Blackface in 2007 UNICEF Germany’s advert. I know I’m late in the game but:
The headline translates “This Ad-campaign developped pro bono by the agency Jung von Matt/Alster shows four german kids who appeal for solidarity with their contemporaries in Afrika” The first kid says:
“I’m waiting for my last day in school, the children in africa still for their first one.”
second kid:
“in africa, many kids would be glad to worry about school”third kid:
“in africa, kids don’t come to school late, but not at all” (!)
fourth kid:
“some teachers suck. no teachers sucks even more.” (translation from Black Women in Europe, through racialicious.com)
Let’s see, we have:
- generalizing an entire continent, reducing it down to a souless box
- a racist and misinformed idea about African children
- dehumanization of African children
- elitism and arrogance (kids in africa dont go to school at all but kids in the west are so much better)
the funny thing about this is the girl in blacface has been whitewashed to look even more white (the original ad is on google)These adverts aren’t only dangerous because of the overt racism but because they are feeding internalised racism into young African children who live in the West and/or live in a country in Africa. Some mothers’ in my class (from one African country) have expressed fear and worry they feel whenever their children keep asking them
”mummy, why are they so poor in Africa? How come we aren’t like them? They look icky”
children born and/or bred in an African country are internalizing racist beliefs about the way they associate their race, skin color and ethnicity and nationality which results in them have a very skweded and negative attitude about Africa. Sadly, this is not the first time UNICEF has used racist stereotypes in their campaigns.
Stay classy UNICEF
Just saying, these kids look like hideous deformed men….all of them, especially the girl up top.
WOW!
