Chiang Mai's Zoo in Thailand welcomed new animals with black-faced staff
Last Friday, Thailand’s zoo in Chiang Mai welcomed a new baby giraffe and a zebra from Africa and they thought it would be a good idea, to have two members of the staff portraying blackface, painted head-to-toe in black paint, with lips bright red, and dressed in East African shuka tartan. There is a video showing them bouncing up and down and chanting animal noises...
I was reached by Asia Pacific Press to react on this atrocity and asking me how to explain how unappreciated this is and what can be done to educate people on how offensive this is and of course I had to speak up.
Black face painting is not only inappropriate and wrong but also offensive towards the black community, who has a rooted history of racism and discrimination and I cannot believe this happened in front of everyone, especially children who can be easily impressionable and find this correct or even worst, funny.
As a black person myself, fighting against racism and discrimination as an individual and as Member of the European Parliament, I cannot tolerate disrespectful actions like this and I do my best to fight against it and to educate and raise awareness as much as possible.
Black face dehumanizes and objectifies black individuals, reducing them to harmful stereotypes and exaggerations. It reinforces negative biases and fosters an environment of racial discrimination which should not be allowed anytime, anywhere in the World.
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