New York Congressman and Republican determine Mike Lawler is dealing with backlash after pictures surfaced displaying him wearing blackface at a Halloween celebration practically twenty years in the past. The pictures, obtained by The New York Occasions, depict a 20-year-old Lawler, who’s white, dressed as Michael Jackson along with his face visibly darkened. The incident occurred in October 2006.
Lawler, now 38, didn’t deny the authenticity of the pictures.In a press release, he confirmed remorse however insisted that his costume was a tribute to his “musical hero,” Michael Jackson, somewhat than an intentional act of racism. “The ugly follow of blackface was the furthest factor from my thoughts,” he mentioned. “Let me be clear, this isn’t that. It was really the sincerest type of flattery, a real homage.”
The congressman has usually spoken about his admiration for Jackson, even recounting how he attended the pop star’s 2005 trial for baby molestation prices. Nevertheless, the newly revealed pictures are the primary recognized occasion of him darkening his pores and skin to resemble the Black musician, a follow extensively considered racist.
The timing of the controversy may show damaging for Lawler, who’s gearing up for a tricky re-election battle in a swing district. His opponent, Mondaire Jones, a Black former congressman, might seize upon the pictures in a race that’s anticipated to attract nationwide consideration.
The blackface pictures had been reportedly shared on Fb in 2006 and later circulated amongst Lawler’s classmates at Manhattan Faculty, now often called Manhattan College. Witnesses conversant in the incident informed The New York Occasions that Lawler had borrowed bronzer from feminine classmates to finish the costume. One picture reveals him carrying a crimson jacket paying homage to Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” video and hanging a signature dance pose.
Though Lawler has apologised to anybody who took offence, he maintained that his intentions had been misunderstood. “I’m a scholar of historical past, and for anybody who takes offence to the picture, I’m sorry,” he mentioned. “All you are able to do is dwell and be taught.”
Historians observe that whereas Lawler’s costume seems to be a tribute somewhat than a deliberate try to mock or denigrate Black People, it stays problematic. “There’s at all times an entitlement — a racist privilege — behind the blackface masks,” mentioned Dr Eric Lott, a cultural historian on the Metropolis College of New York.
Dr Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, a historian at Smith Faculty and the daughter of comic Richard Pryor, shared comparable sentiments. “There’s a hazard to it even when it may be a homage,” she mentioned, warning that such acts can’t be dismissed as innocent, even when not meant to offend.
Mike Lawler gained nationwide prominence in 2022 after defeating a strong Democrat in a left-leaning district.
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GOP Congressman faces backlash over 2006 blackface pictures, claims it was ‘homage to Michael Jackson’ – Occasions of India
Republican consultant Mike Lawler (Picture: AP)
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