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A mother has sparked outrage by dressing her son in blackface for bookweek.

The Perth-based mother shared an image of her nine-year-old son covered in brown paint with a wig of dreadlocks, dressed up as AFL star Nic Naitanui.

She posted the photo to the Facebook page of blogger Constance Hall to share her ‘absolute QUEENING moment’.

The original post has since been deleted, but has been circulating on social media with criticisms the costume was racist.

‘I NEED to share my absolute QUEENING moment,’ the mother wrote. ‘My son had book week parade today. He wanted to go as his idol Nic Naitanui from the west coast Eagles.

‘I was a little worried about painting him. (So many politically correct extremists these days) he is pastey White and if I just sent him in a wig and footy gear, no one would tell who he was.

‘So I grew a set of balls and painted my boy brown and he looked fanf***ingtastic.

‘After being told by everyone on Facebook not to do it and it’s a horrible idea etc, my son won the f***ing parade!!! Parenting win! I’m celebrating by having a wine before 12pm … love love!’

The mother declined to comment when approached by Daily Mail Australia.

She has since written on her private Facebook page to say she didn’t mean to offend anyone and the story had been twisted into a ‘nasty vicious thing’.

Constance is yet to respond to questions from Daily Mail Australia, however she has taken to her Facebook page and said she didn’t agree with putting blackface on.

‘I don’t agree with dressing your child up in blackface, I can’t defend it. Because it is hurtful to our Indigenous brothers and sisters,’ Constance said.

‘I don’t believe that the mum in question was behaving maliciously, I don’t believe that she intended to hurt anyone. However I think it was an ill informed decision based on her view that there is too much political correctness in our world.’

Constance said ‘political correctness and cultural sensitivity are two very different things’.

‘I don’t believe that it is the place of white Australians to determine what is racist, unless you have felt racial discrimination it’s very difficult to determine without the assistance of a racial minority.’

‘It’s not my place to determine, but I respect the words of those who’s it is [sic].’

Constance confirmed she deleted the post, but she said she wanted ‘the Queen who shared it to know, I do not stand by any of the abuse you have received today’.

The abuse continues

Constance has received abuse for sharing her post and is begging people to just leave her alone.

I didn’t think I was shaming her at all, I clearly stated that I don’t believe she is racist at all, she has a beautiful son with a great hero. I just don’t think we should paint our kids in blackface if it offends and hurts people.

Now I have never received so much abuse in my life. I am being called a c#nt from her family, I have received death threats, I ban them and they start new accounts, they are relentless. I have been called every name under the sun, called a fake, told that I am too big for my boots over and over again.

I thought I had my anxiety under control but I feel like I can’t breath.

The kids have seen me cry more then ever in the last 24 hours and I don’t have my husband to remind me that it’s all going to be ok.

I am so sorry that I have offended so many people, I never meant to. I was raised to be very culturally sensitive, taken to aboriginal rights protests and spending my holidays in the communities with family that were teachers, that is part of who I am.

Please stop sending me these horrible messages and writing these things on my wall, I am feeling really broken and alone right now and I don’t have the strength for this.”

Reaction from Nic

The AFL star took to Twitter today to say he did not believe the mother meant to cause harm. But he asked that she “reflect” on her actions and choose “an alternate method next time”.

“It’s a shame racism coexists in an environment where our children should be nurtured, not tortured because they are unaware of the painful historical significance ‘blackface’ has had previously on the oppressed,” he wrote.

 

Is it offensive? Share your comments below

Image via Daily Mail

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  • I think we all know that Black face is a no go now but even so its disgusting that adults use internet outrage to make others lives miserable. Grow up people.

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  • Oh dear, what is this world coming to?

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  • I just can’t believe the outrage over this. Are we living in a world where our children cannot idolise or emulate their heroes? It’s a sad state of affairs when this is the case. I don’t believe this was ever about racism and I’m so upset and enraged at what this family and this little boy has now gone through. How do you explain this to such a young child? Let’s just celebrate that our kids have great role models and want to aspire to be like them. Let’s just celebrate that and stop the hysteria.

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  • The little boy was trying to look like his hero!

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  • Don’t think she was trying to be a racist at all. All these abusive responses are so over the top, it’s sad that people take it offensive or start attacking with abusive responses.

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  • I personally don’t see anything wrong with what the mum did for her son to go as his favourite idol. I think it was a honour that she went to the length that she did.

    What I am ashamed about is how many keyboard warriors that jump on and hurl abuse at Constance and the mum! – resorting to online death threats – that is just far to extreme for what this is. A kid dressing up as his idol – yes not all agree but the abuse and torment from other australian’s is really nasty and un australian -

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  • She wasn’t trying to be racist at all.

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  • I really dont think it was meant to b racist , I just think it was a little boy who idolises a footy player and who wanted to b like him , maybe they should get together and have a talk about both of their views without all this hurt , think about this LITTLE boy as well

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  • I agree with the 2 comments before mine. Nic should feel pleased as punch that a little kid tried to emulate him as his hero!. I think people have got the wrong slant totally on what racism is! No particular group or race is superior to the other! Notice how thrilled Gary Ablett Jnr from the Gold Coast Suns was thrilled to bits that a little boy was impersonating him. What a different attitude he has! Would the aborigines think it was racist if one of their kids dressed up as Gary Ablett junior with a white face? The world has gone mad !

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  • I think that this was just helping her boy look like Nic Natanui and nothing else. Just wearing the uniform with his number on the back wouldn’t cut it with the child – I think someone trying so hard to look like his hero is not offensive in anyway. It’s probably a nicer compliment than the boy running around in a superman or other hero outfit.

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  • Totally agree I don’t get the racist part! It wasn’t meant to be degrading or offensive! Good god are ppl gonna start attacking girls for spray tanning cause it’s nice to be brown ?!? This is s kid going as his idol, who cares!!!! If his idol was Elmo and he was painted red would it be such an issue?!! The mother drinking before 12 isn’t the best parenting move but I’m sure none of us are perfect so maybe we should all just take our judgy pants off and leave them at the door! The level of abuse is disgraceful over a kid playing dress up!!

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  • As a person of color, I do find it offensive. It is not about what is politically correct. Do to others as you would have them do to you. The Golden Rule. When I see blackface it doesn’t make me immediately think that someone is being racist. Rather, I feel like I am being made fun of. If a person really wants to pay tribute to someone they ‘adore’ they should not do it that way. And, yes, I think I could offend someone by painting my face pure white. Do you know anyone who is actually the color ‘white’?


    • How should they do it – and still look like Nic Nat?

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  • This story has totally gotten out of hand, seriously. It should have just been ignored, because the mum probably got the reaction she wanted

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  • I agree with BellaB. On another note, what I found offensive is the mother saying she was going to have a wine before 12pm because her son won the parade. I’m sick and tired of middle aged women thinking that a glass of wine makes them clever, hip and/or sophisticated. I wish they would grow up and set a better example for their children. Her language also leaves a lot to be desired.

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  • Yes, it’s offensive. And the mother clearly knew it would be, and did it anyway. She put her son in a bad place and should be ashamed. However, all those people who are threatening her, and threatening Constance Hall for deleting it from her account have clearly lost their grip. The player’s response was proportionate and appropriate and that’s pretty much where it should end.

    And what’s a footy player got to do with Book Week? I can’t believe he got a prize when he wasn’t even dressed as a character from a book.

    Reply

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