels with his breakfast cereal and decided to roll the dice.

It's all just hella suspicious to me. I'm not a conspiracy theory type, but it is at least possible that he wanted to get fired so he could sue the school district and say that overreaching political correctness has violated his First Amendment rights to wear blackface. We still have people on both sides of same sex marriage purposely trying to buy and refusing to sell, as the case may be, wedding cakes for same sex weddings.

What the teacher did was stupid. Whether or not he should have been fired is not my concern. The real issue in this thread is that some people in 2019 still don't understand the problem with blackface and think it's acceptable to wear it or to defend people who wear it.

 

[Harshaw]

Excuse me.. he didn't excuse Trudeau, He basically made it plain that because he is in Canada.. HE and other americans who think what he did was racist.. really can't hold Trudeau accountable for his actions.

Frankly I don't understand how you think that a politician in another country being elected after blackface.. somehow means that people in America, who think blackface is racist... are hypocrites.

That's not why he said bringing up Trudeau was ridiculous. He said it was because (according to him) Canada doesn't have the history or associations that blackface conjures in the US.

He also completely whiffed when I mentioned the governor and AG of Virginia and their blackface episodes. Virginia is "in America."

 

[Harshaw]

So you do just keep repeating yourself as if it will make you right.

I was right the first time.

 

[bomberfox]

I wonder what would have happened if a black teacher did the reverse?

View attachment 67267584

One imitates decades of oppressive propaganda that made the lives of more than thousands of people miserable vs cringe hmmm.

 

[Questerr]

It never ceases to amaze me how times have changed. There was a time in this country when being offended was seen as a personal matter and it was the responsibility of the offended individual to figure out how to deal with their hurt feelings. Now there is no longer even room for context or interpretation. If one person is offended the offensive act automatically becomes an indefensible act and warrants any and all punitive action by the offended in reparations for the offense.

When exactly was that? Because I can show you photographic evidence of offended white people forming mobs and murdering black people who offended them with tacit government support.

 

[Questerr]

I wonder what would have happened if a black teacher did the reverse?

Yeah, remember how black people kept white people as slaves in America for more than two centuries? How they implemented special laws to deprive white people of their basic human rights? How they held minstrel shows with actors in whiteface to reinforce racists stereotypes and policies?

 

[AProudLefty]

Yeah, remember how black people kept white people as slaves in America for more than two centuries? How they implemented special laws to deprive white people of their basic human rights? How they held minstrel shows with actors in whiteface to reinforce racists stereotypes and policies?

We're talking about a public school.

 

[Questerr]

We're talking about a public school.

Yep. An idiot lost his government job for imitating a racist practice that was once used to reinforce white supremacy. Good riddance.

 

[jaeger19]

That's not why he said bringing up Trudeau was ridiculous. He said it was because (according to him) Canada doesn't have the history or associations that blackface conjures in the US.

He also completely whiffed when I mentioned the governor and AG of Virginia and their blackface episodes. Virginia is "in America."

Well.. Canada doesn't have the history or associations.. so it makes sense that it may be more acceptable there and not seen as racist as its here.

As far as governor ad AG of virginia… whats your point? That if a person doesn't personally march out against EVERY instance of a person in blackface in another country or state..

That makes them a hypocrite and therefore.. they have no credibility in pointing out the racism of blackface? Honestly that makes no sense.

 

[Harshaw]

Well.. Canada doesn't have the history or associations.. so it makes sense that it may be more acceptable there and not seen as racist as its here.

But then he said it was seen that way in Canada, and because of it, Trudeau had to apologize.

As far as governor ad AG of virginia… whats your point? That if a person doesn't personally march out against EVERY instance of a person in blackface in another country or state..

That makes them a hypocrite and therefore.. they have no credibility in pointing out the racism of blackface? Honestly that makes no sense.

If they're not concerned (or even AS concerned) when it's someone on their ideological "team," it certainly makes them a hypocrite. I wouldn't go so far as to say "no" credibility, but the hypocrisy is a problem, yes. Honestly, that makes perfect sense; it's baffling that you'd think it doesn't.

Of course, the VA stuff was even more craven than just "hypocrisy"; to live up to the standards even implied by this thread, it would have meant that the VA governor and AG had to go. Which may not have been a problem had the LGOV not had several credible allegations of sexual assault levied at him at the same time, which, by the rules set by the same people, would mean he'd have to go, too. The problem? Doing so meant the governor's mansion would then fall to a Republican, and that was completely out of the question. So people conspicuously whistled and looked the other way for multiple cases of blackface and multiple sexual assault allegations.

 

[Nalu]

I was right the first time.

You just keep on congratulating yourself. I'll see if I can find a participation ribbon to send you.

 

[Nalu]

Well.. Canada doesn't have the history or associations.. so it makes sense that it may be more acceptable there and not seen as racist as its here.

As far as governor ad AG of virginia… whats your point? That if a person doesn't personally march out against EVERY instance of a person in blackface in another country or state..

That makes them a hypocrite and therefore.. they have no credibility in pointing out the racism of blackface? Honestly that makes no sense.

