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Two young men in Utah who painted their faces black for a high school football game were reportedly celebrated for their school spirit, raising the ire of some parents who accused the teens of engaging in blackface.
Edward Wright, the father of a student enrolled in Pine View High School in St George, Utah, told ABC 4 that he was frustrated that the teens were being celebrated despite their alleged use of blackface.
“Instead of there being consequences and education given at the moment about how wrong it was, it was celebrated. These young men won the prize for being the most spirited in the crowd,” Wright told the broadcaster.
He said the two young men took a photo with cheerleaders, and that the photo was later posted on the high school's website. It has since been removed.
Wright said this isn't the first time a situation like this has happened, but it's the "first time it's been so blatant that it can't be ignored."
The Washington County School District, of which Pine View is a part, issued a statement on Tuesday to the broadcaster, saying it is "disheartened that this [incident] took place" and offered an apology to the community for "any offense" caused by the display.
Not everyone agrees with Wright's read on the situation; commenters on a post Wright made on Facebook about the situation pointed out that the football game was "blackout" themed and noted that the school's mascot is a black panther.
Wright said regardless of the theming, the incident "really hurt" his daughter, and insisted that the face paint was more than a display of school spirit — it was racist.
He said he refused "to believe that this is just ignorance," but that even if it is, it shouldn't be ignored.
“Even if it is ignorance, ignorance has consequences,” he said.
Despite his frustration, Wright told KUTV that his frustration is less at the young men who painted their faces and more at the adults around them who did not step in to stop them or educate them as to why their actions might offend their classmates and community members.
“You could have tapped these young men on the shoulder, whispered in their ear and let these young men know the significance of this,” he told the broadcaster.
The NAACP issued a statement in the wake of the incident, explaining that blackface has its roots in 19th century minstrel shows and was used by white actors to portray Black people in mocking ways.
“In past history, the purpose of blackface was mocking … turning into a figment of the white imagination for entertainment. Blackface invokes a racist and painful history, dehumanizing Black people," the Salt Lake Branch of the NAACP said in its statement.
The organization also chastised the school's cheerleading coach for allegedly celebrating the young men and using them for school spirit photos with cheerleaders.
“This is a time for education to the entire school and the cheer coach. We, the NAACP ask that Superintendent Richard Holmes use this egregious act to educate his district about racism and blackface,” the statement said.
The district said after the incident that it would create teams to work with employees in an effort to improve the "culture and climate" at the school.
