In spite of his understanding on the dynamics of race in America, Rambler celebrated this past Halloween in an interesting fashion. A photo has went viral which depicts him dressed as what appears to be the late Bob Marley. The most distinctive feature about Rambler’s Halloween outfit wasn’t who he was dressed as, but rather how he presented himself when doing so.

From the looks of the picture (which is the featured photo for this story), Terry Rambler’s face has been painted in “blackface”, the longtime make-up style used by members of the dominant society to ridicule and disparage the naturally darker skin tones of Melanoid people. Another thing to consider after reviewing this photo is the fact that Terry Rambler isn’t much lighter than the revolutionary recording artist was when he was alive. After painting his face, Rambler was much darker than Bob Marley ever was. If the aforementioned Rambler is aware of this fact–and most of the world is–then why would he paint his face in such a way under any circumstances? After all, doesn’t Rambler consider it to be offensive that many Melanoid men have suited up to play for professional sports franchises in which they had no say in determining the names of those teams?

Although Rambler has since issued an apology, this is just the latest incident involving non-Black people who dress up in stereotypical ways to depict Blacks. This incident also forces us to re-visit the topic of Blacks who try to latch on to other agendas outside of their own just because the people they support are “brown people of color”. Are “red”, “brown”, and/or “yellow” people in the trenches with African/Melanoid people as many of us claim they are?

B. Clark

]]> https://www.melanoidnation.org/american-indian-activist-dressed-in-blackface-for-halloween/feed/ 121 https://www.melanoidnation.org/and-so-it-begins-suspected-white-supremacists-gear-up-for-halloween-in-blackface-costumes/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/and-so-it-begins-suspected-white-supremacists-gear-up-for-halloween-in-blackface-costumes/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2015 09:10:06 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=2792 DECATUR, AL — On certain occasions, people will celebrate the culture(s) of others by donning the clothing worn in that particular culture. For instance, whether celebrating other cultures involve dressing in a kilt or a kimono, the people wearing the traditional garb of these two (Scottish and Japanese respectively) generally do so as a sign of respect to these cultures. This same thing cannot be applied when members of the dominant society attempt to “dress like Black people” during the Halloween season, which is now upon us.

One white man–and a school district employee at that–made the decision to celebrate his Halloween this year by dressing like music superstar Kanye West (as shown in this story’s featured photo). As harmless as the concept of dressing like West may seem on the surface, the teacher took his costume idea one step further by painting his face in the traditional “Blackface” style indicative of the old racist stage performers of years past.

White couple dressing in “Blackface” as Black NFL player Ray Rice and his wife, Halloween 2014.

White trick-or-treater who dressed himself as the unjustly murdered Trayvon Martin.

The school official, named Heath Morrow, was accompanied by his wife Shannon, who shared the photo of them via social media and other online platforms. Shannon Morrow was dressed as Kanye’s wife, Kim Kardashian. In typcial “slumming” fashion, she added prosthetics to her backside to make it appear larger, a la Kardashian.

This behavior isn’t new, as it has now become a Halloween tradition. Many white supremacists and suspected white supremacists alike use this celebratory day practice overt racism without the concern of being reprimanded for doing so. It is a day that emboldens them to act upon deep-seeded insecurities and malice that may be harbored as it pertains to Melanoid people…under the guise of fun, games, and humor…except no self-respecting person in Black Society received the memo to laugh along with these bigoted provocateurs.

Here is a link to the story.

B. Clark

The breaking story ignited an explosion of discussions and reactions, particularly in Black Society. Some schools of thought within Black Society imply that Dolezal’s act in ‘Blackface’ was a noble one; that she–unlike the overwhelming majority of the dominant white society that she originates from–is doing the work that many people even in Black Society chose not to do. Dolezal’s Blackfaced facade has evoked the spirit and memory of John Brown, the white abolitionist who allegedly sacrificed his life after leading a slave uprising against whites which led to his death by execution in 1859. Although Brown did not attempt to hide his racial identity like Dolezal, his leadership of the charge into Harpers Ferry portrays an image of a white man who deeply ingrained himself into a state of empathy for the oppressed Melanoid people–much like Rachel Dolezal in 2015–to the point of reportedly fighting for our right to obtain freedom and justice, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

