White privilege in America continues to be a puzzling and widespread phenomenon with no consequences. Virginia deputy Jean Browning recently dressed up as House of Representatives member Frederica Wilson in blackface who was accompanied by her husband who was dressed as Donald Trump at a Halloween party.
Browning serves as a deputy at the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Department in Virginia. The York-James City-Williamsburg branch of the NAACP were the first to find out about this incident.
When Virginia sheriff J.D. Diggs found out about his deputy’s ignorant incompetence, he did not fire nor punish Browning. He simply reassigned her to a different court system in Virginia.
“The combined intent of the couple was to portray how funny it would be for two political figures who were at odds with each other to go to a party together.” (Via The Root)
Mocking African Americans with blackface and portraying them as a joke will never deemed as funny. We even saw people dress up as Colin Kaepernick in blackface at Halloween parties with no consequences from their employers.
Diggs went on to say that Browning is feeling regretful and that she might take some sensitivity training. He also added that she might need a “conversation.”
No amount of “remorse” or “sensitivity training” will erase one’s bigotry and intent to mock black people with blackface in their costumes.