Victory Christian School in Carmichael, California, is facing criticism over its use of blackface. Fox40 reports some parents claimed the school tried to use blackface for educational purposes. Superintendent John Huffman admits blackface was used and has issued an apology, calling the incident "poor judgment."


The mishap occurred late last week when an unidentified female teacher dressed up — from head to toe — in what was called a "typical native dress and headdress" for the sake of "authenticity." The outfit included a print dress, a matching headscarf, bare feet and dark brown makeup. The teacher was supposedly trying to depict a woman missionary David Livingstone encountered during his time in Africa in the 19th century.


“I was wrong to allow the use of makeup no matter how innocent the intentions as it has offended some of my students and parents," the superintendent said. "I should have anticipated that this could be offensive, and I apologized to my students and parents asking to be forgiven for hurting them.” On Twitter, critics slammed the photo. A few users who claimed to have gone to the school said blackface is par for the course at the institution.




Huffman said he now plans to host forums to discuss how to serve the students with sensitivity better.


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