Anti-racism activists in Spain are calling for a ban on the use of blackface, which is seen in many of the country’s traditional Epiphany festivals.
Rita Bossajo, the first black woman in Spain’s parliament, said the practice is part of the annual Jan. 5 parade on Epiphany Eve depicting the three Biblical kings who brought gifts to Jesus, and the slaves. He said it desecrates the memories of black children who were abused and disenfranchised.
In the parade, actors playing kings and wise men pass by on floats and throw candy, which children eagerly scoop up. Early Christian texts describe one of the kings, Balthazar, who is often depicted as a black man in African and Renaissance paintings.
In the eastern town of Alcoy, which has a long tradition of parades, dozens of pageants accompanied the king to Friday’s event, their faces painted black and their lips painted exaggerated red. Some children ran along the edge of the crowd and high-fived each other.
Bossajo, who headed the Equality Ministry’s racial diversity department from 2020 to 2023, said the lack of discussion about the racism that pervades Spanish society has led to the continued use of blackface in parades. He said that
“This is racism and it sends a message that our skin doesn’t matter,” Bossaho added.
A spokesperson for the Department for Equality was on holiday and unavailable for comment.
A 2021 study commissioned by the Ministry of Equality found that although almost half of people of African descent living in Spain were born in Spain, only 12% self-identify as “Afro-Spanish” and 60% It turns out that he said he didn’t feel Spanish. to the discrimination they suffered.
Those who defend the use of blackface argue that it is not meant to cause harm, but merely continues a tradition.
Catalonia’s oldest parade is held in the northeastern town of Igualada, where most of the 800 or so participants wear blackface.
“We don’t consider ourselves xenophobic or racist, and we don’t consider the fact that some people dress up and put on makeup to play a role, to bring joy to children, to be racist. I don’t even think so,” said Eduardo Creus, who heads the organization. parade.
In Alcoy, the large crowd of peasants who accompany the king are often local white youths in blackface.
Paula, who did not want to give her last name, said: “Our faces are painted black, it’s always done, and for the local children in Alcoy who know us, it’s hard to know who we are.” “It’s a great way to make sure you don’t know what’s going on.”
Local authorities in Alcoy declined to be interviewed.
A video released by authorities in Madrid’s Chamartín district on Thursday shows the white actor playing Baltazar wearing blackface and speaking to children in what is clearly an imitation of a West African accent, causing a stir online and in the media. sparked widespread protests.
Eduardo Rubino of the leftist Más Madrid party said, “It’s incredible that out of the 120,000 residents of Madrid of African descent, not a single person could be found to play the role of Baltazar.” He explained. Pathetic” and “pure racism.”
Madrid’s deputy mayor told reporters the video was an “unfortunate mistake” made by the production company and said the city would seek an explanation.
Antoinette Torres, founder of Afrofeminas, an online community that aims to increase visibility for black women, said there is a “lack of political will to stand up against racism” but protect minors and blackface. He said a nationwide law is needed to end such practices.
“By normalizing these trends, things that should not be tolerated are still happening in Spain in the 21st century,” he said last year, when a portrait of Real Madrid’s black player Vinicius Jr. He mentioned an incident where he was hanged from a bridge.
She added that many Spaniards do not consider blackface racist because the education system does not teach the country’s ties to slavery and colonialism in its past.
Spain once had a protectorate that included parts of present-day Morocco, as well as colonies in present-day Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara, and engaged in slave trade until the 1800s.