Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is addressing photos that show him in blackface on multiple occasions spanning decades. And while he’s come clean about the three images that are now circulating…apparently, there may be more. Speaking in Winnipeg, Trudeau said what he did "hurt people who shouldn't have to face intolerance and discrimination."
Trudeau said he "deeply, deeply regrets" his actions and that he should have never done it. Trudeau says he should have recognized the racist history behind blackface, adding that he did not at the time due to "layers of privilege." Trudeau says this is not something that represents the person he has become and the leader he tries to be, but he takes "full responsibility" for his actions.
As we told you yesterday, the most recent photo was unveiled by “Time” magazine, which claims the photo appears in a yearbook for the private school where Trudeau was teaching in 2001 at the age of 29 – something he has not disputed. In it, he's wearing a turban with his face painted brown. The picture was apparently taken at an "Arabian Nights"-themed party that was attended by faculty, administrators and parents.
Other images have him dressed as Harry Belafonte in high school and another that simply shows him in blackface with a curly wig. No context has been given.
So how many images are there? When a reporter asked Trudeau to "round to the nearest five," Trudeau replied with another apology. “I’m not going to make light of the situation. I don’t think it’s something we should be making light of,” he offered. “What I did was inexcusable and wrong, and hurt a lot of people who considered me to be an ally.”
Source: USA Today