QUICK HIT: How NOT to be Racist this Halloween

With Halloween approaching, let’s talk about ways to avoid dressing in racist costumes!

1. Race is not a costume. If you dress as a “Mexican” or a “Native-American”, you are generalizing an entire culture and perpetuating stereotypes, therefore, you are being racist.

2. It is acceptable to dress up as another PERSON from a different race or culture. You can dress up as Pocahontas, Obama, Princess Tiana, Beyonce, or Lil Wayne, but do not dress up as a “redneck” or as a “thug”.

3. DO NOT alter the color of your skin to match another race/ethnicity. Blackface is historically racist and demeaning, and so is trying to match the skin tone of a person that is different from your race.

4. DO NOT alter your facial features to match another race/ethnicity. See #3.

5. Don’t dress up to mock a person or culture. When you do so, you are perpetuating negative stereotypes that real people have to fight against – you are hurting cultures, people, and society itself.

If you want to make sure your costume isn’t racist, check out some other resources below!

9 Steps for Avoiding Racist Costumes || Don’t Be Racist This Halloween

You Don’t Have to Be Awful Just Because It’s Halloween