An elected member of a school board in Arkansas has been urged to resign after images surfaced showing him in blackface.
Ted Bonner of the Blevins School District allegedly wore the costume at a Halloween party several weeks ago, KATV, an ABC station in Little Rock, reported:
The photos showed Bonner in blackface holding a sign that said: “BLAK Lives Matters.” It’s not clear if the misspellings were intentional.
Superintendent Billy Lee said Bonner had apologized, KARK, an NBC station in Little Rock, reported. However, Lee said he has no power to remove an elected board member.
Some parents have called for Bonner to quit.
“Why is that every time you make a joke, it’s blackface?” parent Faye Smith told KARK. “Why is blackface funny? We have a whole race of people who don’t think looking in the mirror is a joke.”
The local NAACP chapter also suggested that Bonner resign, and called the photos “offensive and hateful.”
“Elected officials have an obligation to be a role model for our future leaders,” NAACP conference president Rizelle Aaron said, according to Arkansas Online. Bonner “has conducted himself in a manner that is unbecoming of an elected official and has brought embarrassment and negative national attention to the Blevins School District and the great state of Arkansas.”
If Bonner doesn’t step down, the NAACP may hold a rally at district offices.
(h/t Raw Story)
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