In present day, Rachel Dolezal could very well remind many Black American history enthusiasts of John Brown, although the depths of her desire for true Black Empowerment remains to be seen. What can be proven, however, is Black Society’s eagerness to anoint the next “white hope”…someone who we can proclaim is ‘exceptional’ and ‘genuine’ as they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us in the fight against systematic racism/white supremacy. We have witnessed such a phenomenon in the areas of society that we dominate, such as hip-hop or sports, for example. For years, many of us in Black Society have found it flattering to witness a member of the dominant society come in and rap like us, conquer us in the sports we dominate, and now take on the physical attributes that we were naturally born with as African people. In the case of Rachel Dolezal, it now appears that whites will take the leading roles as “Black” activists as well. While it has been proven many times that the NAACP’s agenda has been counterproductive to true Melanoid Empowerment, it now appears that Dolezal’s position as the President of the Spokane chapter of the 106-year-old organization has given people the assumption that we as Melanoid people are incapable of leading our own movements in the fight for justice.

With all evidence pointing to the fact that an all-out war has been declared on Melanoid people, maybe we should re-visit the fact that the acceptance of a “white chocolate” into the ranks of Black Society should be cause for concern. Are they “down” because they want to aid us in pursuing Melanoid Empowerment, or otherwise?

by B. Clark

For years, the “blackface” acts have been used by members of the dominant society around the world as a means of either paying homage–or ridiculing–Melanoid people. In spite of the stigmatic history of “blackface”, there exists a group of people in Japan who feel that they pay tribute to the hip-hop culture of Black America by donning clothes, wearing hairstyles, and even tanning their skin as a way of mimicking the very same group of people who they see on the music videos.

This video captures the very essence of the “B-Style” culture that Japanese hipsters have embraced. “B-Style”, short for “Black lifestyle”, would be referred to as a subculture for most, but to “B-Stylers”, their lifestyle is the only way to live. Hina Hasunuma is one of the main characters of the video clip. Hasunuma, who in the video worked for a trendy Japanese retail store that sells hip-hop themed clothing, says that the stores slogan is “Black for Life”.  In the 4:10 mark of the video, Hasunuma’s mother laughs off her daughter’s choice of lifestyle, mentioning that it is a fad that she will soon grow tired of being a part of.

The “B-Style” trend of Japan is akin to a trend occurring in the United States in which members of the dominant society make money hand over fist on the backs of Melanoid talent, style, and culture. What this Japanese trend also shows us is that people outside of the Melanoid community are able to go through “slumming” phases by sampling or borrowing elements of our culture, only to return to their own cultures at any moment’s notice with their socioeconomic statuses in tact.

Despite the influx of non-Melanoid people copying (and in many cases infiltrating with no intent of empowering the culture in which they siphon from) our style and culture, we are left vulnerable to such treatment because our communities lack an enforced code that heavily reprimands these people for doing so. If Melanoid people in the U.S. were to start mimicking the styles, cultures, and mannerisms of certain people outside of their communities for financial gain, chances are likely that we would be checked on what they believe to be an infringement upon their culture on our behalf. Anyone is entitled to copy  the cultures of other groups of people, but their intentions must be questioned. Is imitation the greatest form of flattery, or in the case of the “B-Stylers”, is it the greatest form of mockery?

by B. Clark

But now,many of them don’t need to wait until Halloween to engage in this racist tradition.

High school students in Sullivan, Missouri were criticized after donning blackface for an intramural football game, which their principal said fueled a misunderstanding, the Riverfront Times reported.

“I thought, ‘Oh, they don’t mean anything by it. Just let it go. No one thinks anything of it,’” Sullivan High School principal Jennifer Schmidt. “I didn’t think anyone did. Evidently, someone did.”

According to Schmidt, in previous years the girls have wore combinations of the schools’ colors — black and gold. But when the senior girls arrived prior to the November 5 game, they discovered everyone had brought the same color face paint — black.

“So that’s what they wore,” says Schmidt. “There was nothing racial about it. They didn’t have any other intention other than to just try to intimidate the underclassmen.”

The fact that schools around the country are justifying white supremacist traditions such as blackface is further evidence of the need forMelanoid Empowerment.