Well it looks like we have yet another example of white folks in Blackface.
This time, we have Flemish Culture Minister, Sven Gatz, to thank for our reminder that ignorance and bigotry is alive and well.
Gatz, a minister in the Flemish regional government, tweeted an image of himself as “Black Pete,” a highly offensive character that serves as Santa’s sidekick this time of year.
The character is part of the region’s local folklore, left over from Belgium’s colonial times. “Black Pete” has been the subject of many protests due to its racist elements.
Gatz received a wave of backlash for his choice in dress, and issued the following statement on his Twitter account Monday:
Engaged against racism all my (political) life. And now I’m an ordinary racist because I coloured my face dark. Come on. Love. Don’t hate.
— Sven Gatz (@svengatz) December 7, 2015
Oh boy. Read more at The Guardian.
