Blackface and Halloween Costumes

Megyn Kelly is facing criticism for her remarks defending blackface worn for Halloween costumes with an all-white panel. Her colleagues, including Al Roker and Craig Melvin, and NBC news chair Andy Lack condemned Kelly for her insensitive comments. Kelly apologized on-air and admitted it was wrong for her to insinuate that people can change their skin color for a costume.

Roland Martin and Amy Holmes, two black journalists, were guests to explore the topic and the history of blackface. This contrasted the all-white panel in which Kelly first made her remarks. Roland Martin mentions the Kerner Commission Report and the media’s role in perpetuating stereotypes of people of color. This situation highlights the symbolic annihilation of people of color. There were no black people to discuss blackface--a topic that affects black people--in the initial panel. It took a controversial statement to incorporate people of color in a discussion meant to educate a white woman on a black issue.