Trudeau apologizes for ’01 brownface picture
TORONTO — Canadian leader Justin Trudeau’s campaign for national elections was hit Wednesday by the publication of a yearbook photo showing him in brownface makeup at a costume party in 2001. The prime minister apologized and said “it was a dumb thing to do.”
Time magazine posted the photo, which it says was published in the yearbook from the West Point Grey Academy, a private school in British Columbia where Trudeau worked as a teacher before entering politics. It depicts Trudeau wearing a turban and robe, with dark makeup on his hands, face and neck.
Trudeau, who launched his re-election campaign last week, said he should have known better.
“I’m p **** d off at myself, I’m disappointed in myself,” Trudeau told reporters traveling with him on his campaign plane.
The Canadian prime minister is but the latest politician to face scrutiny over racially insensitive photos and actions from their younger days. Earlier this year, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam faced intense pressure to resign after a picture surfaced from his 1984 medical school yearbook page showing a man wearing blackface. He denied being in the picture but admitted to wearing blackface as a young man while portraying Michael Jackson at a dance party in the 1980s.
Trudeau said the photo of him was taken at the school’s annual dinner which had an “Arabian Nights” theme that year. Trudeau was dressed as a character from Aladdin.
The prime minister said it was not the first time he had worn makeup, saying he wore it while performing a version of the Harry Belafonte song, “Banana Boat Song (Day-O)” during a talent show.
“I should have known better then but I didn’t, and I am deeply sorry for it,” Trudeau said. “I’m going to ask Canadians to forgive me what I did. I shouldn’t have done that. I take responsibility for it. It was a dumb thing to do.”
Trudeau said he’s always been more enthusiastic about costumes than is “sometimes appropriate.”
“These are the situations I regret deeply,” he added.
Trudeau said the photo of him was taken at the school’s annual dinner which had an ‘Arabian Nights’ theme that year. Trudeau was dressed as a character from Aladdin.