Prime Minister of Canada wearing Blackface (brownface)

The Prime Minister of Canada

Its all over the news.

Does Prime Minister Trudeau get a free pass because he is good looking and progressive?

Would Trump get a free pass from the media on this one or would Twitter crash from the fallout?

We will have to see. This would be an impeachable offence in the minds of the democrats in the US.  If Trump did it then there would be a media circus.  I think Justin Trudeau will also get a hard time about this and by his own standards may have to consider resigning - but lets wait and see.

https://time.com/5680759/justin-trudeau-brownface-photo/


Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, wore brownface makeup to a party at the private school where he was
teaching in the spring of 2001. TIME has obtained a photograph of the incident.

The photograph has not been previously reported. The picture was taken at an “Arabian Nights”-themed gala. It shows Trudeau, then the 29-year-old son of the late former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, wearing a turban and robes with his face, neck and hands completely darkened. The photograph appears in the 2000-2001 yearbook of West Point Grey Academy, a private day school where Trudeau was a teacher.

Earlier this month, TIME obtained a copy of the yearbook, The View, with the photograph of Trudeau in brownface from Vancouver businessman Michael Adamson, who was part of the West Point Grey Academy community. Adamson was not at the party, which was attended by school faculty, administrators and parents of students. He said that he first saw the photograph in July and felt it should be made public.

The yearbook from the 2000/2001 school year at West Point Grey Academy shows several people, some of whom are still on staff at the school, dressed up for the gala—however only Trudeau appears to have darkened his skin. TIME
Speaking to reporters Wednesday night, following TIME’s publication of the photo, Trudeau apologized: “I shouldn’t have done that. I should have known better and I didn’t. I’m really sorry.” When asked if he thought the photograph was racist, he said, “Yes it was. I didn’t consider it racist at the time, but now we know better.”


Trudeau said he wore “makeup” in high school to sing “Day-O,” a Jamaican folk song famously performed by African-American singer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte. “I deeply regret that I did that,” he said.

On Wednesday, Zita Astravas, the media relations lead of the Liberal Party of Canada, which Trudeau is the leader of, confirmed that the prime minister was in the photo. “It was a photo taken while he was teaching in Vancouver, at the school’s annual dinner which had a costume theme of ‘Arabian Nights.’ He attended with friends and colleagues dressed as a character from Aladdin,” said Astravas. Trudeau is planning on addressing the photograph to the media later this evening, according to the Astravas. The prime minister’s official director of communications did not return multiple calls.


This is a critical moment for Trudeau, who began his re-election campaign on Sept. 11 under the cloud of a scandal over whether he pressured his then-attorney general to drop corruption charges against a large Canadian engineering firm. The Liberal Party leader has championed minority groups during his nearly four years as prime minister and made his embrace of Canada’s many cultures a major part of his leadership. At least seven of the 35 members of Trudeau’s cabinet are from ethnic minorities.

Trudeau has previously garnered regular media attention in the Canadian and global press for his choice of attire. In 2018, he was mocked for the elaborate Indian garb that he, his wife and their three children wore during a visit to India.


Trudeau was also criticized by artist Robert Davidson, who is a member of the Haida indigenous people, because of a tattoo on his left arm that is based on the artist’s work. Davidson said in 2016 that the Trudeau government’s approval of a natural gas facility opposed by the Haida showed the prime minister was not genuinely sensitive to concerns of Canada’s indigenous population.


TIME reached out to multiple people who attended West Point Grey’s spring gala in 2001, including three of the four women in the photo with Trudeau. Most were reluctant to talk about it. One former staff member declined to comment, citing loyalty to Trudeau. Others said they did not remember Trudeau at the party. Two people contacted by TIME acknowledged the existence of the picture, which has been the subject of gossip within the West Point Grey community.

Trudeau was not the only person in costume at the 2001 gala event. Of the individuals in six photographs from the event published in the yearbook, Trudeau appears to be the only one who darkened his skin. Many who dressed up for the “Arabian Nights” gala are still at the school, including current headmaster Stephen Anthony, who is pictured wearing what appears to be a crown.

The yearbook shows Trudeau among the staff at West Point Grey, a private day school. He downplayed his experience there during his campaign in 2015.
Anthony did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the photo and the event.


Trudeau taught classes, including French, until he left after the spring of 2001. West Point Grey Academy is currently among the most expensive private day schools in Vancouver, with annual tuition ranging from just under $22,000 to about $23,500. During his 2015 election campaign, Trudeau downplayed his experience at the private academy, instead focusing on his time teaching at a public school in Vancouver.

Trudeau is far from the only public figure who darkened his skin in the past for a costume.

The United States has a long and painful history of white performers darkening their faces to demean and dehumanize African-Americans—a practice made popular by minstrel shows in the 19th century. Blackface continued into the 20th century in Broadway shows and Hollywood movies.

