| A yearbook photo of Uijeongbu High School students wearing blackface makeup has sparked controversy, Wednesday. / Screen Capture from Uijeongbu High School student council Facebook page |
By Lee Hyo-jin
A high school yearbook photo of five students in blackface makeup has been sparking controversy among internet users.
Uijeongbu High School, an all-boys school in Gyeonggi Province, is known for its unique and eye-catching yearbook photos. Students dress up as various characters using costumes and body paint, reflecting trends of that year. As the photos have continuously gained public attention, the "cosplay" yearbook has become a school tradition.
The class of 2020 posted this year's graduation photos on the student council Facebook page, Tuesday.
Among the photos, one showed five students in blackface makeup dressed in black suits. They were carrying a coffin made of cardboard on their shoulders.
The students were apparently parodying the "Dancing Pallbearers" of Ghana, also known as coffin dancers. As part of a traditional Ghanaian funeral, they give dance performances as a joyful way of celebrating the life of the deceased. They became a global meme after a two-minute video of their performance set to an EDM track went viral on YouTube earlier this year.
As the students' blackface photo was widely shared on social media, internet users have shown mixed reactions whether or not it is acceptable.
One Twitter user with the id 'with****' said, "Regardless of what their intention was, blackface makeup is obviously racism." Other tweets read, "This is the result of poor awareness of racism" and "It is creepy that no one pointed out why this is wrong."
Some commented that the teachers should have properly guided students in choosing costumes. "We should not blame the students. Teachers should have taught them that some cosplays can be offensive to certain people," said a Twitter user.
Others questioned whether it is appropriate to make public judgments about students' yearbook photos. A Twitter user with the id 'ldsc***' wrote, "Graduation photos are for the senior students to keep their memories of school years. They should not be judged among anonymous internet users."