Lighten up, Francis.
Via Delaware Online:
In the 119th iteration of the Mummer’s Parade, a black man was accused of wearing blackface while performing.
The performance, part of Philadelphia’s annual New Year’s Day festival, elicited social media outrage and statements from Mayor Jim Kenney and Council President Darrell Clarke, amid some confusion over whether there had actually been face-painting or not.
If indeed the Mummer was in blackface, it would be far from the first time. Past parades have included blatant instances of racism, sexism and hate speech. The 2019 festivities were no exception.
In fact, the offending skit was by the same group that came under fire for a transphobic jab at Caitlyn Jenner in 2016.
Walking Mayor Kenney like a dog
As the Finnegan New Years Brigade Comic Club performed for the judges in front of City Hall Tuesday morning, part of a skit illustrated this year’s infamous back-and-forth between Mayor Jim Kenney and rapper Jay-Z over the future of the Made in America. In it, a man dressed in a suit labeled “Jay-Z” walked a Kenney character down the street on a leash.
People quickly criticized the performance on social media, saying that the performer playing Jay-Z was wearing blackface. According to reports, the performer was not in blackface — his face appeared dark because he himself is black.
In an interview with Philadelphia magazine on Wednesday, Mummer Michael Inemer jumped to defend the troupe.
“That was a black American!” said Inemer, a representative of the Goodtimers Comic Club (the umbrella organization that includes Finnegan). “We’re not allowed to use blackface!”