Trudeau Under Fire
By: Mallory Johnson
If you haven’t seen the news lately, last week Time Magazine ran an article exposing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of wearing blackface. The first instance of this happening was at a prep school costume party, which had a theme of “Arabian Nights”. Justin dressed as Alladin, complete with a turban, a black painted face, and a black painted hand.(pictured below).
Trudeau was 29 years old at the time of this party, and he taught at the school which hosted the party. Many people also noticed that his hand is touching a woman’s breast. A second instance was revealed after Trudeau was asked if he had worn the racist makeup since 2001 and said he didn’t know. After that, a third instance was revealed, this time a video. He has also been seen visiting places like India and wearing a turban.
Trudeau apologized for the issue, saying “This is something I deeply, deeply regret.” Regarding wearing blackface, he said it is “always unacceptable because of the racist history of blackface. I should’ve understood it then, and I should have never done it.” Some accepted his apology as valid while others disagreed. In comparison, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper wore yellow face and wore a First Nations headdress. He was given little to no media attention/flack for the racial makeup and costume (although, I have limited knowledge regarding what happened).
Shortly after his apology, Trudeau promised on Twitter that, if re-elected, he would ban all assault rifle guns from Canada. He clearly did this to distract from the drama and to make people want to vote for him again, as the federal election is looming (go vote on October 21st!). In conclusion, this controversy will surely hurt Trudeau’s chances of getting re-elected to Prime Minister. Please make sure you are registered to vote (I am a first time voter and I’m registered!) and go make your voice heard on October 21st!