In February, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam first apologized for, and then denied he was in a 1984 medical school yearbook photo that surfaced earlier this year showing a man in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan hood. Despite criticism, Northam declined to step aside. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also apologized this year after a radio interview from the 1960s surfaced in which she was described as wearing blackface.

Great. Time to ruin his career and life.  I wore black paint on my face when I was 7 for halloween and dressed as Tupac.  I've already eliminated politics from my future due to this grave mistake.

18 years ago.

He didn't do anything illegal in 2001 by doing this.

Bad taste?  yes.  Illegal?  No. 

It doesn't look good now because a lot has changed in the last 18 years. 

But he'll get nailed for it in the press, though. 

Does Prime Minister Trudeau get a free pass because he is good looking and progressive?

Would Trump get a free pass from the media on this one or would Twitter crash from the fallout?

Oh please, there is no equivalence to this and Trump.  Something like the video of Trump and Epstein together looking and commenting on a room full of girls, is much worse than this.   

He didn't do anything illegal in 2001 by doing this.

Bad taste?  yes.  Illegal?  No. 

It doesn't look good now because a lot has changed in the last 18 years. 

But he'll get nailed for it in the press, though. 

Does Prime Minister Trudeau get a free pass because he is good looking and progressive?

Would Trump get a free pass from the media on this one or would Twitter crash from the fallout?

Oh please, there is no equivalence to this and Trump.  Something like the video of Trump and Epstein together looking and commenting on a room full of girls, is much worse than this.   

We all know its not illegal. That's not up for debate. The question is does he get a free pass? I think he will by the left leaning media. And for you to equate Trump and Epstein, that is worse than bad taste.  Cmon man.

We will have to see. This would be an impeachable offence in the minds of the democrats in the US.  If Trump did it then there would be a media circus.  I think Justin Trudeau will also get a hard time about this and by his own standards may have to consider resigning - but lets wait and see.

Are you kidding me.  The way America is operating, Trumpanzees would be liiiike "That is just brown cream he was using on his face to keep his skin youthful and supple."   

Ahhhh the faux outrage brigade have arrived!

The key to this, for the sane and reasonable ones out there, is how Trudeau reacts to the criticism, along with how he can demonstrate what he’s learned since and how he can show he’s no longer that person.

Will he play the dumb card of “why are you upset, it was normal back then, I have/had black friends etc”? Or will he do the smart thing and admit that yeah, it was an asshat thing to do and here’s why and how it was unacceptable.

His years of promoting progressive, modern and anti-discriminatory policies would also come into play. Has he spent years blowing smoke up people’s arses while claiming to be an ally? Or has he been walking the walk and fighting the fight alongside them?

If he gets cancelled...so be it. Thank you very much, you can still contribute from behind the scenes.

If all is forgiven, use it as an example and a teachable moment.

Not that right wingers care or can comprehend any of this.

Ahhhh the faux outrage brigade have arrived!

The key to this, for the sane and reasonable ones out there, is how Trudeau reacts to the criticism, along with how he can demonstrate what he’s learned since and how he can show he’s no longer that person.

Will he play the dumb card of “why are you upset, it was normal back then, I have/had black friends etc”? Or will he do the smart thing and admit that yeah, it was an asshat thing to do and here’s why and how it was unacceptable.

His years of promoting progressive, modern and anti-discriminatory policies would also come into play. Has he spent years blowing smoke up people’s arses while claiming to be an ally? Or has he been walking the walk and fighting the fight alongside them?

If he gets cancelled...so be it. Thank you very much, you can still contribute from behind the scenes.

If all is forgiven, use it as an example and a teachable moment.

Not that right wingers care or can comprehend any of this.

It would be nice nice if the progressive left would be a bit more consistent with their rhetoric. This thread is showing that the same people who would give Trudeau a free pass on this are the same people who would cry for Trump's head if he had done this. The hypocrisy of the progressive left  is incredible.

Great. Time to ruin his career and life.  I wore black paint on my face when I was 7 for halloween and dressed as Tupac.  I've already eliminated politics from my future due to this grave mistake.

You were born in 1984 or 1985 (at the earliest, likely 1986) and were white and knew who Tupac was and your parents let you listen to Tupac at the age of 7? Also, blackface wasn't cool even back then.

How is asking Tuudeau's record and actions to speak for him "giving him a free pass"? How is using his response to this scandal to determine whether he can be forgiven or not "giving him a free pass"?

Like i said before, some people lack the capability to comprehend the intricacies of situations like this.

