Is Black Face Black Skin?

When America’s Next Top Model aired Episode 9 of Cycle 13, about biracial cultures, Tyra Banks faced heavy criticism for using poor taste in portraying race.

Tyra’s photo shoot meant to capture the beauty of biracial or mixed peoples of different cultures. Each of the six models was assigned two different nationalities, then makeup and clothes worked their magic. Innocent, right? Nope. The charge? Blackface.

Blackface was theatrical makeup used by whites in the 19 ^thcentury to portray blacks. Whites used burnt corn or black shoe polish to darken their faces and exaggerate their lips, depicting blacks in demeaning and humiliating stereotypes like “happy go-luck” darky and “coon.” That was Blackface’s context. That was never Tyra’s.

Her shoot celebrated the beauty of brown skin, mixed heritage and diverse cultures. Tyra showed the world how unique, how intriguing, how diverse black skin really is. Blackface? I don’t think so.

Thanks Tyra.