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An Aboriginal mother has published photos of her daughter in ‘whiteface’ to highlight the double standards that are inflaming racial debates in Australia.

Queenslander Bec Bee said she was inspired to make the controversial statement after the backlash surrounding a young boy who dressed up as West Coast Eagles footballer Nic Naitunui, complete with blackened skin.

Ms Bee said the little boy had dressed as Naitunui as a tribute to his idol but would carry the scars of the nationwide blackface controversy for the rest of his life.

“The little boy in the centre of last week’s book week did not suffer from racism or discrimination, he idolised a man who has achieved great successes even during pain, when most adult would have caved and collapsed into states of depression,” she wrote.

“Unfortunately now this little boy who has been shown by the dark skinned community that his admiration for a black man is unacceptable and has learnt racism!

“Do we support educating or do we do reverse racism and shun a future adult.

“His childhood experience will have scarred him now!”

Ms Bee said, while accusations of racism had been thrown at the boy and his mother by many people, his actions showed that he actually thought it was “cool to be black”.

“The little boy in the centre of last weeks book week did not suffer from racism or discrimination, he idolised a man who has achieved great successes even during pain, when most adult would have caved and collapsed into states of depression…

Unfortunately now this little boy who has been shown by the dark skinned community that his admiration for a black man is unacceptable and has learnt racism! How do we end racism/discrimination? Do we support educating or do we do reverse racism and shun a future adult. His childhood experience will have scarred him now!”

Ms Bee also posted two images of her daughter, one of which showed her with whitened skin.

Read her full post below

The image that even sparked death threats was posted to the Facebook page of blogger Constance Hall.

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  • The most awesome post…..thank goodness that someone has some common sense

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  • This was a great post by this Mum. I’m all for respecting others opinions especially in regards to such a complex issue like this but I do feel that people are getting offended by everything these days without stopping to even think about it.

    We’ve learnt that black face historically has caused offence and rightly so in the ways it has been done in the past however that doesn’t mean that everytime someone paints their face it is ‘blackface’. We have to acknowledge but move forward and look at the context in which things are done. In this case the little boy dressed up as his idol and had all respect for him. It was far from the blackface from history where black people were belittled and ridiculed.

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  • Very well said Bec Bee. It’s about time some common sense was used in these arguments over racism. You can’t dress up to look like Nic Natanui with a white face like you can’t dress up to be Grace Kelly with a black face. Isn’t that common sense, too?

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  • The world is getting way to crazy for me at times..
    Take a chill pill knockers this little boy was only dressing as his idol and it was meant as a complement.

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  • Well said Breeze Be !

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  • Finally, some common sense! People make such a fuss over things like this, and in the process affect the life of a young boy who meant no harm.
    It is not the 50s any more!

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  • We are all equal. No one is better than anyone else. I think racism can be very one sided. It is a crime for a white skinned person to look like a black skinned person but if the reverse happens I DONT THINK THERE IS ANY FUSS AT ALL.

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  • Well done to this Mum. I think there has been such an overreaction to the child dressed up as Nic Natanui and this is a great example of the reverse here. Bravo! This is not racism. This is just children dressing up as their idols/heroes. Let them be kids. Don’t put adult views and pressures on them.

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  • She has made a valid point – well done and well said!

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  • This young boy didn’t see the colour of his idols skin. He just saw a man that he idolised and wanted to portray that. This mums’ daughter has dark skin and she painted herself white. Is she going to be victimised and abused for this. Let our kids just be that, kids. This is where racism starts. I’m proud of them both for seeing the person, or character, and not the skin colour. They are both adorable

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  • I agree with Bec – I have two granddaughters who are different shades of brown due to a Kanaka origin mother and a white father – why do we have to carry on like we do – God made us all – red and yellow; brown and white and we should all accept everyone as equals – no discrimination or recriminations please!!!

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  • it’s lovely to see someone take a stand and be proud that she saw a child wanting to be like his hero – I admire what she has written and it is very refreshing to see that not everyone plays the victim when things like this happen – well said!

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  • The little boy tried to honour his hero not insult him, his intentions were pure, the ‘hero’ had the power to put an end to this with his statement but chose the racism route, sad, very sad. This little girl is stunning and her costume is amazing!

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  • Yes, but this ignores the historical connections with blackface…

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  • My point exactly! Racism in reverse is what’s happening now. When the Adam Goodes thing erupted, after a girl in the crowd referred to him as an ape, that went on for weeks. How bad it was, his racist it is to do that, how we need to change as a society etc Yet every week I hear Jason Dunstall called a silverback gorilla. Seriously?!?!

    Reply

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