'Blackface' controversies: Why do they keep happening?

A framework to assess whether a particular event is racist can provide useful guidance.

- Mathew Mathews and Sophy Tio

Blackfacing has happened in Singapore again and we are still wondering if it is racist.

The latest incident, surfacing on TikTok, involved a recent event where a group of attendees at a corporate dinner and dance event in Singapore were seen wearing Afro wigs and painting their faces black. Undoubtedly, this image has sparked debate about whether such behaviour is unacceptable, or if people are simply being too sensitive.

This incident follows a series of "blackfacing" or "brownfacing" controversies over the years. Just this year, during the Racial Harmony Day celebrations in July, a student wore a pink uniform resembling that of a platform worker, paired with a mask of a man with dark skin.

In 2020, a photograph from 2016 resurfaced, showing a student of South Asian descent surrounded by peers wearing "black beauty" face masks. In 2019, local influencer Preetipls and rapper Subhas called out brownfacing in an e-payment advertisement, sparking a wider conversation about the history of blackfacing in Singapore.

Despite these precedents we are still debating if blackfacing is, indeed, racist. This highlights that people in Singapore continue to find it hard to identify acts of racism and determine what behaviours are unacceptable.

SEVEN FACTORS THAT CONSTITUTE RACISM