Quote:
Originally Posted by CASe333
...I don't think assuming whether the owner knew of the incident or if any of the current players condoned what I hope was an ignorant joke should be relevant at this point. I'll admit that 10 years ago I argued that dressing up as Mr T and painting skin as a costume was no different vs dressing up as Barney and painting skin purple as long as you were celebrating the icon. This in introspect is pretty ignorant.
I think what is important is that we give ignorant people the chance to learn.
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In principle I agree, but this incident is really difficult for me to stomach. Yes, people should be given the opportunity to learn from their mistakes, and to grow, but I have to tell you: when I saw the picture posted on twitter, I was revolted. And this is where I feel context is especially important, and why we should take care to gauge the severity of such incidents on a case-by-case basis. Yes, while "blackface is blackface," there are certainly occasions in which it is exponentially worse, more insulting, more hurtful. This is one of those cases.
Take a look again at the picture from the party, and read Aliu's account of it: He was the only black guy in attendance, he was told to arrive late, he says the event felt calculated, and he felt trapped. The costume itself appears to me to be obviously over the top—as if to drill home antiquated black stereotypes in exchange for laughs at Aliu's expense.
This is a case of shocking ignorance on Deynzer's part. He is not celebrating an icon. He is not appropriating a party theme. He is mocking and denigrating a guy he barely knows (Aliu only played ten games in Colorado), and he is doing so by exaggerating patently obvious and dehumanising racial stereotypes. It's pretty difficult to see this as misguided ignorant fun—it strikes me as cruel and hateful. On it's own, the picture is bad. In the context of what Aliu experienced and the story he tells about it, it is horrific.