Black Face vs. What?

From thoughts and experiences two years prior, I still consider black face as an abhorrent crime against Black communities worldwide.

I was home in Miami with a group of friends talking about the shows we love, the shows we recommend, and the shows we’ve all seen and re-watch for the heck of it.

One of my all time favorite shows from my teenage years into early adulthood, is 30 Rock, created, written by, and starring Tina Fey who I had a huge admiration for. She was the type of comedian I wanted to be: smart, quirky, and creative. I read and reread her book. I watched every episode of 30 Rock at least three times and if anyone was a celebrity inspiration to me in those days it was Tina Fey.

Having seen every episode of 30 Rock, I mentioned how I loved the show but still couldn’t accept the black face episodes starring Jon Hamm. I understood that they were set in a certain time and were satirical in their portrayal, but I would have preferred the show without its minstrel bit.

In some universe, train of thought, or mind frame, I thought this belief would go unmet with criticism. But I guess expectations have a way of turning around and slapping you in the face since two out of my three present friends (who are not Black) proceeded to explain the implementation of black face to me.

They told me the intent, the purpose, the result with such clairvoyance it seemed like I was sitting in Miami in the 1940’s. I sat dumbfounded, internally fighting with the fact that the people I considered the utmost woke, were not actually still in REM sleep.

It was disappointing to say the least. Disappointing to explain my interpretation as if black face did not originate as a hateful form of dehumanization against an entire race of people and the fact that it is still used today in the same way. My disappointment only grew as one of my friends drew the point that portraying black face as a joke is akin to portraying pedophiles are jokes. To that my face went blank as I attested that the two were not comparable and the conversation cowered and slunk underneath the table when faced with tempered and divergent views.

I couldn’t really stop thinking about it the entire time we sat there. Did they really just put up a fight for Black face? Did she really just compare making a joke that damaged and still damages an entire body of people to … pedophiles?

Looking back, I wish I would have gotten more angry. I wish I would have pulled up a frightening picture of actual white men in actual black face not too long ago and ask if that was the image they were okaying. I wish I would’ve showcased a documentary of the self made caste system of light skin vs. dark skin and point out the major role of black face in this divide in the present day. I wish I would’ve thought of all of these things in the moment but instead I just sat there like a person disappointed by her friends on a Saturday night thinking of everything I wanted to say.

It made me think a lot and though they will always be my friends, division rests closer than I usually think.