Does Trudeau show and accept what he did was wrong:

Yes - move to the next step
No - cancelled...end of conversation

Does Trudeau have a history of fighting alongside the disenfranchised against discrimination:

Yes - move to the next step
No - cancelled...end of conversation

Can Trudeau self-reflect on this moment as a teachable one and show what he's learned from it:

Yes - move to the next step
No - cancelled...end of conversation

How is any of this giving him a free pass? And I even went on to say It wouldn't be a controversial issue (at least for me) if he gets cancelled over this. He can be removed from the public spotlight and still contribute to the struggle from behind the scene.

How is any of this giving him a free pass?

waygo0k: Does Trudeau have a history of fighting alongside the disenfranchised against discrimination:

He certainly has a recent history of saying he'll fight alongside the disenfranchised against discrimination.  He talked the talked on First Nations people, and apparently that was all he needed to do.

This is one time, I see, where the progressive left will accept an apology and be willing to move on.  We all know that if it had been Scheer caught in this predicament there would be a full on call for his head from the left. 

And why is Trump even in this conversation?  This is purely about Trudeau.  Are we at a point now when foreign leaders can just point to Trump talking about women being worse than what they did, and then they're excused? 

And the left can relax.  As long as Trump is in power in the U.S., Trudeau will remain as PM in Canada.  Image obsessed Canadians think the whole world is watching and will bite off their nose to spite their face.  Canadians want the world to think we're better than our neighbours so rest assured that half-wit Justin isn't going anywhere soon.  He can commit ethics violations, sexually harass and do blackface and as long as he talks pretty, he's staying. 

We will have to see. This would be an impeachable offence in the minds of the democrats in the US.  If Trump did it then there would be a media circus.  I think Justin Trudeau will also get a hard time about this and by his own standards may have to consider resigning - but lets wait and see.

Are you kidding me.  The way America is operating, Trumpanzees would be liiiike "That is just brown cream he was using on his face to keep his skin youthful and supple."   

Are you saying Trump supporters are chimpanzees? If so,  that is a seriously racist comment.

waygo0k: Does Trudeau have a history of fighting alongside the disenfranchised against discrimination:

He certainly has a recent history of saying he'll fight alongside the disenfranchised against discrimination.  He talked the talked on First Nations people, and apparently that was all he needed to do.

Given he's appointed the most diverse collection of government ministers in Canadian history, and the country's continuing welcome policy to immigrants and refugees, I'd say he's done a bit more than simply talking.

If we add the recent SNC-Lavalin scandal as a counter-argument, it is easy to see how and why many people will have doubts about his credibility as a progressive politician, especially with the surfacing of this photo.

Like I said before...if he gets cancelled, it wouldn't be that big of an issue. Progressives generally have a habit of holding each other accountable. I don't imagine it'd be any different in Canada.

This is one time, I see, where the progressive left will accept an apology and be willing to move on.  We all know that if it had been Scheer caught in this predicament there would be a full on call for his head from the left.

You see what you want to see, not what is actually happening.

"It is insulting. Any time we hear examples of brownface or blackface it's making a mockery of someone for what they live, for what their lived experiences are. I think he has to answer for it," said Leftist New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh, a Sikh who wears a turban and the first visible minority to lead a national party.

We will have to see. This would be an impeachable offence in the minds of the democrats in the US.  If Trump did it then there would be a media circus.  I think Justin Trudeau will also get a hard time about this and by his own standards may have to consider resigning - but lets wait and see.

Are you kidding me.  The way America is operating, Trumpanzees would be liiiike "That is just brown cream he was using on his face to keep his skin youthful and supple."   

Are you saying Trump supporters are chimpanzees? If so,  that is a seriously racist comment.

That would only be racist if all Trump supporters were of a certain race, surely.

Waygo0k: You see what you want to see, not what is actually happening.

"It is insulting. Any time we hear examples of brownface or blackface it's making a mockery of someone for what they live, for what their lived experiences are. I think he has to answer for it," said Leftist New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh, a Sikh who wears a turban and the first visible minority to lead a national party.

Talk about seeing what you want to see. You do understand that, of course, Singh is going to run with this as he is running against Trudeau in the upcoming election?  Maybe you're not Canadian but that comment from Singh means absolutely nothing in regards to the left holding Justin accountable.  In the leaders' debate that Trudeau didn't bother showing up at last week both Singh and May (another lefty) focused on Trudeau because he is an opponent in the election.  That was before this blackface exposure.  They are going after him regardless and this is just ammo. 

Canada's welcoming immigrants has been going on for decades regardless of what party has been in power.  Justin didn't start the ball rolling on that one. 

So, leftist candidates going after Trudeau...means the left is giving Trudeau a free pass?

If they're campaigning aganst his leadership (regardless of the photo), isn't that a clear indication that he's literally being held accountable for perceived shortcomings in his role as leader? Where does the "free pass" claim come in?

Or has he been walking the walk and fighting the fight alongside them?

Like this guy?