Philip S. S. Howard

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African residents in Ukraine wait at Lviv railway station on Feb. 27, 2022. The Ukraine refugee crisis revealed deep-seated racism as racialized and Black refugees from Ukraine were treated differently. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Ukraine refugee crisis exposes racism and contradictions in the definition of human

Philip S. S. Howard, McGill University; Bryan Chan Yen Johnson, McGill University, and Kevin Ah-Sen, McGill University

The racism seen in the Ukraine refugee crisis reflects a long legacy of how the West defines who is human. We need a new definition that respects the dignity of all humans.
Megyn Kelly appears on the set of her show, ‘Megyn Kelly Today’ at NBC Studios in New York on September 21, 2017. Kelly questioned why dressing up in blackface is wrong. Kelly now says she understands that she needs to be more sensitive. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Invision - Charles Sykes

If you’re thinking of doing blackface for Halloween, just don’t

Philip S. S. Howard, McGill University

Many claim the offensive part about blackface is from a long time ago and claim blackface costumes, especially at Halloween, are innocent fun. What could be the harm?
Rapper Drake watches the action at an NBA game in Toronto in 2016. A recent battle between Drake and Pusha-T brought the issue of blackface back into the headlines. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

The problem with blackface

Philip S. S. Howard, McGill University

Is blackface ever innocent? Is it less racist when a Black person enacts it as a statement of resistance? Because of our history of deep and ongoing racism in Canada, the answer is no.

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