NO ‘JUSTIN’FYING IT
Canadian PM Trudeau in ’01 wore ‘brownface’
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wore “brownface” makeup and a turban to a costume party while teaching at a private school in 2001, it was revealed Wednesday.
Trudeau is in a photograph wearing the makeup at an “Arabian Nights” gala hosted by the West Point Grey Academy in Vancouver as part of an “Aladdin” costume.
The photo was first published by Time magazine.
The image shows the then-29year-old Trudeau — the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau — wearing a white turban and white, Arab-style robes.
Trudeau, now 47, also colored his neck and hands with the makeup, the photograph shows.
The photo became public one week after Trudeau launched his re-election campaign — polling in a virtual dead heat with his chief rival from the Conservative Party.
Trudeau offered a mea culpa soon after Time published the story online and the image began spreading on the Internet.
“I dressed up in an ‘Aladdin’ costume and put makeup on. I should have known better, but I didn’t and I’m really sorry,” Trudeau told reporters traveling with him on his campaign plane Wednesday.
“It was a dumb thing to do. I’m disappointed in myself. I’m pissed off at myself,” he added.
“I deeply regret that I did that,” said Trudeau.
“I take responsibility for my decision. It was something I didn’t think was racist at the time, but now I recognize it was racist.”
He then added that it wasn’t the first time he had donned skincoloring makeup.
“When I was in high school, I dressed up at a talent show and sang ‘Day-O’ with makeup on,” Trudeau told reporters, referring to the classic tune subtitled “The Banana Boat Song” and wildly popularized by Harry Belafonte in 1956.
As prime minister, Trudeau has cast himself as friendly to Canada’s minorities and promoted immigration.
After the photo was published Wednesday night, Trudeau was attacked by his Conservative Party rival — but also by Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party.
“It’s insulting,” Singh, who is a Sikh, told reporters Wednesday evening.
“I think he needs to answer for it. I think he’s got to answer the question why he did that,” Singh added.
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer pounced on the prime minister.
“Wearing brownface is an act of open mockery and racism. It was just as racist in 2001 as in 2019,” Scheer said in a video message Wednesday.