Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) apologized late Thursday evening for sporting blackface as a part of a Halloween costume portraying pop star Michael Jackson in 2006 throughout a school occasion.
“Obviously, I can’t change what happened 18 years ago, but I certainly, with wisdom and age, understand that that is not something I would do today and certainly understand why people would be upset or offended by it, and for that, I’m sorry,” Lawler said during an appearance on CNN’s “The Source.”
“But you know, for me, there was no ill intent,” he advised host Kaitlan Collins. “There was no effort to malign or make fun of or disparage Black Americans. It was really an effort to pay homage to somebody who was a musical idol for me. I’ve always loved Michael Jackson’s music and his dance moves and his ability to entertain.”
Lawler’s apology got here after The New York Instances reported on the costume, after acquiring photographs from the occasion at Manhattan School.
The Home Republican mentioned he understands why folks could be offended by his motion.
“Anyone who knows me knows that, and people who come visit my D.C. office can see today an Andy Warhol painting of Michael Jackson hanging in my office,” he mentioned. “So, this was really not what I think could truly be construed as blackface, but I certainly understand why people would be offended by it, and for that, I’m sorry.”
The Instances reported that Lawler, an enormous fan of Jackson, flew from New York to California in 2005 to attend the pop star’s prison trial. Jackson was charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy that 12 months, however later acquitted.
“I think there is a stark difference between dressing up for Halloween and paying homage to somebody you like and respect, versus dressing up in blackface to demean and dehumanize Black people, which is what minstrel shows in blackface historically was about,” Lawler mentioned Thursday evening. “That’s obviously not what I was doing there.”
The roots of blackface within the U.S. date again a number of centuries and is rooted in racist portrayals and caricatures of Black folks, sported throughout Black ministerial reveals the place white folks darkened their faces to make themselves seem Black.
Lawler, a reasonable freshman GOP member, is at present operating for reelection in a battleground Home district, thought of a toss-up. The Hill/Resolution Desk HQ’s polling index reveals the incumbent with a 3.1-point lead — 46.3 % to 43.2 % — over his Democratic challenger, former Rep. Mondaire Jones, who’s Black.
