Blackface In Iowa

Whenever I see a national story coming out Iowa my radar lights up. If the story comes out of a community in which I taught school my interest is greatly piqued.

There was a big hubbub last week in Davenport, Iowa about a grade school teacher of 32 and a female, who went to a Halloween Party dressed as a character, LaFawnduh, from the Napoleon Dynamite move. The movie character was in black face. I once saw the movie. It was a cult favorite of young people, people who who the age of this woman when was in our theaters.

This was a private party not associated with the Davenport Iowa school district. Somehow, word of her costume got back to the administration and she was, you guessed it, placed on leave. I don't know if she put her picture on Facebook or if a busy body contacted the area leader in yellow journalism, The Quad-City Times. Regardless, she had to hire a lawyer, was subjected to harassment from across the country to the tune of 50 media outlets. Even countries in Europe jumped on the story not to mention hate mail and hate phone calls.

The woman, and I believe her, stated she didn't know about black face and it's stereotypes. Assuming she was born in 1986 why would she? If I rounded up a hundred people and had them identify Al Jolson, Amos and Andy, Stymie, LaFrina, Lil' Black Sambo and the Tar Baby any of them under age 40 wouldn't have a clue. Yet, this woman is receiving the Kavanaugh treatment.

Isn't it so sad that social media has made experts out of folks who don't know the alphabet or the difference between a vowel and a consonant?

I hope this young woman can get on with her life. I once heard words that might apply in this case and I'm trying to think from where and by whom. It goes this way, "He who is without sin cast the first stone".