He's completely making up what I said. It's as if he forgot that anyone reading this can scroll back. I appreciate the support though.

Just to reiterate for those now joining, Trudeau messed up for wearing blackface. Apparently Canadians don't care enough about blackface to not reelect Trudeau. That's probably because Canadians don't have the same experience with blackface that Americans do. Maybe his competition was so bad that they just overlooked blackface. Hell, we got Trump that way. I'm not going to pop up to Canada and assassinate Trudeau for his blackface. He doesn't represent me, I didn't vote for him, and as much as I do love the country, I'm not Canadian. The intellectually deficient in this thread consider the foregoing to be a defense of or excuse for Trudeau, but the entire thread is enshrined just before here.

The governor and the AG of VA messed up for blackface too. I'm surprised that voters there didn't punish them, but I'm not a VA voter anymore than I am a Canadian voter. Again, the conversationally dishonest will claim that I just defended or excused the governor and the AG. I didn't.

Now, to bring it all home, the teacher who is the actual topic of this thread, once we wade through all the deflective crap from people who can't form an argument, also messed up with blackface. It might have been a little drastic to fire him over it, but I'm not his employer anymore than I am a voter in Canada or VA.

A few people have called hypocrisy, not just on me personally but more commonly, on the position in general. I don't have a lot of patience for people who view race relations as a left-right issue, but I will say that what I've laid out is entirely consistent. I condemn blackface all the time by everyone who wears it because it's racist. There's no way around it. Whatever the Canadian public, the VA electorate, and the school board do with their blackfaces is not my concern. I don't know them, they have next to no influence on my life, and life is too short to worry about them. The true issue here is blackface itself, which is wrong, from my unique perspective.

 

[bomberfox]

We're talking about a public school.

I think considering social media and the types of enclosures that people find themselves in are churning out people with lower emotional IQs than Dr. House, a school teacher should be held to higher standards. Heres the thing, if you take a position of responsibility and authority you dont just get to do whatever. I remember when i was taught that if you take a position of responsibility, you dont get the types of excuses any ordinary gamer bro gets.

 

[jaeger19]

But then he said it was seen that way in Canada, and because of it, Trudeau had to apologize.
.

Again...so? Whats your point.. that if he wasn't up in Canada protesting Trudeau.. then he can't ever point out racism in blackface anywhere at any time?

Doing so meant the governor's mansion would then fall to a Republican, and that was completely out of the question. So people conspicuously whistled and looked the other way for multiple cases of blackface and multiple sexual assault allegations.

Well.. first.. so? Why in any way does that justify ignoring the racial history and context of blackface? Is that the way you want our society to view responsibility? "Well.. so and so did it and got away with it.. soooo it means that its okay"."...

 

[Harshaw]

Again...so? Whats your point.. that if he wasn't up in Canada protesting Trudeau.. then he can't ever point out racism in blackface anywhere at any time?



Well.. first.. so? Why in any way does that justify ignoring the racial history and context of blackface? Is that the way you want our society to view responsibility? "Well.. so and so did it and got away with it.. soooo it means that its okay"."...

Who said anything justified anything?

 

[jaeger19]

Who said anything justified anything?

Well then... whats your point? That blackface is wrong.. but no one who has not gone to Canada to protest Trudeau or gone to Virginia to protest or impeach the governor can say blackface is wrong?

Please explain your position.

 

[Court Jester]

What the teacher did was stupid. Whether or not he should have been fired is not my concern. The real issue in this thread is that some people in 2019 still don't understand the problem with blackface and think it's acceptable to wear it or to defend people who wear it.

I believe his behavior was unacceptable because he violated the rules he was obligated to follow for his job. And that being said, I also believe in the 1st Amendment and his unacceptable behavior aside, in another context he should have every right to wear blackface, ethnic costumes, dreadlocks, blue contact lenses, dye his hair whatever he like, wear whatever offensive hats or tattoos he may choose... as long as it is his choice and he isn't violating rules or standards required for his job. Otherwise suffer the consequences.

 

[Nalu]

I believe his behavior was unacceptable because he violated the rules he was obligated to follow for his job. And that being said, I also believe in the 1st Amendment and his unacceptable behavior aside, in another context he should have every right to wear blackface, ethnic costumes, dreadlocks, blue contact lenses, dye his hair whatever he like, wear whatever offensive hats or tattoos he may choose... as long as it is his choice and he isn't violating rules or standards required for his job. Otherwise suffer the consequences.

What rule did he break? I'm not arguing with you. I just haven't seen the policy.

 

[Moi621]

Yet, Black in "White Face" is okay

Eddie Murphy, "Coming To America"
barbershop scenes.

Skin Bleaching & Hair Straightening
is White Cultural Appropriation!


Moi
Goose & Gander Rule advocate

​

 

[dcsports]

Yet, Black in "White Face" is okay

Eddie Murphy, "Coming To America"
barbershop scenes.

Skin Bleaching & Hair Straightening
is White Cultural Appropriation!


Moi
Goose & Gander Rule advocate

View attachment 67302481​

This is from a year ago!