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Dov Hikind Blackface Scandal: New York Assemblyman Says “Sorry”
Dov Hikind Blackface Scandal: New York Assemblyman Says “Sorry”
When New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind chose to attend a Purim festival dressed in blackface with an Afro wig, he didn’t realize he would be stirring up a hornet’s nest of controversy over his costume choice.
After mounting criticism that his choice of costume was ill-advised and even racist, Hikind offered his apology but still seemed confused about the uproar.
He noted that others at the festival were dressed in ethnic garb such as Arabs and noted that even his wife chose to dress up as the Devil himself. Hikind further explained that he chose the blackface get-up as a way to look totally different and unrecognizable for the Purim celebration.
“In hindsight, I should have picked something else,” Hikind tells the Daily News. “It never crossed my mind for a split second that I was doing something wrong. It was as innocent as something can be… People in the community were dressed up as Arabs. What was that about? My wife was dressed as the devil. And she’s not a devil. It was to look different on Purim without deep intentions. I just wanted to look different and unrecognizable.”
Many of Hikind’s critics said that his choice of costume brought up bad memories of black stereotypes portrayed by blackface minstrel shows that made fun of African-Americans throughout the early 20th century under the guise of entertainment.
On The Web:
Assemblyman Apologizes For Blackface After More Politicians Pile On
http://gothamist.com/2013/02/25/assemblyman_apologizes_for_blackfac.php