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    Comedian's BYU black history video goes viral

    Associated Press – Fri, Feb 10, 2012

    PROVO, Utah (AP) — A YouTube video of a white comedian who painted his face black and quizzed Brigham Young University students about Black History Month has brought some unwanted attention to the Mormon-run school.

    Observers have called some student responses ignorant while others criticized the comedian's use of the 19th century theater technique considered racially offensive by black people.

    Standup comic Dave Ackerman told ABC 4 that he was going for the shock factor.

    "I wanted to raise awareness in an interesting way and get a conversation started," he said.

    Ackerman's montage of student interviews at the Provo, Utah, school had nearly 450,000 views by Friday afternoon. About 1,400 viewers indicated they liked the four-minute video, while 2,400 clicked "dislike."

    The video starts by showing Ackerman donning skin-darkening makeup on his face and hands. He stops students at the school — where blacks comprise less than 1 percent of the student body — and asks them which month is Black History Month.

    Several interviewees said January or March before one correctly answered February.

    When Ackerman asks students to name prominent figures in black history, they name Martin Luther King, Jr. and rappers.

    The final frame tells viewers to "fight ignorance with ignorance."

    BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins told the Salt Lake Tribune that officials at the school, which is run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were disappointed by some of the remarks and said they don't represent the more than 30,000 students enrolled there. She also said some students complained the editing was selective and perhaps manipulative.

    Others criticized the comedian's use of blackface, which was popular in 19th century "minstrel shows" that caricatured blacks.

    "The kids are extremely naive, and Ackerman exploits that," Darron Smith, a former BYU professor, who is black, told the Tribune. "Where it went south was the use of blackface. He doesn't understand how offensive it is."

     

    7 comments

    • A Yahoo! User  •  Las Vegas, Nevada  •  3 mths ago
      The use of black face is offensive, but considering those with dark skin as being "cursed by God" isn't?

      And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men. And their brethren sought to destroy them, therefore they were cursed; and the Lord God set a mark upon them, yea, upon Laman and Lemuel, and also the sons of Ishmael, and Ishmaelitish women. Alma 3:6-7

      They believe that anyone that is not white isn't worthy of God, and it is supposed to be surprising that they are racists?
      • illythekid
        illythekid 3 mths ago
        The whole idea is getting the right color shoe polish
      • al
        al 3 mths ago
        @ Yahoo user: seems like you know their book of Mormon,now if you are aware of this ,you oughtta be aware of that in past years they have Black missionaries and that the LDS church is getting big in Africa,plus that in the 80's they had that policy of denying Black people the blessings of the Temple WAS ABOLISH,
        Tell the whole story,not just the one fitting your hate,so...what make you read their book? did you were a new convert trying to take advantage of them? and they discovered your lies
    • illythekid
      illythekid  •  West Chester, Pennsylvania  •  3 mths ago
      The Wayans Brothers in White Chicks. That's a very tasteful example of reverse blackface.
    • al
      al  •  3 mths ago
      Usually their own ex members are the ones trying to discredit that church,they seem to "know" their scriptures and their rites at their Temples and their special underwear.
      I have a family of friends that are Mormons and they are not the racists people some idiots try to portray them here,in fact they are always help their neighbors in any way they can,and they were the only ones giving us their friendship and never had tried to proselytize us and or convert us to their religion,I'm was the one asking them why are they so different than the rest of us and they told me that they were Mormons,SO,stop demonize this people,that the real enemies of the truth are the ones attacking them.
    • U Hairy Tick U
      U Hairy Tick U  •  Delaware, Ohio  •  3 mths ago
      Never trust a religion whose main angel is named "Macaroni" This message brought to you by "The Church Of the Flying Spaghetti Monster" For more info on Monsterism just look up.
    • TK3
      TK3  •  3 mths ago
      "Where it went south was the use of blackface. He doesn't understand how offensive it is."
      So its O.K. if we get offended if a black uses "whiteface" ?
      • illythekid
        illythekid 3 mths ago
        In the Lord of the Rings movies, Ian McKellen plays a wizard. Do you think he goes home at night and shoots lasers into his boyfriend’s #$%$
    • Tony
      Tony  •  3 mths ago
      there's nothing wrong with this, black comedians are always putting down the white man
      • Robert G. Ingersoll
        Robert G. Ingersoll 3 mths ago
        @Tony

        I agree with you - people should be able to make fun of each other without it turning into a federal case.
    • John P
      John P  •  Newark, Delaware  •  3 mths ago
      BYU stands for Blacks Your Ugly!
     Post a comment
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