The blackface issue is so powerful because it reveals white peopleīs almost total failure to appreciate the ongoing violence of racism, writes Rod Earle, while Pamela Jane Smith believes the revelations about the Canadian PM are politically motivatedItīs possible that the implications of Justin Trudeauīs blackface episode (I canīt recall how often I blacked up, says Trudeau, 20 September) will be taken as simply personally unfortunate, the result of `a bit of fun` and careless playacting coming back to hurt his political prospects. It should make us ask serious questions. What kind of world is it where a white person getting made up to look like a black person can cause such trouble?Two recent Guardian articles pointing to our continuing refusal to talk about race, by Mithu Sanyal (Whisper it, but itīs finally OK to talk about race in Germany, Journal, 18 September) and Alex Clark (`What we can learn is, be aware of the beginnings. Be aware of racism, be aware of nationalismī, Review, 14 September), are good places to start looking for answers. Continue reading...
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